Apple has finally read the writing on the wall: Consumers want a bigger iPhone and they can't wait to get their hands on it. A new survey indicates that consumer interest in the iPhone 6 is at a record high.

In March, ChangeWave asked 4,109 people if they'd be interested in buying the next iPhone. Of those surveyed, 14 percent said that they're very likely to buy the next iPhone. An additional 26 percent said they're somewhat likely. Although neither of those numbers are too remarkable, the next one is: Exactly 40 percent of those surveyed stated that they were likely to buy the next iPhone.

The long and short of it is that 40 percent is a lot higher than the 26 percent the iPhone 5S received last year in March and also much better than the 33 percent the iPhone 5 earned back in March 2012. In other words, consumers are very interested in the iPhone 6. They are more excited about the iPhone 6 release than they have been about the last two Apple iPhone launches.

Why? The larger screen, of course.

"This is the highest level of demand for an unannounced Apple model in a ChangeWave survey -- stronger than we've seen in previous years for the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5 models prior to their announcements," Andy Golub of 451 Research, which owns ChangeWave, said in a statement. "Speculation over a larger screen iPhone is clearly striking a chord with consumers."

The survey also found that 47 percent of those surveyed are interested in a 5-inch-plus smartphone, whether it is from Apple, Samsung or another manufacturer. That number has also risen since December 2013 by 7 percent and shows no sign of stopping.

Rumors hint that Apple will release two models of the iPhone 6: a 4.7-inch version that is due in September, and a 5.5-inch model that is due at a later date. Ironically, the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 will actually be considered to be on the small side in comparison to the 5.1-inch Samsung Galaxy S5, the 5-inch HTC One M8 and the upcoming LG G3, which is rumored to sport a 5.3-inch display. Still, the 4.7-inch display will be a huge leap for Apple from the 4-inch iPhone 5S and an even bigger jump from the 3.5-inch display the company stuck with on the iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4 and 4S.

Clearly, the times they are a-changing.