Apple iPhone 6 release set for August?

Apple's iPhone 6 will be released in August, a month earlier than expected, according to a Taiwanese source.

The new device, sporting a 4.7in screen, will hit the shelves in August. A 5.5 or 5.6in model will follow in September, according to the Economic Daily News, which cited an unidentified supply-chain source.

Eighty million units will be designed prior to the launch event, the source claims. There was no mention of which markets would receive the phones first.

Initial rumours suggested Apple would unveil the new iPhones in September, the month the company typically releases its latest models. If true, the reports indicate that Cupertino seems happy enough with its designs to shorten the schedule.

Other rumours suggests that screen size is set to be a key battleground for Apple. The firm will attempt to combat rival Samsung, with the South Korean company's Galaxy range impressing in that category. It has also been suggested the company is planning to release a 5.5in "phablet" in the near future.

Apple will look to ape the design style of the iPod Nano and the iPhone 5c, making the iPhone 6 available in a number of different colours.

The iPhone 6 might also include new features to allow interoperability with its rumoured iWatch, which is expected to be confirmed by the company in the near future.