Apple’s 5.5-inch iPhone 6 may hit the market at an even later date than previously expected, says well-connected KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo believes production issues being encountered with the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 will likely hinder the production of the larger screened model.
Kuo, via MacRumors:
Production bottlenecks on 4.7-inch iPhone 6 center on the yield rate of in-cell touch panel and metal casing. As in-cell touch panel becomes larger in size, the edge of the panel may become insensitive to touch. Meanwhile, under new manufacturing process for the iPhone 6 metal casing, color unevenness is an issue.
The analyst says these issues become more complicated with the larger 5.5-inch iPhone 6, and when added to the earlier concerns about the production of sapphire displays for the larger device, this may all add up to a delay for the larger version of the iPhone 6. Kuo fears the larger version of the device may not launch until 2015, or will launch in limited quantities sometime after October.
If the larger iPhone 6 is delayed into 2015, Kuo believes Apple will cut prices on the iPhone 5s and 5c at the launch of the iPhone 6.
Previous rumors about the larger iPhone 6 have cited production issues with both displays and battery life. Rumors concerning issues with the metal casings to be used for the new device have also been reported.
The iPhone 6 is expected to launch in September, with a larger screen, thinner profile, and a faster A8 processor. The larger version of the new handset is expected to boast an improved camera with optical image stabilization.
