Rumors about Apple making a return to the 4-inch form factor for future iPhones have been doing the rounds since late last year.
While they seem to have quietened down as of late, however, a new report injects some life into the story by claiming that Apple display panel maker AU Optronics is one of several companies involved with manufacturing 4-inch iPhone panels — for a device which could ship as early as Q1 2016.
The rumor suggests that AUO is likely to be just one of the panel makers for the device, and that others are located in China, Taiwan, and South Korea.
The report doesn’t make clear whether the first quarter of next year is when the panels are likely to be ready for shipping, or if this is when Apple would actually launch the smaller-sized iPhone, although normally there is not a lengthy period of time between manufacturing and retail.
Personally I’ll be treating this rumor with some skepticism, as I have all the reports about a return to the 4-inch form factor so soon after Apple finally took the plunge and started making larger handsets.
While there probably is demand for such devices — particularly among women — it would seem very out of character for Apple to change direction so rapidly, and particularly to start staggering the launch of different iPhones by releasing a new model just months after the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, both of which are expected for September.
Source: UDN
Via: GforGames
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.
10 responses to “Sketchy rumor claims 4-inch iPhone is coming early next year”
Those using Apple Watch need to spend much less time checking their phone, so the iPhone spends more of it’s time in your pocket or bag. It makes perfect sense for many users to want a smaller iPhone that isn’t too big for their pockets.
Another example is my wife, who uses the new cellular Pad Air and keeps it near her all the time, but never in her pocket. Her iPad does a much better job of all the non-voice call or text things, so she has got rid of her iPhone and now uses a much smaller dumb Nokia just for voice and text. Women’s clothes don’t always have pockets, so a compact phone is much more practical for her than a large one. If Apple made a smaller iPhone, she would get one immediately, but the current models are too large.
I too would choose a smaller, but fully featured iPhone over the current models. I prefer to keep my iPhone in my shirt pocket and while it is ~possible~ to slip a larger phone into a shirt pocket, it’s much more practical if the phone isn’t too big.
6c with internals of 5s, just like 5c with internals of 5.
Here’s a crazy take. Tim comes on stage with a cagy smile and announces that Apple understands the needs of those with smaller hands and the concerns of the cash strapped. He announces a return to the smaller phone, in not one, but two forms. One with the Touch ID, the other, a barebones model without TID. Barebones, properly priced, would open the Apple door to a wider range of costumers, including the Scrooge McDuck’s amongst us, and, the icing on this cake might be another kick to Samsung’s lower parts.
Very unlikely for apple to cheapen the iPhone brand just to compete with Samsung. Samsung did the same thing by releasing a gazillion variants of their Galaxy phones from cheapest to true flagship and look where that got them.
Apple only competes in premium market. Watch, iPod, phone, tablet, laptop, desktop.
4″ iPhones are dead and gone and not coming back.
go fuck yourself
I don’t think it’s so crazy for Apple to make a 4 inch iPhone. If anything it makes sense, a 6c, 6, and 6+, a full range of iPhones at different sizes/prices to better suit a customer.
I doubt whether Apple would now make a 4″ phone that is less fully featured than it’s larger siblings, therefore I would not expect the price to be much less than it’s siblings.
I think that the future will bring small, medium and large iPhones that are pretty similarly specced and that the prices will only rise in small increments to reflect the cost of manufacturing larger models – or to put it another way, a 4″ full spec iPhone will cost almost as much to make as a larger one and so the selling price will only be a little lower.
“While there probably is demand for such devices — particularly among women”
How do you know that? Do you have *any* non-anectodal empirical evidence whatsoever?
I could just as well imagine there being *greater* demand among women for the bigger phones as many women, those with purses, can more readily stash them away vs. men with just pockets.
“Sketchy rumor claims 4-inch iPhone is coming early next year”
Nothing like a “sketchy rumor” •claiming• something• might• coming next year to pique the reader’s interest. Great reporting.