The Apple rumour mill is abuzz following reports that the company is testing larger screens for its next-generation iPhone and iPad devices - a move that could see it entering the phablet market.
According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, sources at Apple's suppliers have confirmed the company recently asked for prototype smartphone screens larger than its current iPhone and iPad screen designs for a new tablet measuring just under 13 inches.
The move comes as Apple's product line-up is being questioned, amid a mounting smartphone war that recently saw Samsung outstrip Apple in gadget sales.
Bigger apple
Apple CEO Tim Cook remains tight-lipped as to new gadget specs, and it is unclear at this stage whether Apple is going to follow Samsung's lead and opt for a bigger screen, but the reported experimentation with different sizes is likely to produce iPhones and iPads that are bigger than the range the company has touted so far.
The latest iPhone sports a screen of four inches (about 10.2cm), while the iPad measures 9.7 inches (about 24.6cm). If Apple decides to go with a Samsung S4 or Xperia Z-like design, the screen would be substantially bigger, with rumours of a 4.8-inch display (12.2cm) - which would mean the company is edging in on the phablet market.
In what is being called a "product drought" by industry observers, Apple has not released a new product since the launch of the iPad in early 2010.
In an investor note yesterday, BGC Financial's Colin Gillis said Apple has been slow to react to consumers' desire for larger smartphone screens, as well as entry-level price points on new phones. "Waiting and waiting, for the new products to launch, has become painful."
Rumours have been swirling since the beginning of the year that Apple was looking to bring out a low-cost iPhone and, while they were initially dismissed, the rumours have not gone away, with new details of the rumoured sub-$400 phone emerging last month.
Meanwhile, production of a new iPad is expected to kick off in coming weeks, while the new iPhone - dubbed the iPhone 5S - is rumoured for launch around September, or early October.
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