There's A Rumor That Apple Will Unveil iPhone 6 Early

Thomson ReutersThe leaf on the Apple symbol is tinted green at the Apple flagship store on 5th Ave in New York

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Apple Inc will unveil the next incarnation of its popular iPhone series in August, one month earlier than industry watchers were generally expecting, Taiwanese media reported on Friday citing unidentified supply-chain sources.

A 4.7-inch screen version of the iPhone 6 will reach stores in August, the Economic Daily News reported without specifying which markets would receive the phone first.

A 5.5-inch or 5.6-inch model will be released in September, the newspaper said, as the iPhone 5 series was previously.

People involved in the supply chain had earlier confirmed to Reuters that there will be a 4.7-inch version of the iPhone 6 and a 5.5-inch version.

Together, the Economic Daily News said 80 million iPhone 6 handsets would be produced this year.

Industry watchers have said increasing the iPhone's screen size from 4 inches would help Apple regain market share from competitors such as Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, who they say have responded to consumer desire for more screen size.

Representatives for Apple could not be reached for comment.

Representatives for Taiwanese iPhone contract manufacturer Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd and smartphone camera lens maker Largan Precision Co Ltd, both mentioned in the Economic Daily News report, had no comment.

(Reporting by Michael Gold; Editing by Christopher Cushing)