Rumor: iPhone 6 Will Have Two Release Dates

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Image: Flickr, Rob Boudon

By Katie Nelson2014-07-25 07:51:45 UTC

The still-unconfirmed upcoming iPhone, presumably called the iPhone 6, has been expected to debut in two versions, one large and one small. But sources are now saying that the two phones' release dates will be staggered, one in September and one in later months, to avoid pitting the two against each other in sales.

However, not everyone is buying it.

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DigiTimes — which we'll note has a very mixed track record in terms of accuracy — is reporting that the 4.7-inch iPhone will debut first, followed by the 5.5-inch version. While this is widely accepted in multiple technology circles, DigiTimes' reasoning is unique.

"The different timetables have been set as Apple does not want to repeat the mistake it made in 2013 when it launched the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C simultaneously," the article reads.

But 9to5Mac tech journalist Ben Lovejoy points out that the success of the pricier iPhone 5S over the more economical iPhone 5C indicates that the dual release did not hurt the company financially, but actually helped it.

"While there is evidence to suggest that the balance of sales between the two handsets differed from Apple’s expectations, the reason appears to be that more people than predicted chose to buy the more expensive model. Hardly a mistake," Lovejoy writes.

Earlier this month, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in a MacRumors report that the larger iPhone 6 launch will be delayed, but not intentionally. The extended production time has to do with problems in the phone's coloring and touch panel sensitivity, he says.

As usual, Apple has not announced that a sixth-generation iPhone is even in the works and therefore has not commented on the rumors. But Lovejoy rejects the notion that the alleged delay is due to anything but mechanical errors.

"If someone wants the larger model, and it’s launched a little later, they’ll simply wait," he says.

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Topics: apple, Apps and Software, iPhone 6, iphone rumors, MacBook, Mobile, Tech