Apple has scrapped plans to release a new iPhone with a 4-inch display, according to Cowen and Company analyst Timothy Arcuri.
Arcuri claims that Apple was previously considering an “iPhone 6-looking version of the iPhone 5c,” which would include the same internal components as the iPhone 6, but with the smaller form factor Apple ditched when it made the decision to go big with its smartphones.
But no more!
Evidence of the 4-inch iPhone 6c was reportedly visible in Apple’s supply chain from January through March, although it has now disappeared. While Apple constantly prototypes different sizes for future iPhones, the fact that this one supposedly made it as far as the supply chain suggests Apple at least considered it more than they usually do with new size options.
“I think one of the reasons is because the iPhone 6 has sold so well,” Arcuri speculates. “And they said, ‘Look, why would we want to cannibalize? If we came out with an iPhone 6c, we would essentially cannibalize a price-reduced iPhone 6.'”
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard rumors of a 4-inch iPhone 6c. News first arose late last year, when I described it as “unlikely.” At the time, it was said that the handset was intended to appeal to “female users” who are put off by the larger screen size of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.
I wrote that I couldn’t see Apple going back to the 4-inch form factor after seeing the larger-size iPhone 6 and 6 Plus sell so well, but I’ve since heard from plenty of readers who say they miss the smaller-size iPhone.
So my question to you: Will you be upset if Apple really has abandoned the 4-inch iPhone for good?
Source: Business Insider
Luke Dormehl is a U.K.-based journalist and author, with a background working in documentary film for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is the author of The Apple Revolution and The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems … and Create More, both published by Penguin/Random House. His tech writing has also appeared in Wired, Fast Company, Techmeme and other publications.
18 responses to “C you never! Apple scraps plans for 4-inch iPhone 6c”
For me it’s a double edged sword. On one hand you can have a smaller device that is not only easier to use one handed, but also just feels like the perfect size. Having the larger screen though, is pretty nice although I don’t think I’ll ever jump up to the 6+ screen size.
My biggest complaint about the new form factors is the placement of the power button. I can’t even count the number of missed photo opportunities because the power button is now located directly opposite of the shutter button and gets accidentally pushed all the time.
Please Apple, MOVE the power button back to the top of the device!!!! (Not sure if it’s a problem on the 6+ also)
It is, and I have too, but less and less as time has gone on. We’re so used to it in its previous spot that it takes time to get used to it. Hard to believe that .7 inches is that big of a deal… I have the 6+ and LOVE it, but I have large hands, my wife has the 6 and while it’s DEFINITELY easier to use one handed, I miss my 6+ when I’m “surfing”!
Not too upset. I save money by not upgrading until Apple offers a phone I want.
Upset, no. Disappointed, certainly. I guess I’ll buy a couple of 5s’s when the new ones come out this fall to hold me over until a new 4-inch phone. *sigh*
I’ll definitely miss the 4″ form factor, as this feels like the right size for my needs. I would love the bigger screen, but will (probably) not enjoy the bigger phone in my pocket… :)
You’d be surprised, the 6Plus fits just fine in my pocket, but not adding a bulky case certainly helps.
I think Apple should continue creating high end products. An iPhone 6c should never be an option; a model that has outdated tech is not what Apple should create in order to sustain its “good” reputation. However, to impress all kinds of customers, what apple can do is to create a 4″ model with a new chassis and upgraded internals.
4 inch still has my heart
4 inch please! My iPhone 6 is too large, it destroyes my fingers.
I’ve got a 6 Plus (I work from home so I use it more like an iPad than an iPhone in some ways), but recently been using my wife’s iPhone 5s quite a lot. I definitely think there’s space for a smaller iPhone. As you point out, even the 6 is pretty big.
I love my 6+. I was happy with my 5S but I really wanted to stop picking and choosing which media was on my 64gb, so the biggest upgrade for me was going to the 128gb. The screen size was nicer, and the processor speed I barely notice. I’ve gotten used to the 6+ and as someone with bigger hands it is great. But I could absolutely see a really solid market for a 6c
I’m with you on everything minus your last sentence :) Also loving my 128GB 6Plus, as having all the music I want in one place is a dream I had had since the days of keeping my iPod photo around with my old 3Gs.
The 6 is so close in size (fractions of an inch) to the old form factor, I just don’t understand why people still care that much? People just don’t like change, but either they’ll adapt or have to settle for not an iPhone.
Most not all granted now want a larger screened phone for media consumption etc. A four inch phone is now a very rare device as most are at least five inch which seems to be the new sweet spot.
Really will be. 3.5-4 inch design was here for not an experiment, it was a standart for more than 7 years. And it was acceptable for everyone, because if it wasn’t, why would people buy more iPhones every consecutive year? In Macbooks, 11-inch exists, 13-inch exists, 15-inch exists. Apple doesn’t cut the 11 and 15 inch models just because the 13 inch is the best selling. So it never should cut the 4-inch one because the 4.7 inch sells better. What about small SUVs? Mid-sized and large SUVs, like Land Cruiser 200? What about Airbus A320 and A380? What about 42-inch TVs, 50-inch TVs and 84-inch TVs? Each of them has its own advantages. So Apple should let 4-inch model live, at least because here are more than 1 mln people who care.
I (and some others) believe that iPhone 6’s super selling rate is not tied to its size only. Here is something more. The best guess is that the reason is iPhone 6’s exterior freshness, lot of new design elements and its overall “new look” effect, not a small visual evolution of the iPhone 5/5S.
The same, if you look closer at selling rates of 2010, happened when iPhone 4 was released. It was a totally new looking phone, with completely new design, new exterior elements, allover “new look”. Its deference from 3GS and a new design revolution was the selling point, because it had a lot of Wow effect. The design never seen before.
Now, with iPhone 6, here is also a design never seen before. But if you remember the 5th.. Its design was so similar to the 4/4S design, that many were upset with its subtle exterior changes. Even more, the main change was the 4-inch design. But shrink the 5th to 3.5 inches, and it was visually not so different from the 4/4S. That’s why there was so much wow effect with iPhone 6. It has changed iPhone design a lot, the thing that people were waiting for 4 years. As 5th didn’t finish that job, the 6th did, as the 4th did earlier. People were bored with original iPhone design when 3GS was released, and the 4th changed everything. People were bored with 4th design when 5S was released (4 years!), and the 6th has come with a totally new design.
That is the reason of such a high selling rates. Bigger size matters too, but it isn’t the whole reason. And it isn’t the reason to axe the 4-inch model. Make a 4-inch 6th, and it could become the 2nd best selling iPhone on the market, because 3.5-4-inch design was here not 10 years ago. It was here 10 months ago.
I’m probably one of the few who miss the 3.5″ iPhone. I don’t see myself ever upgrading again at this rate.
Joe
Maybe this explains the iPod Touch 6!