5.5-Inch iPhone 6 Could Be Faster Than the 4.7-Inch Version

If you need a better reason than just a larger screen to get the 5.5-inch iPhone 6, then it may help that the new device could come with a faster processor than the 4.7-inch version.

According to Cowen & Co. analyst Timothy Arcuri, the larger iPhone 6 with its behemoth 5.5-inch display could possibly receive a faster processor than the smaller 4.7-inch iPhone 6 model. This would mean that not only would buyers benefit from a larger screen, but they would also get faster performance as well, most notably with graphic-intensive games.

Details on the differences between the processors that could be used were not given, unfortunately, but Arcuri thinks that the difference could be more than just an increase in the speed of the processor. In other words, the 5.5-inch iPhone 6’s processor could include a larger die, which would mean more room for graphics processing hardware.

Apple has mostly just used the same processor across iPhones and iPads, with the current generation being a good example. The Apple A7 processor in the iPhone 5s is clocked at 1.3 GHz. The iPad Air and the iPad mini with Retina display have the exact same chip as well, but the iPad Air is clocked at a slightly faster 1.4GHz.

If the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 does end up coming with a faster processor, it could add an interesting new twist to the decision-making process for buyers when it comes down to deciding on the 4.7-inch or the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 come September.

The iPhone 6 is expected to announced and launched at some point next month, but exact dates are still yet to be decided on. Several rumors point to a September 19 launch date, but we’ll have to take that with a grain of salt for now.

The iPhone 6 will most likely be a huge improvement over the iPhone 5s, coming with an all-new design with rounded edges, a faster processor, and a better camera. Past reports have said that there will be plenty of units in stock when the device officially launches, which will be a welcomed change from last year when the iPhone 5s was extremely low in inventory.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple plans to produce between 70-80 million iPhone 6s leading up to the device’s launch day, and this number is split between the two rumored models of the upcoming phone, the 4.7-inch model and the larger 5.5-inch variant.

For comparison, Apple ordered somewhere between 50-60 million units for the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, split between the two devices. As you might have remembered, the iPhone 5s experience extreme shortages, with Apple stores and carrier stores coming with very limited stock, and very few stores having the new gold model available.

These numbers from the Wall Street Journal are a little higher than the predicted production numbers from a Taiwanese report from earlier this month, where it was said that Apple was planning to produce just below 70 million units.

Either way, that’s still a lot of iPhones. Apple sold 51 million iPhones during Q1 2014, which was the three-month period from October to December of 2013. While these numbers include combined sales of the iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c and iPhone 4s, it’s safe to say that a majority of that number were iPhone 5s units. Still, this puts into perspective just how much 70-80 million is, and Q1 2014 was one of Apple’s busiest quarters ever.

Then again, we’re not surprised by such a large number. It seems Apple wants to be cautious and prepare for demand by producing a large number of iPhones in preparation for the iPhone 6′s launch in September. We’re also guessing that the Cupertino company wants to avoid having another launch like the iPhone 5s, where there were extremely limited supply of the device.

Another thing to keep in mind is that this huge order of 70-80 million units is most likely to just be the first batch of many orders to come. This first order will most likely be reserved for launch day inventory, while future orders will be meant for holiday shoppers later in the year.