GLOBAL TECH WRAP: Supersize iPhones in September — Bloomberg

Apple's suppliers will begin mass production of new iPhones in China next month, according to a Bloomberg report.

One model will have a 4.7-inch screen that may be available to ship to retailers around September, according to the report.

A larger 5.5-inch version is also being prepared for manufacturing and may be available at the same time.

The two new iPhones are also thinner and curvier, according to the report.

The first versions of the iPhone had 3.5-inch screens. The iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s have a 4-inch display, which Apple bills as the maximum for being able to thumb around a handset while holding it in one hand.

Top-of-the-line Android phones, such as Samsung's 5.1-inch Galaxy S5, typically have display somewhre between 4.8 and 5.1-inches, measured on the diagonal.

Elsewhere in the Apple rumour mill, the Wall Street Journal reports the company will release several smartwatches before the end of the year.

Microsoft boosts cloud storage

Microsoft has bumped the free storage limit on its cloud storage service, recently renamed OneDrive, from 5GB to 15GB.

The company has also supersized online storage for Office 365 users to 1 terabyte (1024GB). The storage can be used for anything.  Office 365 costs from $6.40 a month.

Wall Street Journal sumarises the latest personal storage cloud options:

Apple recently announced that with its coming free upgrades to its iPhone, iPad and Mac software it will bump iCloud's free limit from 5GB to 15GB.

The company will also offer 20GB for $US0.99, and 200GB for $US3.99 a month, with tiers up to 1 terabyte (like all-comers, it has one set of charges, billed in US dollars).

The new iCloud plans are expected to be available in the NZ spring.

Google buys connected home camera maker

Google’s Nest subsidiary has acquired Dropcam, a maker of connected home cameras, for $US555 million, Recode reports.

The deal helps Nest expand beyond its first two products, a thermostat and a smoke alarm, both distinguished by their wireless capabilities and their friendlier interfaces.

While Dropcam is a top-selling model in its category, it has plenty of competitors. Nest's resources under Google should help it market the product to more consumers.

Dropcam will also help Nest expand its sources of revenues. In addition to selling its camera hardware, Dropcam also offers paid storage services that allow customers to store 7 or 30 days of video and also get notifications about activity.