[NewsPoster]

Photos of what's claimed to be an LCD panel for the 5.5-inch iPhone were leaked over the weekend, reports note. The two images came from Sonny Dickson, a well-known source of Apple parts leaks. In both instances, the photos use a ruler for scale.

While the panel reveals nothing new about the 5.5-inch iPhone's specifications, it represents the first part leak of any kind for the device, instead of just models or schematics. The product is expected to ship sometime this fall, but only after a 4.7-inch sibling, owing to manufacturing problems.

[Gazoobee]

I still don't believe Apple is so stupid as to make an iPhone of this size in addition to the 4.7" phone. If it was the new iPod touch it would make far more sense.

And if they are just going to be making a bunch of different size phones like this in a sort of (Samsung patented) scattershot approach to see why sticks ... then please make some different sized iPads as well, particularly one in the 7" or 6.5" size.

If this thing is real, there is no justification for not making half a dozen sizes of each device as they have clearly given up on their previous stance of "knowing" what the "best" size is.

[teamBenning]

That is a very interesting thought.

I have always wished Apple would sell an cellular iPod touch, like the LTE iPads. I don't want to buy minutes or texts from at&t, just give me data and I will use Hangouts, Skype, etc. Wouldn't it be interesting if the 5.5" iPhone where really an LTE iPod touch? It would resurrect the iPod line and save owners a mint on cellular fees.

Assuming the 4.7" and 5.5" have the same specs, I plan on getting the 4.7". The 5.5" would be too big for my front pocket. But if I didn't have to pay for voice and texts, I would consider it...

[climacs]

"I don't want to buy minutes or texts from at&t, just give me data and I will use Hangouts, Skype, etc.... Wouldn't it be interesting if the 5.5" iPhone where really an LTE iPod touch? It would resurrect the iPod line and save owners a mint on cellular fees."

And what interest would AT&T have in *that*? The cellular carriers have fought VERY hard to avoid becoming 'common carriers', because there's no fat profits in that. If carriers wanted to be 'fair', they would quit differentiating between voice data and texts and other sorts of data, after all at the end of the day it's just bits. But they can't extract $100+ per month from subscribers if they just sell you a bucket of data and nothing else. I have no idea, of course, what Apple's agreement with AT&T entails but I would think ATT was smart enough to preclude Apple from directly cutting them out in such a manner.

[climacs]

i would DEFINITELY like a 4.7" phone. Adding a 5.5 inch to the mix is not, I think, going to lead to dilution by having too many choices. It could well be that there's a 6 which is available as either 4.7" or 5.5" for those who want a near-tablet with phone capabilities, and then a 5C-equivalent of the iPhone 6 (iPhone 6 mini?) which is only available as a 4.7". So if you want the really big screen, you step up to the flagship iPhone.