The much-awaited release of the next iPhone series may be delayed as rumors suggest that the sale of the iPhone 6 remain strong in the market.

BGR cited sources saying that the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus shipments are expected to remain strong until June with Apple eyeing to ship 60 million units. The report added that this may lead to the deferred launch of the upcoming iPhone models specifically noting that the "sales performance for the iPhone 6 series has been better than originally estimated."

In a report, iDigitalTimes said Taiwan-based supply chain sources have supported the claim that indeed, the strong sales of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus can cause the postponement of the next iPhone.

But there's hope for Apple fans as the delay may not really happen just because of the spark in sales of the current release, according to BGR.

"It's hardly likely Apple will miss out on what's probably going to be a new record Christmas quarter fueled by strong iPhone 6s/7 sales this year just because the iPhone 6 is still a strong contender," BGR added in its report.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also made the same prediction of Apple not releasing its new 4-inch phone dubbed the iPhone 6C because of the high sales of the iPhone 5s, but iDigitalTimes said this was just a "guess" coming from supply chain makers.

New Apple iPhone release to push through this year?

According to MacWorld the new iPhone 6s or iPhone 7 is expected to be released this year. There are rumors that Apple will bring in a 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch model this coming fall. BGR said there is also the possibility that the company may skip making the iPhone 6s and proceed directly with the iPhone 7.

MacWorld also predicted that Apple's next flagship phone won't be different from the current model in terms of size. "We expect roughly the same dimensions as the current generation. Tim Cook will probably be able to boast that it's 'the slimmest and lightest iPhone ever' but the minor reduction in thickness will be exaggerated by favourable lighting," the outlet claimed.

The iPhone 7 is also believed to come with "a little better" battery life with MacWorld noting that a significant increase in the battery pack may sacrifice other areas of the phone. Apple users are also expecting a higher screen resolution in the next phone release.

The Inquirer estimated that the new iPhone may be a little pricier than the iPhone 6 with it costing from $950 to $1,200 for its 16GB, 64GB and 128GB variants.