As September draws near, rumors regarding Apple’s new iDevices are coming in thick and fast.

According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, Apple has asked its display suppliers for prototypes of screens larger than four inches and another smaller than 13 inches when measured diagonally.

Currently, the iPhone 5 has a 4-inch screen and the iPad has a 9.7-inch screen.  What the WSJ report suggests is that Apple may be looking to produce a phablet, just like other Android OEMs such as Samsung, HTC and Sony have done, not to mention a larger iPad.

It’s not hard to imagine that Apple is looking at entering the different-sizes game, since its prime competitor, Samsung, has done enormously well by selling smartphones and phablets of every shape and size conceivable.  Samsung was leading the smartphone market during the first quarter with 33.1 percent, while Apple was trailing behind with just 17.9 percent. By delivering various screen sizes, Samsung was able to address the different needs and wants of numerous mobile consumers, something that Apple needs to do if it’s going to gain a bigger share of the market.

IDC analyst Helen Chiang told the WSJ that Apple was being forced into action:

“In the long run, we will see touch screens in all sizes as the future vision of the technology industry is to offer the same user experience across all screens. The key is to bring down the cost and introduce compelling applications for large-screen devices.”

Another thing to note is that even if Apple tested various screen sizes, there’s no assurance that people would actually see in the shops.  It’s not unusual for manufacturers to try out new things before weighing up whether they’re worthy of being sold.  But if Apple wants mobile dominance, there’s certainly no harm in trying.  Maybe a smaller or bigger device would entice new consumers to consider an iPhone when upgrading their device.

The report also stated that components for the new iPhone were ramped up last month, with Apple’s suppliers instructed to be ready to ship in late August.  If all of these rumors are true, we may be seeing the new iPhone unveiled by early September, with consumers getting their hands on it that same month.

The sources claimed that the next iPhone will be the same size and have the same resolution as the current iPhone 5, so this is unlikely to be a ‘major’ upgrade compared to last time out. However, Apple has reportedly also been working with Asian suppliers to produce a low-cost version of the iPhone with a non-metal casing, which will be directed at emerging markets. Both versions will be available in various colors.

Other iPhone rumors include a larger-capacity battery, a new dual-LED rear-camera flash, a 12MP camera, a fingerprint scanner, Retina+ Sharp IGZO display with 1080p Full HD resolution, offline dictation, and slow motion camera feature.

As for the iPad, WSJ sources claimed that the new version will begin production later this month and will be the same size and have the same resolution as the 9.7” version, but will have a lighter and thinner display structure by integrating touch sensors with a thin film instead of glass.