iPhone 6 report suggests 4.8-inch screen

Apple will finally succumb to a larger size smartphone and release the iPhone 6 with a 4.8 inch screen, according to reports.

The iPhone 5s and 5c were released just a few weeks ago, with 9 million units being sold in the first three days alone. But in the world of smartphones, or the rumour mill, that's pretty much old news already.

With the new models seen as iterations rather than new handsets, the attention is already focused on what Apple will come up with as the successor.

Its clear that the majority of smartphones nowadays come with a large screen; around 50% of smartphones bought in the second quarter of 2013 had a screen larger than 4 inches, with the likes of the HTC One, LG G2 and Samsung Galaxy S4 leading the pack.

Apple has previously insisted that 4 inches was the absolute perfect size for one-thumb use, but one analyst suggests this will change with the iPhone 6.

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Jefferies analyst Peter Misek believes Apple will release the iPhone 6 with a 4.8 inch screen.

Misek stated that a jump in screen size could tempt even more people to upgrade their phone come the release of the new iPhone.

"We think the 85m iPhone users eligible for an upgrade when the iPhone 6 launches could be boosted by another 5-10M from people who skipped the 5s/5c cycle."

The likely date for the unveiling is being tipped for September 2014, in keeping with the current tendency for Autumn releases.

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by Max Langridge

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Max is a staff writer for What Hi-Fi?'s sister site, TechRadar, in Australia. But being the wonderful English guy he is, he helps out with content across a number of Future sites, including What Hi-Fi?. It wouldn't be his first exposure to the world of all things hi-fi and home cinema, as his first role in technology journalism was with What Hi-Fi? in the UK. Clearly he pined to return after making the move to Australia and the team have welcomed him back with arms wide open.