Apple is currently testing iPhone screens as large as six inches, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal. The news comes as many of the company’s competitors are releasing handsets with 5 and 6 inch displays—the new Note 3 measures in at 5.7.
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard that Apple is toying with the idea of making a larger iPhone. In fact, The Journal told a similar story in mid-July. So it seems that while the bigger displays are not expected to debut on this year’s model, they are on the way…
The Journal‘s Ian Sherr, Eva Dou and Lorraine Luk report:
“As Apple Inc. AAPL -0.69% prepares to unveil both a new high-end iPhone and a cheaper version for the first time next week, it is already working on something bigger.
The electronics giant has begun evaluating a plan to offer iPhones with screens ranging from 4.8 inches to as high as six inches, people familiar with the matter say. That would be a sizable leap from the 4-inch screen of the iPhone 5 released last year, and, at the upper end, would be one of the largest on the market.”
The report goes onto say that it is unclear whether Apple will choose to follow a multi-size, multi-device strategy beyond the iPhone 5C it’s expected to launch this month. But it appears to be fairly open to the idea, and is particularly interested in 4.8-inch displays.
BREAKING: Apple testing iPhone screens as large as six inches, sources say. Screen size not expected for new devices this month. Story soon.
— Ian Sherr (@iansherr) September 5, 2013
The company has also been rumored to be testing various screen sizes for its iPad line. Over the summer, it was reported that it was looking at tablet displays of up to 13-inches. Yesterday, a note by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said it’s also working on a budget model.
All of this suggests that Apple is looking to expand its smartphone and tablet lines. And while we won’t likely see the new options at next week’s event, or at the proposed event in October, the consistent chatter makes you think that they may not be very far off.
Image credit: marco arment