Apple has plans to launch an iPhone 6c this year

By

Is the 4-inch iPhone coming or not?
This year could be a big one for iPhone fans.
Photo: ModMyI

Apple could release the iPhone 6s, 6s Plus and 6c at the same time, claims notorious leaker Evan Blass, better known as @evleaks on Twitter.

This is the latest in a series of reports suggesting that Cupertino is looking to offer a new 4-inch iPhone “c” model — having abandoned the name and form factor when it made the jump to phablet-sized phones.

Rumors about an iPhone 6c began popping up late last year, when sources suggested that Apple was investigating the possibility of a lower-cost device, aimed at people wanting a smaller handset.

More recently, there were reports suggesting that plans for an iPhone 6c had been distributed to Apple’s manufacturers, only to later disappear — although this was later revised to suggest the phone had been pushed back to the second quarter of 2016 instead.

The iPhone 6c is said to boast advanced “FinFET” processors to deliver increased performance and greater power efficiency. It has also been suggested that the 6c won’t repeat the plastic look of the iPhone 5c, but instead sport a sleek all-metal form factor.

Given that the Chinese smartphone market is currently slowing down, while the country’s currency devaluation looks to threaten Apple’s margins, a budget iPhone to compete with the likes of Xiaomi could be exactly what the doctor ordered.

And with rumors suggesting that Apple is planning to unveil three new iPads in 2015 also, this year could turn out to be a monster one for new iOS devices.

Newsletters

Daily round-ups or a weekly refresher, straight from Cult of Mac to your inbox.

  • The Weekender

    The week's best Apple news, reviews and how-tos from Cult of Mac, every Saturday morning. Our readers say: "Thank you guys for always posting cool stuff" -- Vaughn Nevins. "Very informative" -- Kenly Xavier.