It’s a matter of when not if. To me it's a foregone conclusion that the release of a larger iPhone is not far off. Granted, this might not be the kind of news you want to be reminded of just days after unboxing your shiny new iPhones; but the fact remains: the impending introduction of the new iPhone 6 or iPhone Air (or whatever it ends up being called) is literally just around the corner. For Apple to deliver this highly anticipated and widely rumored iPhone to market seems a no-brainer; all one has to do is look at the popularity of the competition’s larger-screened smartphone devices to conclude that this would be a wise and prudent business plan.
This introduction of the new, larger iPhone will likely take precedence to the release of either an iTV or iWatch. Not that those devices won't also be introduced soon too, and not that they won't be wildly popular and do very well, but my feeling is that neither of those devices will be as instantly popular, accessible and useful as the forthcoming iPhone in its larger iterations. And yes, I meant iterations plural, since the blogosphere is already abuzz with the rumors that the next iPhones that come to market will be available in two size options, one in the 5-inch range, and one in the 6-inch range.
What will this mean?
Well, we would then have an iOS option small enough to still navigate easily (and for the most part single-handedly) but also large enough for the user to truly enjoy its graphics and resolution, something that can be challenging with the diminutive screen size of the current iPhone 5 series.
More than even the highly anticipated iPad mini’s introduction back in 2011, I am ever so eagerly awaiting the introduction of the "iPhone 6." The larger iPhone represents not only direct competition to Apple’s closest smartphone rivals, it also represents the potential for further synthesis of the iOS platform. Will this new, larger iPhone support iPad-only apps, or both iPhone and iPad apps? I feel that this new iPhone should be the first true hybrid between the iPad and the iPhone, one that supports apps in both formats. And yes, I am well aware of the game changing precedence this sets, as it would further blur the lines between iPad-specific and iPhone-specific apps as we inevitably move towards a more unified iOS. Wouldn't it be cool if every app in the App Store were compatible with this new iPhone? Wouldn't it be sweet if when you turned your iPhone 6 horizontally into landscape orientation, the homescreen apps flipped accordingly like they do on the iPad, instead of staying frozen archaically in vertical/portrait mode? And how cool would it be for anyone interested in gaming, beyond Words with Friends, to be able to really see and appreciate the iPhone's Retina graphics on a larger screen? All in a device that can still fit in your jean's pocket. Wow huh?!
There's been no shortage of concept designs from talented designers (some of which I've included here), depicting their imaginative predictions of what the new iPhone might look like and what it may feature. It's worth noting that all of the fancy and futuristic-looking technology shown in these images, are based in part on patented technology that Apple has reportedly been tinkering with behind those closed doors in Cupertino.
There have also been no shortage of predictions as to the time frame of the release of such game-changing devices, some pundits speculate that we’ll see this new iDevice as early as May, others expect that the new iPhone will be introduced on Apple's usual time table with an October event.
One thing is for certain, and that is that this new iPhone will not only cannibalize Apple’s sales of the iPhone 5 series as well as the iPad line, it will (in my humble opinion) immediately begin to squash the competition, who at the moment are seeing unprecedented and unopposed popularity on account of their larger, more user-friendly screens.
Stay tuned to iPhone Life for all of the latest reports and rumors as word of this new iPhone moves from the realm of conjecture and speculation into the realm fact and reality.