iPhone 6 Rumors Erupt: Phablet, 4.7-inch, 5S, and Mini Rumors All Escalate

In world of tech rumors, the iPhone is king. There have been rumors of a budget iPhone, a larger iPhone, an impossibly thin, transparent iPhone, there might have even been a rumor about a stock Android version of the iPhone at some point. Rumors are just rumors; they spread around all the time. But when Reuters reports an anonymously sourced rumor, or, in this case, two longstanding iPhone rumors and a relatively new one, the tech world goes nuts.

Citing "four people with knowledge of the matter," Reuters is reporting that Apple may be looking at introducing larger iPhone models, a cheaper, budget iPhone, and those cheaper iPhones may come in an array of colors. The new iPhones are still under consideration, but may be out next year. Wow. Let's take this one by one.

First, the larger iPhones. According to the report, Apple is considering "introducing at least two bigger iPhones" for next year. Reuters' sources, which include at least one in the supply chain in Asia, are saying that the larger iPhones will include a 4.7-inch screen and a 5.7-inch screen. Until now, Apple has been loath to increase its iPhone screen size beyond the size where users can manipulate the device with one hand. Even on the largest iPhone to date, every part of the display is generally reachable just using one hand, a feat Apple accomplished by making its aspect ratio nearly 16:9. Introducing a 4.7-inch model, similar to the size of many of Apple competitors' flagship phones, like the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4, would almost certainly change that. A 4.7-inch model would be a big change for Apple, and a sign that it is under pressure from those competitors, especially Samsung.

And that's not even mentioning the 5.7-inch iPhone, which would basically be an iPhone phablet. Larger iPhones have been rumored before, but the notion of producing a genuine phablet seemed so anathema to Apple that it makes this part of the Reuters report the most shocking, though according to one of Reuters' sources, discussing Apple's designers, "They consonstantly change product specifications almost to the final moment, so you're not really sure whether this is the final prototype." Still, news of at least two larger display sizes being considered by Apple hints at the kind of pressure the once unrivaled company is now under.

Now, on to the other rumored iPhone models, reportedly due out this year. In the same bombshell report from Reuters, sources say that Apple is expected to launch two new models of the iPhone this year. One will be a full-fledged iPhone many have referred to as the iPhone 5S, which Reuters says will feature "new fingerprint technology," a feature that has gone through the rumor mill for a little while and previously reported here. It's thought that the home key of the iPhone 5S will have a fingerprint reader, and simply pressing the key will register the user's fingerprint and unlock the device, obviating the need for a four digit password.

The other iPhone model, according to Reuters, will be a budget iPhone purportedly priced at $99, which will come with a plastic casing in five or six colors. This, too, has been rumored for a while, and has been previously reported here. Reuters' source in Asia adds some specificity to the multicolored budget iPhone rumor though. "Trial production was originally planned to start in June, but the mixing of colors is taking longer than expected as Apple has very high and idealistic standards," said the source. Purportedly 20 million plastic iPhones in different color options are expected to ship starting in October. Both the budget iPhone and the higher quality iPhone 5S are expected to be launched sometime in August or September. 

Of course, even a report with four sources from Reuters is still an anonymous report, so take all of this just like any rumor - with a grain of salt. Still, with the timing, the sourcing, and the previous evidence, it seems that some of these details are on track to be proved true.