Apple dropped several hints that it will release its rumoured smartphones later this year.

There are clear hints that iPhone 6 and/or iPhone 5S will be released on the third quarter of 2013. The production of the upcoming smartphones is set to start soon.

Rumours claimed that Apple have a contract with Japanese company Sharp and the latter would begin manufacturing LCD panels for the smartphones in June onwards at its Kameyama Plant No. 1 in Japan.

It was reported earlier that production will commence in March but was delayed as Apple faced production related challenges associated with the work on the rumored finger print sensor, being introduced for the first time in Apple devices.

It is being widely reported that Apple has sent orders to both Japan Display and LG Display and the mass production has already started, thereby further establishing the rumors that iPhone 5S production would begin in the second quarter.

The Apple chief Time Cook also dropped several hints that the upcoming iPhone 6 and 5S will be released later this year. Cook said that no new products are to launch before the end of the year.

Cook also subtly dented rumours that the iPhone 5S could launch as early as June. "Our teams are hard at work on some amazing new hardware, software, and services that we can't wait to introduce this fall and throughout 2014."

It seems that the reports on the delayed release date of Apple products proved to be true. A number of analysts claimed that Apple's smartphones are delayed due to "production issues". However, recent reports also claimed that Chinese suppliers already received the components needed in building the iPhones.

Rumour has it that the iPhone 6 will feature Retina or IGZO screen display, A7 quad core chip processor, iOS 7, 128GB internal storage, 13 mega-pixel camera, and longer battery life. The lack of NFC support on the iPhone 5 was one of the biggest criticisms aimed at Apple's smartphone.

Meanwhile, the iPhone 5S is rumoured to sport a plastic casing, dual core processor and 8-megapixel camera. However, some experts are also of the viewpoint that the iPhone 5S might sport a 12 megapixel camera that would be a big jump as compared to its predecessors.

At present Apple is under more pressure than ever to make improvements to its cameras, which have become a point of comparison with the expansion of the smartphone market. In fact rivals like Nokia are running entire ad campaigns about comparative quality of low light shooting capability, an area Apple has focused on and touted with its last three models.

Further with reports of Apple filing a patent application for Wireless Power Utilization, a wireless charging system with near-field magnetic resonance (NFMR), it is being speculated that iPhone 5 S might be equipped with wireless charging feature.

Rumours have it that iPhone 5S would not only be available in three different screen sizes, but also in different colours so as to widen their market. In an investors note released recently, Brian White, a Topeka analyst said that "iPhone 5S buyers could have their choice of screen size. We believe Apple is coming around to the fact that one size per iPhone release does not work for everyone, and offering consumers an option has the potential to expand the company's market share".