Apple will make us wait until 2016 for the iPhone 6c

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Is the 4-inch iPhone coming or not?
Apple's next iPhones may offer small, medium and large options.
Photo: ModMyI

Apple’s long-rumored (and eagerly anticipated) iPhone 5c successor, the iPhone 6c, may not have been shelved after all — but instead pushed back to the second quarter of 2016, according to a new report.

Sources in the supply chain say Apple’s next-gen budget smartphone will also boast advanced “FinFET” processors to deliver increased performance and greater power efficiency.

“The 14/16nm FinFET chips will be manufactured by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and Samsung,” claims Digitimes. “The original plan was to equip the devices with chips built using TSMC’s 20nm SoC process, said the sources, but the adoption of FinFET processors would enable specs upgrade and lower power consumption.”

There’s no reason given for delaying the handsets until next year, although it may be a way to replenish demand for iPhones during the summer months — particularly in developing markets like China and India, where the low-cost iPhone 6c would likely be a hit.

A report yesterday reveals that Xiaomi has overtaken Apple once again to be named China’s most popular handset maker, largely due to slowing interest in the current iPhone 6 ahead of the iPhone 6s launch in September.

A previous report suggested the iPhone 6c won’t repeat the plastic look of the iPhone 5c, instead coming in an all-metal form factor, along with a 4-inch display.

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