History really does repeat itself.
Just like previous rumor seasons, Apple is reported to release two phones later this year. Except this time around, they will have larger screen.
Citing people familiar with the matter, the WSJ reports that one iPhone model will sport a 4.5-inch display, and the other version will have a display larger than 5 inches. That’s on par with the screen size of the Galaxy S III and Galaxy S4, respectively.
According to the report, both of these next-gen iPhones will have metal framing like the iPhone 5s, ditching the plastic iPhone 5c-style casing.
The iPhone originally launched with a 3.5-inch display, which was bumped to four inches with the iPhone 5. The most recent models, iPhone 5s and 5c, both sport 4-inch displays.
However, there has been pressure on Apple to experiment with larger screens ever since Android phones started growing. With Apple set on a smaller screen size, Android manufacturers used size to differentiate, slapping five- and six-inch displays onto flagship devices.
In fact, we’ve seen the phablet market grow to the point where I’m using the term “phablet market” in articles. Over 20 million units were shipped in 2013, and Juniper Research estimates that number growing to 120 million by 2018.
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Another big factor here is China.
The company finally struck a deal with China Mobile, the country’s largest mobile carrier, after years of negotiation. As it happens, larger screen phones are more popular in Asia than they are in Apple’s usual territory.
Of course, for now this is all unconfirmed by Apple and thus a rumor. We’ll have to wait until Apple announces the next-gen products until anything is for sure. (But remember, history does tend to repeat.)
