Larger-format Apple iPhone could be delayed to 2015, KGI analyst says

Anyone waiting for a larger-format iPhone 6 will have to wait longer, according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

While he expects Apple to sell a standard-size 4.7-inch iPhone starting this fall, a 5.5-inch model could be delayed into 2015, he told clients in a note issued Sunday.

The issues with the larger phone lie in the touchscreen technology and color coating, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo told clients in a note issued Sunday that was reported by AppleInsider, which in the past has accurately reported on Kuo’s notes about Apple. The problems are affecting both versions of the Apple device, but they are particularly hampering the production of the 5.5-inch model, Kuo said.

Apple will be able to deliver the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 in September or October while the larger model won’t be ready until late November at the earliest and perhaps into next year, according to Kuo.

Apple did not respond to a request for comment.

Kuo has a solid track record with Apple product forecasts. Last year, he correctly predicted that the iPhone 5s would include a fingerprint scanner, and that production problems would limit the supply of iPhone 5s at launch. Sure enough, Apple was thin on supply, especially with the gold version of the device.

However, Kuo is not always right. Earlier this year, he predicted that Apple would announce a new Mac computer and an 8-gigabyte version of the iPhone 5s at its developer conference, but neither happened.

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