A new rumor suggests that the 5.5-inch display version of Apple's iPhone 6 may have its launch date in fall this year, which is sooner than what many Apple watchers have expected.
On Wednesday, analyst Brian White boldly predicted that two versions of the iPhone 6 will be available by September during the Computex trade show in Taiwan. White based his claim on evidence that manufacturers were already churning out accessories for both the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 versions. Here is what White wrote in a research report at the show:
Our research at Computex highlights that the majority of the accessory makers we interacted with today have already begun production in support of the 4.7-inch iPhone 6. During our China/Taiwan Tech Tour in April, we met with a small number of accessory makers that had started initial production of accessories for the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 but not the 5.5-inch version, but today's research highlights a much broader ramp of the 4.7-inch version.
Also at Computex, we noticed that a few vendors had already started work on accessories for the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 and the pieces were available at the show. Given the lack of data points in recent months around progress with the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 and growing skepticism in the media around a 2014 launch, we view this as a positive development. Based on today's research, we believe the timing of the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 launch appears to be in sync with our expectation around the unveiling (i.e., September) of the 4.7-inch iPhone 6.
From this information, it is clear that White believes that the 5.5-inch version will be released the same time as the 4.7-inch version. This assertion clashes with earlier reports made by Taiwanese analyst Ming Chi-Kuo, who has a proven track record for making many accurate predictions of Apple releases. Even though Kuo has not always been perfect in his prediction, most information he reports have come true.
Earlier this year, Kuo predicted that the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 version will be released in September, while the 5.5 inch version will be launched next year. Besides Kuo, other analysts have been saying similar things. In April, Taiwanese-website EMSOne reported that iPhone 6 production will begin in July, which supports the September launch date theory.
As Apple has not formally revealed the iPhone 6, details on its specs remain a mystery. Even so, this has not deterred the rumor mill from speculating. Over the months, there have been many iPhone 6 leaks coming from the China-Taiwan area, where Apple outsources the manufacturing of its mobile devices as well as components.
The latest rumor from Chinese website Laoyaoba suggests that Apple has resolved the battery problem that had reportedly delayed production for the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 version. Even if this rumor is true, this does not necessarily mean the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 version will be available this coming fall.
Besides word-of-mouth rumors, images and videos of iPhone 6 mockups have continually surfaced the internet, further fueling rampant speculation. Much discussion has been placed on the iPhone 6 thickness, which is said to be 26 percent thinner than the preceding iPhone 5. So far, there is no general consensus on the actual thickness of the iPhone 6.
Ming-Chi Kuo reported that the smartphone would be roughly 6.5-7mm in thickness. In contrast, a Ukrainian iPhone fan blog claimed they had insider knowledge indicating the device to be 6mm thick. Still, the actual iPhone 6 spec remains a mystery.
