iPhone 6 release date: Ever since the first iPhone was launched several years ago, Apple has been very patient when it comes to screen size upgrades. The first and only time the Cupertino manufacturer released a bigger display was a couple of years ago when it announced the 4-inch iPhone 5. 

However, in a smartphone era where 4.3 to 4.5 inches is the staple size for average consumers, Apple should finally admit that it is lagging behind the spec war. While the outcome of this spec war does not automatically result in better sales for the winner, Apple should catch up to its competitors which are already in the 5-inch category. 

And in a new report by GSM Arena, that certainly looks like it. 

According to the report, a leaked image of the iPhone 6 surfaced through Chinese microblogging website Weibo. In the image, the alleged iPhone 6 casing is captured with an iPhone 5s, for onlookers to see the difference in screen size. 

As previous rumors point out, the new iPhone will have a larger screen, and in this image it looks like the 4.7-inch edition. Of course, an increase in the screen's length will also increase its width, and the alleged frame certainly looks wider. 

This could mean that Apple is looking to market the new iPhone as a multimedia-centered device. 

As other rumors point out, the iPhone 6 will boast an A8 chip that supports 64-bit applications, a much better integrated Touch ID fingerprint sensor, possibly water and dust resistance, and a crisper display resolution. 

Rumors early this year claim that Apple will soon ditch its Retina displays in favor of higher resolution screens, though we have not read any follow-up reports or confirmations about the topic ever since.