Apple's 5.5-inch iPhone 6 may slip to 2015, report says
The rumored 5.5-inch iPhone 6 model isn't going to be easy to get out the door. At least not at first, a respected Apple analyst claims.
The larger, phablet-like version of the rumored iPhone 6 is facing production problems serious enough to delay its arrival till 2015 or to limit initial availability, a high-profile Apple analyst claims.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, writing in a research note, believes that problems Apple is facing with the expected 4.7-inch iPhone 6 are even more challenging for the 5.5-incher, possibly leading to delays, according to reports on Sunday from MacRumors and AppleInsider.
"The analyst believes that the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 may not launch by the end of 2014, or may launch after October in very limited quantities," said MacRumors, citing Kuo's report.
Challenges include technology related to the in-cell touch display panel and issues with the metal casing.
And the rumored scratch-resistant 5.5-inch sapphire cover glass for the display may not "easily pass the drop test near term," AppleInsider wrote, citing Kuo.
Along these lines, despite viral videos of purported 4.7-inch sapphire cover glass for the iPhone 6, Kuo believes that only the 5.5-inch model, if any, will use sapphire.
Previous rumors have also pointed to production problems with 5.5-inch iPhone 6, including battery-related issues. Bloomberg said in June, however, that both models will go into production this month.