Rumours started swirling earlier this year that Apple will finally pick up a phablet fight with Samsung, using the large-screen iPhone 6 as its main weapon against the latter's Galaxy Note 3, pegged for a September release date.

Hostilities between the two rivals are seen to erupt at around Q4 2013, by which time the Note 3, upgraded with a faster processor and a 6-inch screen, would have been outed. But signals coming from Apple so far indicated that Samsung's giant mobile phone will likely tussle with the incremental update iPhone 5S.

The handset is touted to sport improved Retina screen, flashing up to 1.5 million pixels, and a slightly mightier A-series CPU. The screen size, however, at four inches seems a mismatch for the Note 3.

Then came the credible Reuters report that Apple is actually working and testing iOS smartphones with screens extending far beyond the company's current standard. The possibility is suddenly introduced - iPhones with 4.7-inch and 5.7-inch screens could be out soon.

Inevitably, they will collide directly with the third-generation Galaxy Note - the one that started this whole phablet firestorm. And here are the three clues why this new round of Apple-Samsung dogfight will take place sooner than expected.

Samsung to unwrap the Note 3 anytime in June

The Asian tech giant is gathering its supporters on June 20 and key on its agenda are gadget unveilings that experts said will mainly involve the formal introduction of all the Galaxy S4 variants.

Yet the surprise element is not lost on this event and the likelihood is strong that the Note 3 will be part of the 'boom package' that Samsung will drop. Analysts believe the hardware is almost a done deal and pushing out the new phablet this early is completely doable, with early July as the target date for the device to hit store shelves.

Why the big rush on Samsung's part? There were reports that the overall GS4 sales figure is faltering following its record 10 million units of turnover in a four-week span. True or not, the Note 3's early rollout will surely refresh the momentum that Samsung had gathered earlier this year. A two-punch approach will certainly give the Galaxy maker some form of edge against Apple's latest iPhone push.

The refreshed platform war explodes in a few months

Apple's iOS is out and it will be dispatched on September at the earliest. Google, on the other hand, has yet to officially acknowledge the existence of Android 5.0 or Key Lime Pie. Tech experts, however, are convinced that the Jelly Bean replacement will hit the Android channel later this year, probably by October.

These scenarios indicate that the second half of 2013 has been marked as D-Day for the reinvigorated Android and iOS shootout, with both mobile OS boasting of new features and capabilities to lure millions of gadget lovers.

Apple has set the stage for Tim Cook's 'Fall Surprises'

Apple CEO Tim Cook teased earlier this year that there'll be gadgets galore for iOS fans starting off in September. His clues offered no specifics but the recent unveiling iOS 7 unveiling supported the expectations that Apple is indeed going for the phablet-size iPhone.

According to Gotta Be Mobile, key enhancements of the iOS 7 are obviously optimised for multiple device screen sizes - from iPhone to iPad and maybe something in between. As Reuters reported last week, Apple is mulling the release of big-screen iPhones - a 4.7-inch edition and a 5.7-inch build - and they could see release by early 2014, or even as early as Q4 2013.

The truth is no one can tell at the moment though Mr Cook, himself, did not entirely quash the possibility of an iPhone with screen that exceeds the four-inch mark. So long as technology compromises will be erased, he'll go for it and it appears Apple is gradually laying down the foundations that new path.