Report: Bigger iPhones coming this fall

• Next iPhones will have much bigger screens, report says


• Displays will be 4.7 and 5.5 inches, according to Bloomberg


• Current iPhones have 4-inch screens, much smaller than some rivals


• Apple could also roll out a smartwatch this fall

(CNN) -- iPhone screens are about to get a lot bigger, if a new report is to be believed.

Suppliers in China are about to start work on two new iPhones, according to an article from Bloomberg. The phones will have display screens that are 4.7 inches and 5.5 inches across, when measured diagonally -- a major leap from the 4-inch displays on the iPhone 5S and 5C.

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Such a move would appear to be an effort to keep up with the competition. Rival smartphones, most notably those from Samsung, have been packing ever-larger displays in recent years. If these rumors are true, the bigger iPhone would nearly match the screen size of Samsung's massive Galaxy Note 3, with its pocket-busting, 5.7-inch "phablet" display.

The Korean company's flagship Galaxy S5 has a 5.1-inch display, the new HTC One M8 has a 5-inch screen and the recently announced Amazon Fire phone checks in at 4.7 inches.

Apple CEO Tim Cook is expected to unveil the iPhone 6 -- and possibly more than one phone model -- early this fall. The phone reportedly will have a bigger screen than current Apple models. Here is a look at some other top smartphones on the market now or coming soon.

Announced in June, Amazon's Fire Phone will have a 5-inch screen that displays 3-D images. A feature called Firefly offers instant image, text and audio recognition and can supposedly recognize more than 100 million songs, videos and consumer products. It will sell for $199 for a 32GB model and $299 for 64GB and begins shipping July 25.

The Galaxy S5 is the latest in Samsung's line of big-screen, feature-laden phones.Considered an improvement, but not radical departure from, the S4, the phone features a 5.1-inch screen, 16-megapixel camera with ultra-fast shutter speed and a fingerprint sensor for added security. It sells for $199 with most mobile contracts.

The iPhone 5S is Apple's fastest handset yet, with an upgraded camera with slow-motion video capabilities and the Touch ID fingerprint scanner for security. It ranges from $199-$399, depending on storage. Apple also sells a new plastic iPhone, the 5C, which is simpler and cheaper: $99-199.

Hailed by some critics as the best Android phone yet, HTC's latest offering has a sleek, brushed-metal design that has charmed reviewers. It boasts a 5-inch screen, a dual-camera setup that lets users refocus even after they take an image and a hefty 2GB of RAM. The HTC One M8 retails for $199.

Google has sold Motorola to Lenovo, but the Moto X still has its admirers. The Moto X claims to be the first phone manufactured in the U.S. Hands-free voice controls allow you to operate the phone without touching it -- a handy trick if you're across the room -- and it's highly customizable. And because it's been out for a while you can pick it up cheaply with most wireless contracts.

The king of the "phablets," the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 has a vivid, 5.7-inch screen and comes equipped with a stylus. It's $299 and has been a popular No. 2 device for Samsung.

Some reviewers have called the Nokia Lumia Icon with a fast processor, 5-inch display screen and 20-megapixel camera, the best Windows phone yet. But the phone, selling for $199, is only available on Verizon. Nokia's other top-end phone, the bigger (6-inch) Lumia 1520, is similarly exclusive to AT&T.

BlackBerry, once the king of business-oriented phones, is now struggling to catch up. Unlike past models, its flagship Z10 phone has no physical keyboard. It also offers a feature that splits the phone into two separate devices -- one for work and one for personal use -- so IT departments can control the flow of sensitive data. The Z10 is now free with a two-year wireless contract.

This is the second generation of the Sony phone with an unusual claim to fame: The company says it's water-resistant, for up to 30 minutes. It also boasts a 20-megapixel camera, which Sony claims has the industry's largest sensor. The Experia Z1s is exclusive to T-Mobile.

The Bloomberg report says the new iPhones will ship to retailers "around September" and be more rounded and thinner than previous models. That would be consistent with launch patterns from Apple, which for the past several years has announced new iPhones in early fall.

If the report is true, this would mark the second consecutive year Apple has released two phones.

Last year, Apple borrowed from the playbook of Samsung and other competitors by releasing the high-end iPhone 5S and the cheaper, more colorful 5C model. Almost a year later, the plastic iPhone 5C sells for as low as $99 with a wireless contract. For the previous six years, Apple had offered only a single, iconic phone even as competitors rolled out phones with many sizes, shapes and prices.

The new iPhones may also be part of a one-two punch from Apple, which has been under pressure to innovate and which has promised new products in 2014.

Reports have said a long-awaited Apple smartwatch is also coming this fall. A Reuters report says the watch will have a 2.5-inch screen and be "slightly rectangular."

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