iPhone 6

iPhone 6

iPhone 6 is preparing to enter production ahead of its mooted launch date in June, reports indicate, as the start of a new year brings a slew of new rumors around Apple’s plans for 2013. In a note to investors, Jefferies analyst Peter Misek claims that Apple is already undertaking trials of the next iteration of the iPhone and the fabled iPhone Mini, presumably in the environs of its Cupertino campus, before they enter production in March.

Misek also corroborated persistent rumours that the iPhone 6, also informally dubbed the iPhone 5S, will be home to a 4.8-inch screen, up from the four-inch display that debuted on the iPhone 5. That tallies with a separate report from the China Times, also claiming that Apple will enter the fast-growing phablet market this year with a device that teams smartphone functionality with dimensions that verge on tablet territory.

The industry expert also backs conjecture that the handset will be equipped with a super HD camera, Near Field Communications technology to up the handset’s credentials as a digital wallet, improved battery life and 128GB of storage. Apple is also thought likely to make its seventh-generation handset available in a host of new color options, including pink, yellow, blue, green, purple, silver, red and slate.