The iPhone 8 may be Apple’s most significant handset update since 2014, but if you’re a lover of large smartphones you may be better off waiting on next year’s iPhone.
That’s according to a new report, claiming that Apple has started development of an additional sized OLED iPhone for 2017, which will be the largest screen iPhone yet.
Sources claim that Apple will launch two OLED iPhones next year — a 5.85-inch and 6.46-inch models. The 5.58-inch model is the same size as the iPhone 8 Apple is scheduled to unveil next month.
To make the new plus-sized handset a reality, Apple is said to be working with its sole OLED supplier, Samsung Display. It is starting work earlier than usual due to the (literal) scale of the project.
“The development schedule has been advanced considering diverse factors such as funding, facility investment and production plans,” an anonymous source told ET News.
The report adds that Apple was considering launching both 5.28-inch and 6.46-inch OLED iPhones next year, but has ditched plans for a smaller model due to growing demand for larger handsets.
If this is accurate it means that Apple’s OLED demand will jump from 70 million handsets this year to 170 million next year.
Interestingly, this would be a big change from Apple’s previous years — when changes in form factor happened every other year, while the intermediary “s” launches focused more on minor internal upgrades.
