iPhone 6 Release Date Not Until 2014, Analyst Predicts, Citing Display Issues

The rumored iPhone 6, said to feature a 4.8-inch screen, will not see a release date until 2014, according to Jeffries analyst Peter Misek.

Misek is reporting that he does not see the device launching until the middle of next year due to issues with display yield and other changes that need to be made regarding the handset.

These changes include the processor that will be used for the next-generation iPhone. The current iPhone processor is at 32nm. Apple is expected to skip over the 28nm mark and go right to 20nm in order to facilitate more cores. This could make it either a quad-core or octa-core chip. However, if so this will take some time to perfect, and could cause a delay in the smartphone's release.

Apple is also expected to shift its display from in-cell LCD to on-cell OLED or IGZO. Apple is currently having difficulty trying to make in-cell LCD work on a 4.8-inch display. This led Misek to believe that the company will try to use on-cell IGZO or OLED instead for the handset. However, Apple suppliers are well behind Samsung in terms of OLED and IGZO capabilities. This fact also makes an iPhone 6 2013 launch unlikely.

Finally, Misek stated that Apple needs to release the iPhone 6 with a fully revamped version of iOS. It will need to utilize more cores to be able to better compete with Samsung's smartphones. He also expects Apple to better integrate iCloud, gesture controls, and advertizing into the software.

Misek was one of the first analysts to report the existence of the 4.8-inch iPhone back in December. Last month he reported that he had not seen any further signs of this device assuming that it had been downgraded on Apple's priority list.