iPhone 6 cases appear before phone itself

Apple Inc’s next-generation iPhone, dubbed the “iPhone 6,” is still months away, but several cases and images of the handset -- developed on the basis of rumors -- have made an appearance on Amazon.com Inc. with price tags ranging from $7 to $27.

The iPhone 6 cases, for both the rumored 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch models, have been listed by an accessory manufacturer called Spigen, which has named the bigger version of the device as the “iPhone 6 Air.” According to MacRumors, the purported iPhone 6 cases have generated a lot of interest among users who believe that the cases provide authentic details about the new iPhone as they have come from a “reputable” source.

Over the past few months, the Internet has been flooded with leaked schematics of the iPhone 6, which have probably been used by Spigen to create the cases, MacRumors reported, adding that the photos of the iPhone 6 used in the listings are nothing but images of the iPhone 5s that have been made to fit into iPhone 6 cases.

The listings also mentioned that the cases will be on sale from Sept. 30, which, according to MacRumors, is a “safe date” to bet on because the device is widely expected to be released sometime between early- to mid-September.

Last week, Amazon Japan also reportedly listed the iPhone 6 with specific details, including a 4.7-inch display, and information about the device’s dimensions and weight. The product was subsequently removed from the site by Amazon.

A new report from Taiwan’s Economic Daily News said Tuesday that Apple has brought in Simplo Technologies, a Hsinchu, Taiwan-based company, as a new supplier for iPhone batteries, which has reportedly figured out the challenge of producing tiny battery components measuring 2 millimeters or less -- an issue faced by current suppliers of the iPhone’s battery, LG Chem Ltd and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted earlier this week that Apple would release only the 4.7-inch model of the iPhone 6 this year, while production issues could delay the launch of the 5.5-inch version of the phone.


/Yahoo/