Slowly but surely the iPhone is getting bigger.

Apple fans might need to start preparing for a whopping 4.8-inch iPhone screen.

The iPhone was always relatively the same shape and size until the iPhone 5 came along and featured a longer, but not wider screen. The size change leveled off when the 5s and 5c remained the same shape, but now it appears we're about to see yet another change in size.

According to rumors floating around the web, such as this one at CNET, Apple recently met with Jeffries analyst Peter Misek, and he then sent a note to investors to notify them that the next iPhone will be 4.8 inches, much closer to the screen size of its closest Android competitors, like Samsung's Galaxy S3 and S4 series.

The news really comes as no surprise and to many it seems to be a response to the growing "phablet" market; according to CNET, 50 percent of smartphones last quarter had a screen bigger than 4 inches, which is what the iPhone measures at right now. This was a significant increase from 20 percent last year.

Let's not forget that the iPhone 5s and 5c were just released last month and that we are a long way away from a new iPhone. The specifics are most certainly not confirmed by any means, and the reality is that people are just now settling into their new iPhones. In a comment on a CNET article about the possibility of a larger screen on the next iPhone, one user said, "My 5S will be here tomorrow and I'm excited. I just can't handle anymore iPhone rumors until next year."

In an earlier article, Misek told Financial Post that the iPhone 6 would likely be released in June 2014.