Though noted KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has repeatedly said that Apple would not launch a 4-inch smartphone this year, rumors about a 4-inch iPhone 6C have refused to die. Kuo has a very good track record of getting access to Apple’s future plans. The analyst said earlier this week that the tech giant will unveil a 4.7-inch iPhone 6S and 5.5-inch iPhone 6S Plus sometime in September.
Apple placing component orders for 4-inch iPhone 6C
Recent reports coming out of supply chain suggest that Apple has started placing component orders for the 4-inch iPhone 6C. Two Chinese analysts Pan Jiutang and Sun Changxu said earlier this month that Chinese smartphone vendors were struggling to source camera sensors for their phones because Apple had placed a significant order with Sony for the iPhone 6C.
The Chinese analysts said Apple’s 4-inch smartphone “could be launched in September.” Sony could meet only 50% of the demand from Chinese vendors because it has devoted the rest of the camera sensor production capacity to the iPhone 6C. However, the Chinese analysts did not reveal what type of camera sensors the 4-inch iPhone will feature.
Kuo rejects 4-inch iPhone 6C rumors
It contradicts Kuo’s report. The KGI Securities analyst argues that Apple will discontinue the iPhone 5C later this year to make iPhone 5S its new entry-level model. Since the iPhone 5S continues to do well, the Cupertino company will not launch the 4-inch iPhone in 2015. Launching the 4-inch device in 2016 would help Apple “extend the momentum,” said Kuo.
We have also seen a lot of concept designers imagining the 4-inch iPhone 6S over the past few months. A recent concept by SET Solution imagines the device with 4-inch full HD screen, 2GB RAM, 13-megapixel main camera with 4K video recording capabilities, and 3,200mAh battery. SET Solution’s concept device as a thickness of just 4.3mm.
It’s highly unlikely that both the rumors are true. However, Ming-Chi Kuo’s argument of delaying the launch of a 4-inch iPhone to 2016 in order to “extend the momentum” makes sense.
