Apple Testing Prototype iPhones With Six-Inch Screens, Not Expected This Year

Apple is testing prototype iPhones with significantly larger screens than current models, according to The Wall Street Journal. The report claims Apple has tested models with screens as large as six inches, a significant increase from the 4-inch screen on the iPhone 5, but they are not expected to be released this year.

galaxy note ii iphone 5
5.5-inch Samsung Galaxy Note II vs. iPhone 5 (Source: phoneArena.com)

The electronics giant has begun evaluating a plan to offer iPhones with screens ranging from 4.8 inches to as high as six inches, people familiar with the matter say. That would be a sizable leap from the 4-inch screen of the iPhone 5 released last year, and, at the upper end, would be one of the largest on the market.

But people familiar with the company's internal deliberations and plans indicate it appears more willing to move ahead than in years past. Component suppliers say Apple already began testing larger screens for iPhones in recent months. Apple has been particularly interested in recent tests for a 4.8-inch screen, these people say.

Apple is routinely testing prototype devices and these models might never be released, but this is not the first time that we've heard this rumor. Back in July, the paper reported that Apple was testing larger screens on both the iPad and the iPhone.

MacRumors released a printable papercraft version of a 5-inch iPhone back in February of this year after other rumors of a larger iPhone surfaced.

Top Rated Comments

bassfingers Avatar
138 months ago
Article should read

"Apple testing voice call capabilities on an iPad Mini"
Score: 72 Votes (Like | Disagree)
penajmz Avatar
138 months ago
Now THIS I want.
Score: 66 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Anonymous Freak Avatar
138 months ago
No, no, no.

People have it all wrong. They're going to continue with the route they took with the iPhone 5. It will be a six-inch screen, alright, but it will be the same width.

(Sorry for the crappy quick-and-dirty Photoshopping.)
Score: 54 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Yojimbo007 Avatar
138 months ago
6" no way!
4.5 to 4.8 is my bet.. And it will be awesome !
Score: 44 Votes (Like | Disagree)
acfusion29 Avatar
138 months ago
now everyone is going to cry that they don't want a screen this large even though no one is putting a gun to their head to buy one.

options are good!!

bring on the bigger screen.
Score: 44 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ryansimmons323 Avatar
138 months ago
Not really much of a surprise. You'd expect them to be prototyping all sorts of things.
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

reset password request iphone

Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests

Tuesday March 26, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
maxresdefault

Apple to Launch New iPad Pro and iPad Air Models in May

Thursday March 28, 2024 11:07 am PDT by
Apple will introduce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models in early May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman previously suggested the new iPads would come out in March, and then April, but the timeline has been pushed back once again. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple is working on updates to both the iPad Pro and iPad Air models. The iPad Pro models will...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18: What to Expect From 'Biggest' Update in iPhone's History

Wednesday March 27, 2024 11:10 am PDT by
At least some Apple software engineers continue to believe that iOS 18 will be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. "The iOS 18 update is expected to be the most ambitious overhaul of the iPhone's software in its history, according to people working on the upgrade," wrote Gurman, in a r...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2024 Event for June 10 to 14

Tuesday March 26, 2024 10:02 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...
apple maps 3d feature

Apple Maps May Gain Custom Routes With iOS 18

Tuesday March 26, 2024 3:10 pm PDT by
Apple may be planning to add support for "custom routes" in Apple Maps in iOS 18, according to code reviewed by MacRumors. Apple Maps does not currently offer a way to input self-selected routes, with Maps users limited to Apple's pre-selected options, but that may change in iOS 18. Apple has pushed an iOS 18 file to its maps backend labeled "CustomRouteCreation." While not much is revealed...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

Apple Releases Revised Versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 With Updated Build Number

Wednesday March 27, 2024 5:59 am PDT by
Apple on late Tuesday released revised versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 with an updated build number of 21E237, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The updates previously had a build number of 21E236. The revised updates are available for all iPhone and iPad models that are compatible with iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, but they can only be installed via the Finder app on macOS...
applephilschiller

Apple's Phil Schiller Works 80 Hours a Week Overseeing App Store

Wednesday March 27, 2024 2:03 pm PDT by
With the App Store and app ecosystem undergoing major changes in the European Union, The Wall Street Journal today shared a profile on App Store chief Phil Schiller, who is responsible for the App Store. Though Schiller transitioned from marketing chief to "Apple Fellow" in 2020 to take a step back from Apple and spend more time on personal projects and friends, he is reportedly working...