The reports pertaining to the speculated 4-inch “iPhone 6c” are starting to come through thick and fast as we approach the end of the current calendar year. The device has been intermittently discussed over the last few months, with rumors intensifying during the run up to the release of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. Now, as we run into the festive shopping season, the heat is being ramped up once again with the latest reports suggesting Apple is ready to pack some serious hardware into the 4-inch iPhone.
Most of the rumors that we’ve been hearing over the last few weeks can be taken with a pinch of salt after they cite “sources familiar with Apple’s plans”, or “those with connections in Apple’s manufacturing partners”. However, this latest speculation is coming courtesy of Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities, an analyst and a company with a well-respected record of predicting Apple’s future plans.
Kuo is suggesting that not only is the 4-inch device a reality, but also that it will ship containing the same A9 processor that sits proudly within Apple’s latest flagship devices. That would put it alongside the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, at least from a chipset perspective.
KGI Securities is also reporting that Apple will take things a step further as part of plans to champion the company’s own payment platform, Apple Pay. The Cupertino-based company is obviously keen to get as many people as possible onboard the Apple Pay ship, which means putting supporting devices in front of as many users as possible. To that end, Kuo has reported that the 4-inch budget iPhone 6c which could cost between $400 to $500, will come equipped with an internal NFC radio that would enable wireless Apple Pay transactions in supporting retail outlets which are consistently increasing by the hour.
Keeping in line with recent speculation, Kuo and KGI still believe that any 4-inch model released will be offered as a budget device and will fall into the $400 – $500 price range. That would be slightly cheaper than what Apple sold the iPhone 5c for when it was initially launched as the budget option alongside the iPhone 5s. Speculation is also ramping up that Apple could be ready to flip the switch on an early 2016 release to start the year off with a bang.
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