The iPhone 6 is preparing to enter production ahead of its mooted
launch date in June, reports indicate, as the start of a new year brings
a slew of new rumours around Apple’s plans for 2013.
In a note to investors, Jefferies analyst Peter Misek claims that
Apple is already undertaking trials of the next iteration of the iPhone
and the fabled iPhone Mini, presumably in the environs of its Cupertino
campus, before they enter production in March.
Misek also corroborated persistent rumours
that the iPhone 6, also informally dubbed the iPhone 5S, will be home
to a 4.8-inch screen, up from the four-inch display that debuted on the
iPhone 5.
That tallies with a separate report from the China Times, also
claiming that Apple will enter the fast-growing phablet market this year
with a device that teams smartphone functionality with dimensions that
verge on tablet territory.
The industry expert also backs conjecture that the handset will be
equipped with a super HD camera, Near Field Communications technology to
up the handset’s credentials as a digital wallet, improved battery life
and 128GB of storage.
Apple is also thought likely to make its seventh-generation handset available in a host of new colour options, including pink, yellow, blue, green, purple, silver, red and slate.