Production problems are reportedly putting a hitch in Apple's iPhone plans. (Via Dru Bloomfield / CC BY 2.0)
Apple-centric news outlets like Apple Insider are reporting that a bottleneck in production of the iPhone 6's 4.7-inch model could see the release date of the 5.5-inch model pushed back to next year.
Bloomberg says production of both iPhone 6 models just started in July, so this problem is hitting very early on in the production process.
The iPhone 6 is expected to launch in the fall, and all the rumors so far say it will launch in those two sizes: a 4.7-inch model and a 5.5-inch one. (Youtube / Feld & Volk)
For reference, those numbers refer to the size of the model's screen, and even the "smaller" model would be about 20 percent bigger than the current iPhone 5. (Via TeppoTK / CC BY 2.0)
That would bump it into phablet territory.
"These phones have so much in common with tablets in fact, that people are even starting to call them phablets. Get it? Phone plus tablet? It grows on you." (Via The New York Times)
Analysts have long been expecting Apple to release a competitor for other phablets like the Samsung Galaxy Note or the Nokia Lumia 1520. (Via Samsung, PocketNow)
But according to a report from MacRumors, the increased size of the 5.5-inch model complicates problems Apple is already having with the 4.7-inch model's metal casing and touch panel.
It's important to note that we're still very much in the rumor phase when it comes to this kind of news.
Most outlets reporting on the production issues with the iPhone 6 cite the same analyst, working for Taiwan-based KGI Securities, and none of them provide a second source to confirm the rumors.
But as some analysts point out, there's a reason for those rumors.
"You know there's always this speculation because we want the next big thing from Apple. Remember when Steve Job[s] used to get on stage and he'd say, 'one more thing.' And he would come out with this mind-blowing device that you never even heard of? We want this." (Via CNN)
But if you want to get your hands on an iPhone 6, production problems notwithstanding, the rumors are you'll have to wait until the fall.
