Tech giant Apple is reportedly testing larger screens ranging from 4.8 inches to 6 inches, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Citing unnamed sources but people "familiar" with the matter, the report says that Apple has "begun evaluating a plan to offer iPhones with screens ranging from 4.8 inches to as high as 6 inches."

Last month, Citi also hinted on an iPhone 6 with a big screen which will most likely be released early 2014, says a report by CNet. The statement from Citi reads:

"Looking Ahead to iPhone 6/iWatch - As we have written in the past, we expect Apple to launch a larger-screen version of iPhone (dubbed iPhone 6) in 1H14 (first half of 2014). We also anticipate the launch of iWatch, possibly in 2H13."

There have been no leaked photos or other rumors regarding a big screen iPhone 6 until the tip from Citi.

Apple's move to begin evaluating various sized screens seems to be one targeted on its biggest rival yet, Samsung. The South Korean tech giant has made a solid mark in the phablet industry - offering phones from the 5.7-inch Galaxy Note 3 to the 6.3-inch Galaxy Mega.

According to WSJ, Apple's release of the iPhone 5 last year resulted to a worldwide flunk in sales by about 14% in the second quarter from a 19% the previous year. On the other hand, Samsung's share rose to 32% last year from 30% in the previous year.

Samsung's edge reportedly lies in price. Although the iPhone 5's screen measures in at 4 inches, a big leap from its 3-inch predecessor, the handset was still tagged a bit too pricey. On the other hand, the Wall Street Journal notes that Samsung is able to offer a wider selection of handsets with affordable prices - even going lower than $100 in certain countries like China, India and Indonesia.

Samsung has also made several gadgets available in different sizes which caters to a wider range of users in comparison to the one-sized iPhone.

Apple's September 10 media event at its Cupertino, California headquarters is expected to be the company's first attempt to launch two iPhones in the same year. Samsung, on the other hand, has launched over half a dozen phones worldwide this year.