iPhone 6 Release Date: Rumors Point to September 2014, Apple to Launch 5.7 Inch iPhone Phablet in May

The iPhone 6 release date could be delayed until September, and an iPhone phablet is also rumored to be released to compete with the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 in May, according to new reports out this week.

(PHOTO: REUTERS/MICHAEL DALDER)

Customers gather outside an Apple store before the release of iPhone 5 in Munich, Germany, Sept. 21, 2012.

The rumors about a larger screen iPhone landing in May have been sparked by Yahoo! Japan, which reports that the smartphone/phablet will spearhead a new line of iPhones to be launched in 2014.

Following hot on the heels of the phablet's unveiling in May, the report states that the iPhone 6 will be arriving sometime around September 2014.

The report indicates that the iPhone phablet will not come with Apple's upcoming A8 SoC, but instead will feature the iPhone 5S's 64-bit A7 processor.

It was also rumored that the iPhone phablet will feature a massive screen to rival that of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, which has been receiving rave reviews across the globe, and could land with a screen of 5.7 inches or larger.

The bold move comes as Apple continues to try and compete with successful devices launched by other companies in the tech. device market. The California-based company has already launched an iPad Mini to try and compete in the highly successful smaller range tablet market, which was being dominated by other devices such as the Amazon Kindle, Google Nexus, as well as a number of devices from Samsung.

Now it seems Apple will try and compete with the larger smartphone market – which at the moment is dominated by South Korean company, Samsung, and other devices such as the HTC One Max.

For years Apple has kept its smartphone at the smaller scale in the market, however, such has the success of larger devices been that Apple can no longer ignore the popularity of larger screened devices.

Another report from Chinese Web site C Technology cites Foxconn insiders who said there would be two iPhones coming in 2014 - one with a 4.7-inch screen and another with a 5.7-inch display, or bigger.

Another report from NPD DisplaySearch published last November also claimed that Apple would release the iPhone 6 in two versions.

Apple has of course remained silent on all rumors concerning future devices as usual, but most analysts assume any future smartphones released this year will retain the TouchID fingerprint sensor as seen on the iPhone 5S. Other rumors suggest Apple will continue down that route, and also offer an eye scanner as additional security.