Rumors

Several sources have confirmed that Apple is planning to launch two larger iPhone 6 models later this year, and today a new video of the 4.7-inch model's purported front panel has hit YouTube. The video was originally posted on the Chinese blog iFanr, before making its way to NowhereElse.fr and then landing on every Apple blog in the U.S..

One of the concerns about larger smartphones is the lack of one-handed use, but the video posted below demonstrates that users will be able to use their thumb to access all four corners of their display while holding the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 in one hand. Other next-generation rumors have suggested that Apple plans to relocate the wake/sleep button to the side of the its new iPhone models to make it easier to reach due both of the device's larger form factors.

Apple suppliers in China are getting ready to start production on two iPhone models in July, according to Bloomberg. As expected, the iPhone 6 will be available in two sizes when it is released later this year. Two unidentified sources have confirmed recent rumors that Apple plans to release a 4.7-inch model and 5.5-inch model of its next-generation iPhone. Both versions will be larger than the current iPhone 5s model which only features a 4-inch display.

It is still unclear if both models will be released in September, but it is likely. However, production difficulty with the larger model may cause it to be in limited supply when it is initially released, according to Bloomberg's source.

"Production of the 5.5-inch model is more complicated than the smaller version, resulting in lower production efficiency that must be overcome before manufacturing volume can be increased, said the person."

Since the iPhone 6 was first announced, mockups and purported photos of prototypes and cases have been popping up on a weekly basis. As the launch date nears, many of the rumored details and specs are becoming more certain and recent mockups reflect them. Two of the latest images come from Japanese site weekly.ascii.jp and Korean site Seeko.

The photos from both sites show what appears to be the standard 4.7" model iPhone 6 (the iPhone 5 is 4"). They show a slimmer handset, which aligns with rumors that the iPhone 6 will be somewhere between 6.5 and 7.0 mm thick, as opposed to the current iPhone, which is 7.6 mm thick. They also show a slightly

Now that the WWDC and iOS 8 are out of the way it is time for our first 2014 rumor roundup starting with an alleged leak of the iPhone 6 shell. The purported images of the rear casing for Apple's next-generation handset were originally published on Nowhereelse.fr. The photos reveal cutouts for new pill shaped volume buttons and the rumored relocated power button.

Analysts are predicting that Apple will announce a 5.5-inch iPhone alongside the standard 4.7-inch model in late September. If true, it is expected that the power button will be moved to the side of the device to make it easier to access due to its larger form factor.

It is all but certain that the 4.7" iPhone 6 will launch this September, probably sometime in the second half of the month. iOS 8 will almost certainly debut on the iPhone 6, and Apple's iOS 8 page says "Coming this fall." This was also reiterated multiple times during the WWDC 2014 keynote presentation this past Monday. Additionally, Apple Store employees have had their vacation time restricted in late September, another indication that something big will take place at that time. Many analysts, including KGI Securities' Ming-Chi Kuo, have predicted a later launch date for the 5.5" phablet size iPhone 6 model, possibly around the holidays. A new rumor, however, suggests that it may come sooner than that.

In a research note obtained by MacRumors, analyst Brian White of Cantor Fitzgerald writes that the larger iPhone 6 may very well launch at the same time as the 4.7" model. White believes this due to his experience at Computex Taipei (one of the largest tech shows in the world) this week: