5.5-inch Apple iPhone phablet launch pushed out to 2015?

Apple iPhone 6 conceptMost recent rumours have suggested that Apple will launch two new iPhones in the fall. Unlike past years, Apple is expected to launch both 4.7- and 5.5-inch models. Past reports suggested that Apple was facing production issues with the larger model but these dropped away more recently with more recent indications being that Apple would unveil both simultaneously. But KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo now suggests that Apple may defer the launch of the 5.5-inch Apple iPhone to 2015 as it faces production challenges.

A research note obtained by AppleInsider suggests that Apple is working through some touch sensitivity issues around the edges of the in-cell touch panel. Both models are affected but the problem is said to be worse for the larger iPhone model.

At the same time, Apple is also working through some colour uneveness issues on the new metal casing and drop-test resistance challenges with the new scratch-resistant 5.5-inch sapphire glass panels.

In what is described as the “most conservative scenario,” Apple may opt to delay the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 to 2015 and instead offer the 4.7-inch model along with the year-old iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C as cheaper alternatives. If it does manage to launch it this year, it may do so later, opting for a mid-fourth-quarter or mid-November time frame.

Note: The image above is a concept of what the iPhone 6 could look like.



Source : Apple Insider