Multiple media outlets are reporting Apple suppliers will start producing displays for the next iPhone as early as this May.

The next iPhone, which will likely be called the iPhone 6, is expected to launch this autumn. A 4.7-inch screen will most likely to be produced first, while the larger 5.5-inch version could be "delayed," supply chain sources said according to Reuters.

Japan Display Inc, Sharp Corp and South Korea's LG Display Co Ltd have all signed on to produce the screens.

Apple and representatives for the three suppliers have declined to comment publically regarding the news, according to Reuters.

The new iPhone 6 screens will be significantly bigger than the current 4.0-inch iPhone 5S and 5C smartphones.

Bigger iPhones have been rumored for months, as Apple is trying to compete more closely with its rival, Samsung, for global smartphone sales.

Apple's shares have dropped below $600 for the first time since November 2012, mainly due to concerns about smartphone market's "ability to stay at the forefront of tech innovation," according to Reuters.

Both screens will likely use in-cell touch panel technology, built into the screen and allowing for thinner construction than the current touch panel films, that was introduced with the iPhone 5.

Due to difficulties with the technology for the 5.5-inch size, Apple decided to start mass production with just the 4.7-inch version for now, according to Reuters.

Production for the 5.5-inch screens will start a couple months after the production begins for the 4.7-inchscreens.

Japan Display will begin production at its flagship plant at Mobara, east of Tokyo, as early as May. The other companies will start sometime this June.

Make sure to check back once a release date for the new phone and specs are confirmed by Apple officially. 

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