5-inch iPhone 6 spotted at Chinese supplier alongside iPhone 5S
A 5-inch iPhone 6 prototype has been spotted at one of Apple’s Chinese suppliers, with the handset reportedly doing the rounds alongside the as yet unconfirmed iPhone 5S.
Adding to a flurry of recent iPhone 6 rumours, latest reports have suggested Apple’s iPhone 5 follow-on has been spotted playing host to a new 5-inch form factor. Said to have surfaced at a Chinese supplier alongside an iPhone 5S model, both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 5S handsets have been tipped for a 2013 launch as Apple looks to regain ground on Android in the smartphone market.
With the iPhone 5 having made the jump to a new 4-inch form factor following Apple’s previous footing in crafting 3.5-inch handsets, recent reports have suggested that whilst the iPhone 5S will feature a form similar to that of its predecessor, the iPhone 6 will play host to a “wider, longer and thinner” 5-inch form to compete with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S3 and Samsung Galaxy Note 2.
Reports of a newly sized iPhone 6 being spotted have come just hours after Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak declared that Apple’s handsets have fallen “somewhat behind” their Android brimmed rivals.
“Currently we are in my opinion somewhat behind,” Wozniak told reporters. “Others have caught up. Samsung is a great competitor. But precisely because they are currently making great products.”
iPhone 6 Rumours
Whilst the iPhone 5S is expected to be an incremental improvement on the current iPhone 5, despite reports of the next-generation handset being made available in “6-8 colours” much like the 2012 iPod touch, the iPhone 6 is expected to bring wholesale changes to Apple’s smartphone collection.
With claims of an iPhone 6 release date to see the handset hit retailers this autumn, just six months after a spring iPhone 5S arrival, industry analysts have predicted that the device will pave the way for a selection of varyingly sizes iPhone devices, a move that would see Apple rival Android on multiple fronts.
“Although Apple offers a 4-inch screen on the iPhone 5 and a 3.5-inch screen on the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4, the Company has never offered multiple screen sizes for a single model,” Brian White, an analyst at Topeka Capital said. “We believe this is about to change with the next iPhone offering different screen sizes that we believe will allow Apple to better bifurcate the market and expand its reach.”
He added: “This eventually opens up the possibility for a lower-priced iPhone (i.e., iPhone mini) with a smaller screen size that could allow Apple to further penetrate markets such as China and open up opportunities in India.
“At the same time, Apple could unveil a larger screen size compared to the recently updated 4-inch screen on the iPhone 5. Clearly, there are many smartphone models that are now larger than 4 inches and even some bigger than five inches on the market.”
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Via: CNET