Piece appears considerably bigger than a supposedly 4.7-inch handset

May 1, 2014 08:29 GMT  ·  By

Images showing a physical mockup of the iPhone 6 published yesterday appear to have been misinterpreted, as a recent analysis pegs the screen size to a whopping 5.7 inches, which essentially makes this particular handset a phablet.

If rumors are true about Apple planning to release not one, but two new iPhone models this year, the image displayed above is said to be a mockup of the larger, 5.5-inch/5.7-inch version of the smartphone.

Upon publishing these photos, various sources speculated that the mockup showed the 4.7-inch model (the far-more-likely iPhone 6 everyone seems to be expecting from Apple). However, upon further analysis, it appears that the mockup is for the rumored larger version, sporting a screen size that can measure as much as 5.7 inches on the diagonal.

Other notable design features on the handset include the relocated Sleep/Wake button and the protruding rear camera. Apple seemingly wants a device so thin that the camera module will actually stick out of the chassis, a design similarity shared with the fifth-generation iPod touch.

The mockup was created based on schematics leaked by Japanese magazine MacFan in March. Several new iPhone concepts and even real protective cases have been made after those drawings, giving us a potentially accurate glimpse at the design of the handset.

Apple is expected to first introduce a smaller model whose display measures 4.7 inches on the diagonal and features the same design as the bigger model, which is planned for unveiling at a later date.

Tim Cook & Co. have been reluctant to increase the screen size of the iPhone purely because competitors like Samsung and Google adopted bigger form factors. The Apple CEO recently gave a statement regarding Apple’s modus operandi and how the Cupertino giant prefers to offer an impeccable experience, rather than just be the first to ship something.

“We care about every detail and it takes us a bit longer to do that. That's always been the case,” CEO Tim Cook said during the latest conference call with investors (April 23). “It means more to us to get it right than to be first.”

With the Worldwide Developers Conference on the horizon, there’s a chance we may see one of these phones get unveiled as early as next month. However, the developer-centric event is usually reserved mainly for software announcements. This year, these will include iOS 8 and OS X 10.10.