Apple's rivals are fast-gaining steam and the trend will continue unless the tech giant releases soon the rumoured 4.8-inch iPhone 6, or better yet the much bigger iPhad.

The new term is coined by Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White, who reiterated his position that Apple needs to issue real soon its take on the phablet arena - the oversized smartphone market that Samsung has created via the Galaxy Note.

Two versions of the Note are responsible for at least 15 million of unit sales around the world, significant numbers that are obviously threats to Apple's global mobile device supremacy.

Pointing to his recent tours of production facilities in Asia, Mr White highlighted "the growing importance of 5-inch to 5.5-inch smartphone displays in China including Hong Kong."

"In our view, we believe Apple will need to eventually launch a new product category that addresses the 5.5-inch phablet category and for now we are coining this new device the iPhad," the Topeka analyst was reported by BGR News s saying.

He added that the phablet trend is on a heightened momentum yet there is no concrete signal coming from Apple is planning to play the same game that its bitter rival, Samsung, has started.

However, the tech giant could be convinced by growing indications that people are more interested on seeing an iPhone 6 release instead of the iPhone 5S, which presumably will retain the 4-inch display that Apple showcased via the iPhone 5 last year.

Citing search figures from Google Trends, Gotta Be Mobile said in a report that the iPhone 6 generates more interest compared to the iPhone 5S.

The number of consumers trying to get more information about the bigger-screen iPhone is steadily growing since last year or in the immediate months after the iPhone 5 was made available, the same report said.

To date, without official word coming from Apple, consumers make do with rumours that suggest Samsung will soon compete with an iPhone version that sports the same screen size with that of the Galaxy Note.

In another hint, Apple is reportedly hunting for a display specialist that would supervise the development of a flexible screen for the alleged iPhone 6.

If true, Apple's new unbreakable screen technology will directly clash with that of the Galaxy Note 3, which reports said will be released with an emphasis on a more durable glass screen material.