Apple Inc. may be delaying the release of the iPhone 5s until the end of the year in order to redesign it with a bigger display screen in order to compete on the emerging "phablet" craze happening with smartphones.
Thanks to the Samsung Galaxy S4's huge five-inch screen, larger screens have been the major selling point for next generation smartphones. In an effort to stay competitive, new reports claim that Apple is holding the iPhone 5s' production until the end of the year so it can offer users a 4.3-inch screen rather than its standard 4-inch display.
According to Commercial Times, via Bloomberg, the company originally scheduled the release of the handset for September or October, now it looks like that will be pushed back a few months. However, the Taiwanese newspaper claims it is being held back citing unidentified people in the semiconductor industry.
Apple, the world's largest technology company, hasn't released a new device since last year with the iPhone 5. While it remains the top selling smartphone on the market, Samsung Electronics Co. has been gaining a bit too much ground for comfort on iPhone with its Galaxy S4 lineup. It's entirely possible that iPhone is going to increase the size of its screen in order to compete with its competitor's innovation. Since the iPhone 6 isn't on the horizon for any practical or foreseeable future, the iPhone 5s is going to have to wow consumers with more than just the same minor tweaks as seen with the previous "s" generation.
As for the rumored low-cost iPhone 5s, reports say that device is still scheduled for release in October, as expected, the design of that device has not changed. However, it isn't clear if this phone will still be touted as an "s" series device. It would seem a little strange to unveil a low-end iPhone 5s before Apple's regular flagship version can fall into consumer hands.
