Apple has not reacted much to the rise of the “phablet” – the 5- and 6-inch smartphone class, closer in size to a tablet – but that may change with the upcoming release of the iPhone 6. If the rumor mill holds any truth, the Cupertino company will release 4.7-inch and a 5.7-inch version of its latest smartphone this year.

The 5.7-inch iPhone 6 is more likely to be introduced later this year, reports The Motley Fool, while the 4.7-inch model is coming sooner.

According to MacRumors, the 4.7-inch phone is expected in the fall, followed by a 5.5-inch version – due to production setbacks – a few months after that.

The 4.7-inch phone would be three-quarters of an inch larger in the diagonal size of the screen over the iPhone 5S, but an even bigger sign is that Apple to finally acknowledging the lucrative larger-screen smartphone market.

The company drew 57 percent of its revenues from iPhone sales in the first quarter of 2014 yet has not entered the phablet market despite its robust growth. The Motley Fool cites figures from research firm Canalys that more than third of all smartphones sold worldwide in the first quarter of 2014 had screen sizes larger than 5 inches. It was the fastest-growing market segment with more than 90 million units sold in the quarter – with Apple selling 43.7 million iPhones during the same period.

Apple usually does well with each new iPhone release, and the trend is expected to continue with iPhone 6. Apple analyst Katy Huberty at Morgan Stanley “believes suppliers are prepping for iPhone 6 sales to be 20 percent higher than 5S sales,” according to The Motley Fool, which also estimates that “Apple certainly could see year-over-year growth in iPhone sales in excess of 15 percent.”