Apple to roll out larger-screen iPhones, scrap 5c, report says

Apple will come out with two new iPhone models this year, and each one will feature a larger screen, according to a report Thursday.

The Cupertino tech giant will release a version of its flagship device that features a screen larger than 4.5 inches and another with a screen that is larger than five inches, according to the Wall Street Journal. Current generation of iPhones have four-inch screens.

Development of the 4.5-inch-plus model is further along and is being prepped for mass production. The larger model, meanwhile, is in preliminary development, the Journal reported, citing unnamed sources.

PHOTOS: Top 10 tech fails of 2013

Apple increased the size of its smartphone screen in 2012, bumping it up from 3.5 inches to four inches. The tech giant may be looking to increase the size further as a way to remain competitive in Asian markets such as China, where Apple has struggled to find success. Devices with large screens are particularly popular in Asian markets.

Apple has been said to be developing versions of the iPhone that come with curved screens, but the report said technology will not be included in Apple’s 2014 iPhone models.

Besides developing devices with larger screens, the Journal reported Apple is also planning to scrap its plastic iPhone 5c model. The 5c replaced the iPhone 5 in 2013, but the device has failed to find the kind of success its counterpart, the iPhone 5s, has.

In the U.S., the iPhone 5c has been continually discounted, and at times, retailers have enticed customers to purchase it by dropping its price below $30 and offering a gift card worth more than that.

ALSO:

‘Google Bus’ protests escalate as activists target employee’s home

Fixing cracked glass at Apple’s 5th Avenue store may cost $450,000

Apple to fix ‘black/white screen of death’ bug that hits some iPhones