Apple iPhone 6 Release Date Rumor: Launch Of 5.5-Inch Model, iWatch Tipped For December

While rumors are rife that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) will release two iPhone 6 models with larger screens this year, there has been some confusion about the timing of their launch. Now, a new report has claimed that the 4.7-inch and the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 versions could arrive months apart from each other.

Apple is likely to launch the 4.7-inch version of the iPhone 6 during its traditional September release timeframe, but the bigger 5.5-inch model could arrive in December, along with the company’s rumored smart watch, dubbed the “iWatch,” GforGames reported, citing a post on Chinese micro-blogging platform Weibo. The latest rumor supports some earlier reports that have suggested that the launch of the bigger iPhone 6 version could be delayed until December.

A report from Taiwanese news publication UDN claimed that the production of the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 model is already underway as the device is expected to be ready for launch in September, while the bigger 5.5-inch model may not even enter production by that time.

The UDN report, which did not offer more details about the release date of the bigger iPhone 6, also said that the initial production capacity of the device will be limited, but it could be ramped up by 85 percent in the fourth quarter, thanks to the addition of “Foxbots” machines to help assembly-line workers.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo speculated earlier this month that Apple may have delayed mass production of the iWatch to late-November.

In addition to the iPhone 6, Apple is said to be preparing the new iPad Air and Retina iPad mini models for mass production beginning in September. The Cupertino tech giant is widely expected to announce the new iPad models at an event in October, which is also likely to be used to roll out the OS X Yosemite to the public, MacRumors reported.

The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Apple is preparing for the biggest iPhone launch in the company’s history and that the company has asked its Asian suppliers to produce the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch versions of the iPhone 6 by Dec. 30.