Apple may launch a supersized 6.46-inch iPhone 9 Plus next year

The iPhone 8 isn’t even here yet, but apparently Apple has already started work on the iPhone 9, and the latest rumor suggests that one model will be very, very big indeed.

According to sources speaking to The Investor, Apple plans to launch a 5.85-inch iPhone 9 and a 6.46-inch iPhone 9 Plus. The former is likely to be the same size as the upcoming iPhone 8, while the latter would be larger than even the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.

Supposedly both phones will have an OLED screen sourced from Samsung, and work on them is said to have begun earlier than usual due to funding, facility investment and production plans - possibly to avert any possible supply issues.

Big plans

The sources added that apparently Apple had originally planned on launching a 5.28-inch iPhone 9 alongside the supersized iPhone 9 Plus, but scrapped the idea due to the growing popularity of massive screens.

As with any rumor this far out from a product launch we’d take all this information with a huge side of salt, as even if it’s accurate plans can change and Apple is known to prototype multiple versions of possible iPhones before deciding on a final form factor.

Surprisingly though this isn’t even the first iPhone 9 rumor we’ve heard, with an earlier leak pointing to a big battery. Again though, with the phone not likely launching for over a year we can’t be confident of anything.

James Rogerson

James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.