iPhone 5S, iPhone 6 release date news: Apple (AAPL) iPhone 'cheap edition' on the way, reports say

Rumors are rampant about Apple and their reported plans to build a more affordable iPhone this August, as well as the next generation iPhone that some speculate will be called "iPhone 5S."

Chinese tech news site EMSOne cited analysts from Barclays Capital in a report on Friday (English translation: http://bit.ly/ZPOzgI ) which claimed that a "cheap edition" of the iPhone will be built this year.

The report also suggests that the so-called "iPhone 5S" is expected to be a world phone that will be compatible with new carriers, including China Mobile, the largest carrier in the world.

According to appleinsider.com , another recent report out of Japan claims that Apple is planning to cut costs by building its next iPhone out of polycarbonate, much like the company's retired white MacBook.

------

PREVIOUS STORY:

Apple blogs are abuzz with the hottest rumor during these cold winter days: That the company is working on not one, not two, but three new iPhone models that it plans to release during the next 12 months.

The Commercial Times of Taiwan, and China Times, where Apple factories are based, both report the company is preparing to release the following three phones in the coming year, according to a new report in Yahoo News.

        -The iPhone 5S, by the end of Jun.  This would be an upgrade to the current iPhone 5, and is a no-brainer.

       - A 4.8 inch "iPhone Math" sometime this summer, or at the same time as the 5S.  "Math" is an odd term for a larger iPhone, and may be a case of lost-in-translation from the Chinese language.  Whatever it is called, it would compete directly with the larger, and red-hot, Samsung Galaxy S-3 phone (which is soon to be upgraded).

       -A newer iPhone, possibly an iPhone 6, at the end of the year.  This would have a 12 megapixel camera and other improvements.

Buyers Want a Larger Phone

The one generating the most buzz is the larger 4.8 inch phone, to compete with the Galaxy.  Larger phones are now all the rage, and some reports say Apple is also preparing to release an iPad Mini phone, which would be even larger, as big as a Samsung Note.

However, a phone that large is hard to hold in one hand.  (If you are wondering, pick up an iPad Mini next time you are in an Apple store or Best Buy and try talking into it as a phone, with just one hand).

These reports are all coming from suppliers, not Apple, which stays mum until release date.

Whatever Apple decides to do, it seems almost certain a bigger iPhone will be coming this year, to compete in the new large phone market.