More reports about larger iPhones are making the rounds, though a new report suggests that Apple is having some problems with the currently non-existent 5.5-inch model.
Reuters on Tuesday, citing anonymous supply chain sources, reported that a 4.7-inch iPhone will be produced in the coming months, while the 5.5-inch model could be held up thanks to a production issue involving the in-cell technology for the larger screens. Apple's in-cell screen technology, first introduced with the iPhone 5, combines the display and touch sensors into a single component, allowing for a more slender handset.
Reuters said Apple suppliers are gearing up to begin producing the screens for the 4.7-inch model as early as May, a few months before the phone's expected arrival this fall. Production of the 5.5-inch screens will start in June, and Apple may use a film sensor for the larger model instead of in-cell technology. Japan Display, Sharp, and LG will handle production.
This is not the first time Apple has run into problems with in-cell technology. The company's decision to use the thinner, lighter touchscreen reportedly contributed to an iPhone 5 backlog back in 2012 that kept many users waiting three to four weeks for their device.
Meanwhile, reports about larger iPhones have been making the rounds for ages with Bloomberg tipping 4.7- and 5.5-inch devices in November and Japan's Nikkei Asian Review reiterating the rumor last month. If true, the new 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch screens will dwarf the current 4-inch Retina display iPhone 5s .
PCMag's Sascha Segan, however, warns consumers not to believe the hype.