When competition in the smartphone markets heats up, it can benefit consumers. For fans of Apple, Inc. this means the next iteration of the iPhone, the iPhone 6, will be released earlier than expected based on strong competition from the company's rival phone makers.

According to ABS CBN News, "Apple plans to release its new iPhone in August, a month earlier than expected, after sales were hit by new big-screen models from its rivals, a major Taiwanese newspaper reported Friday, citing supply chain sources."

Apple reported previously that the new iPhone 6 would come with two new, larger, screen sizes. It seems its rivals Samsung and HTC beat it to the punch, perhaps signaling that contemporary smartphone users are eager to buy phones with larger screens, which could reduce reading strain and improve ease of use.

ABS CBN News also noted that the California-based smartphone company would be releasing only its 4.7-inch version early. "US-based Apple has decided to roll out the 4.7-inch screen version of the new model in August, a month early, as recent sales have been affected by the launch of bigger-screen phones from rivals such as South Korean giant Samsung and Taiwan's HTC, the report said."

"A high-end variant of the iPhone 6 with a 5.5 or 5.6-inch screen will still be unveiled in September as previously planned, it said, adding that Apple expected total sales of 80 million units for both versions."

This could signal troubling times ahead for Apple (AAPL) as it has consistently lost market share to its Asian rivals, most notably of which is Korean smartphone maker Samsung. The iOS platform and concomitant devices that were once dominant are now more or less on equal footing with its Android counterparts as those companies ramped up the features and hardware on their smartphones. The difference maker could be the lower end of the spectrum as Android devices remain highly competitive entry-level smartphones.