The 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and its bigger cousin the iPhone 6 Plus have been a hit since they landed on the market, but did they please all consumers? Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) may not think so, at least if a report from Chinese language website Feng.com is correct.
Rumor of a 4-inch iPhone 6
GSM Arena spotted the report, which originally appeared on Taiwanese website Electronic Times. The author of the report cites sources within Apple’s supply chain. They reportedly claim that there’s a 4-inch iPhone 6 model coming next year.
Apple supposedly wants to offer an update from the iPhone 5S and 5C, which are the company’s newest 4-inch phones, though they’re from last year. This year’s new iPhones both had significantly larger screens. While they appeal to a broad segment of the market that desired larger smartphones, not all consumers want a phone that’s larger than 4 inches.
A 4-inch iPhone 6 would appear to consumers who are very focused on one-handed use, particularly women. Rumors have suggested that Apple will stop manufacturing the iPhone 5C next year. It will be interesting to see how the company markets the 4-inch iPhone 6 and whether it becomes the new low-cost option or continues to target the high end of the market.
Is a 4-inch iPhone 6 really necessary?
Forbes contributor Gordon Kelly offers a handful of reasons Apple might do well to make a 4-inch iPhone 6. For example, there’s the issue of choice. The company is known for its one-size-fits-all approach, but that strategy doesn’t seem to work anymore.
Some consumers aren’t interested in a large smartphone, so they’ll cling to their 4-inch iPhone 5S until it’s absolutely necessary to upgrade or otherwise switch to a smaller Android smartphone. However, by putting out a 4-inch iPhone 6, Apple may be able to convince most of them to upgrade earlier than they would have otherwise.
Additionally, it makes sense for Apple to have three sizes of new phones. With a smaller iPhone 6, perhaps called the iPhone Mini, the company would have a 4-inch model, a 4.7-inch model and a 5.5-inch model. It would also be a similar strategy to what Apple has done successfully with the different sizes of the iPad and iPod.
