iPhone 6 Release Date Rumors: Large Curved Screen Expected For New iPhone In Late 2014

It wasn't long after Samsung introduced the Galaxy Round with 5.7-inch curved display that Apple decided to apply the same idea of a curved-screen phone to their lineup. According to Bloomberg, which cites "a person familiar with the plans," Apple is designing two new versions of its flagship smartphone that would feature larger displays and screens that "curve downward at the edges." The two models are "planned for release in the second half of next year." The unidentified source also added that Apple is working on sensors that can distinguish heavy or light touches on the screen.

These new iPhones for 2014 would come in 4.7 and 5.5-inch flavors, according to the report, becoming Apple's largest iPhones. Bloomberg did not specify what technology Apple would use for the curved screens, but, according to ComputerWorld, the most likely would be a flexible OLED (organic light-emitting diode) display on a plastic substrate, which Samsung and LG both used in their smartphones. Bloomberg's source said that the new iPhones would approach in size the 5.7-inch Galaxy Note 3 that Samsung debuted in September.

ComputerWorld hinted that most likely, Apple will take design cues from Samsung, which curves the screen downward from the left and right edges when the phone is held in portrait orientation. However, the new Apple handsets are still in development and plans haven't been completed, the source said, adding that the company probably would release them in the third quarter of next year. Nevertheless, testing continues on the pressure-sensitive technology, and that feature is unlikely to be ready for the next iPhone release. The source said that it is planned for a later model. An Apple spokesperson declined to comment on Bloomberg's report.