iPhone 6S Mini: What To Expect?

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Rumors are intensifying that Apple could release a new iPhone device early in 2015. This particular iPhone has been dubbed the iPhone 6s Mini by analysts, and will feature the much mooted 4-inch screen which Apple-following media has been gossiping about in recent weeks.

The latest murmurings have been confirmed by analysts who have commented on Apple’s product range previously, and although, of course, there has been no official word from the consumer electronics giant itself, momentum seems to be gathering for a possible iPhone 6 press release during the early months of 2015.

So what many Apple fans are wondering is what we can expect from this purported device, and how it will differ from previous versions of the iPhone 6. Aside from the screen size, there have been a few whispers about possible features that could be included in this no doubt high-profile handset, so here is a summary of the latest news about the proposed iPhone 6s Mini.

Apple Watch companion

If we do see an early iPhone 6s release next year, it is likely to coincide with the unveiling of the first Apple smartwatch. The Apple Watch was confirmed in recent months, and is certain to create a huge amount of buzz among consumers. This could be just the sort of market momentum which is required to piggyback a new smaller mobile device.

In order to create a conscious link between the two devices, it seems possible that the iPhone 6s will include specific Apple Watch compatibility. To what extent this would differ from the existing iPhone 6 range is unclear, as Apple has yet to really confirm how the iPhone 6 handsets will collaborate with this forthcoming smartwatch. But a double release date, possibly early in Q2, would seem to make sense, if indeed Apple does opt for an early 2015 release for this now expected mobile.

Curved edges

Samsung has popularized the display screen featuring curved edges, with its range of high-spec and definition televisions first drawing attention to this concept. Since then, Samsung has produced a further device with a curved screen; the Galaxy Note Edge receiving excellent reviews when it was released earlier this year.

It is already strongly rumored that Samsung will extend this characteristic to its entire smartphone range during 2015, and there are already similar murmurings which suggests that Apple will follow suit. Apple has usually been a trend setter rather than follower, but it may decide with regard to curved screens that they are simply becoming too prominent and sought after for the concept to be ignored and neglected any further.

Thus, if there was to be an early release date for the iPhone 6s Mini this would provide an ideal opportunity for the corporation to test out whether curved screens are going to work for the iPhone series. It is even possible that if the concept wasn’t particularly successful that Apple could ditch any such plans to include curved screens in the iPhone 7, and legitimately claim that it had never intended to do so.

New technology

Early rumors related to the iPhone 6s suggest that producing the device will not be a simple case of miniaturising existing-6 technology. This would be the ideal case scenario for Apple, but it seems likely that such a process would simply be too expensive. It is instead suggested that Apple will build the iPhone 6s Mini up from scratch, and indeed has already begun to work on this.

This would be a serious logistical undertaking for Apple, so this will surely only take place if the company is extremely confident that there is a huge niche for a 4-inch screened iPhone device. Reports have suggested that new, specialized technology produced by Qualcomm could be included in this smaller mobile device, and that this will be primarily intended to keep production costs down. The iPhone 6s Mini is very much viewed as a budget, affordable device, which is presumably intended to beckon new consumers into the iPhone fold.

iPhone 6S Mini: What To Expect?

iPhone 6S specifications

Given that Apple is attempting to produce an affordable device with the iPhone 6s Mini, it shouldn’t necessarily be expected to represent a state-of-the-art handset. Although this device could be released early in 2015, production costs will not have decreased enough by then for Apple to arm this device with the sort of specs associated with a top grade mobile device.

A big plus point for the smartphone, though, will be the fact that the smaller screen size will necessitate less processing power. Undoubtedly the boffins at Apple will right now working out precisely how to produce a device which is relatively less powerful compared to the iPhone 6 and other major smartphones on the market, but which gives the appearance of producing similar levels of performance.

Reports on the iPhone 6s Mini suggest that it could possess similar specifications and processing power to the iPhone 5 or possibly the iPhone 5s. This would be fairly respectable, and it should enable the iPhone 6s Mini to be a satisfactorily fluent device.

Price point

Apple always agrees good subscription deals with as many carriers as possible in order to make the iPhone range as attractive as it can be, but the iPhone 6 certainly began at a higher price point than previous devices. It seems inevitable that this will not be the case with the iPhone 6s Mini, given that the device needs to sell a large number of units to people with a relatively small amount of disposable income.

It is possible that Apple is particularly looking at this device as one that can perform strongly in the emerging East Asian marketplace, so pricing could be weighted accordingly. Certainly United States consumers shouldn’t expect to pay as much for an iPhone 6 as any of the devices in the existing iPhone range, regardless of whether it is released early next year or alongside the forthcoming iPhone 7, which will probably hit the market in September 2015.

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