Analyst cites Apple's difficulties producing 4.8 inch screen for 2014 launch of larger Apple iPhone

With speculation heating up that Apple is going to offer a larger screened version of the Apple iPhone, called the Apple iPhone Math or Apple iPhone + (the latter seems more likely), a research note from Jefferies' Peter Misek is quite timely. Misek told clients that Apple is having problems producing 4.8 inch glass for what he calls the Apple iPhone 6. Production yields are said to be too low. The analyst delicately calls it "screen yield issues".

Misek says that builds for the Apple iPhone 5 are dropping with the latest figure for the quarter at 30 million, down from 40 million. The amalyst says that Apple had hoped to turn things around by releasing a 4.8 inch version of its iconic smartphone to challenge the very successful Samsung GALAXY Note series, which appears to be growing its screen size geometrically from 5.3 inches to 5.5 inches to an expected 6.3 inches for the Samsung GALAXY Note III. Misek has a "Hold" on the stock with a $500 target. Apple is currently trading at $469, well off the $705 high it hit the day the Apple iPhone 5 launched last September.

source: Barron's via BGR