One of the biggest tech rumors of 2015 has been the idea that Apple will release an iPhone 6c; a 4-inch screened version of its flagship smartphone. This handset will be targeted at people who prefer smaller mobile devices, and would also be particularly viable for consumers in developing economies and other markets which desire affordable devices. And the latest Apple leak suggest that we might see this iPhone 6c sooner rather than later.
Reddit thread provides iPhone 6c leak
The social sharing site Reddit has recently featured a webpage based around the new iPhone Lightning dock. While there is nothing unusual about this in and of itself, Apple also posted a picture of an iPhone 5c model that features a Touch ID sensor. Of course, this certainly wasn’t present on the original iPhone 5c, which suggests that this could be the hotly anticipated new 4-inch iPhone.
It has also been suggested that the device in question appears to have slimmer side bezels than previous devices, although this is rather difficult to confirm definitively based on the picture posted. There is currently a big debate taking place on the Reddit site regarding whether this is just a Photoshopped version of the existing iPhone 5c, or whether Apple was genuinely giving people a sneak preview of a forthcoming mobile device.
If Apple does release this handset in the near future, it is a certainty that Touch ID will be part of its make-up, so this rumor certainly makes sense. Whether this smartphone has been quite so rapidly developed as to arrive in the near future is highly debatable, as it is expected that the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will release later this year. With Apple having already released a new product range during 2015, with its first smartwatch the Apple Watch hitting the stores in April, the emergence of a second brand new mobile category would seem to be perhaps a little unlikely.
But there has been so much speculation and rumor about the iPhone 6c that it is reasonable to assume that we will see this device sometime in the foreseeable future. Previous Apple releases have also been released to the media long before they have ever seen the light of day, and indeed the aforementioned Apple Watch was being reported in the press over two years before it was finally confirmed by Apple itself.
iPhone 6c fits Apple ethos
And an iPhone 6c would seem to make sense for Apple on several different levels. The affordable marketplace looks to be a growth niche for the corporation, with Apple’s excellent recent sales figures being at least partly attributed to outstanding sales in China. Samsung has traditionally been extremely successful in East Asia, but now Apple is seriously rivalling the Korean corporation in this region, and has proved particularly popular in the world’s most populous nation.
It is also thought that the idea of a 4-inch smartphone would appeal to the sadly late founder and CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs. Some years ago, Jobs explicitly stated that he considered the ideal smartphone screen size to be 3.5-inches, and the creation of the iPhone 6c is considered to be very much in line with this vision.
Although Apple has been hugely successful under the tutelage of its new CEO Tim Cook, there have been criticisms of the corporation which have focused on a lack of innovation. The idea of producing a mobile which goes against the cultural zeitgeist of large smartphones would be an interesting concept that would once again distinguish Apple from its competitors.
iPhone 6c key to revenue growth
Apple has also previously promised the city that it would develop new product niches and revenue streams. This was in response to a plummeting of its share price in early 2014, after the corporation revealed sub-par sales figures to investors and analysts. Although Apple has emphatically recovered from this mishap since then, having posted some extremely impressive sales and revenue figures during 2014, the corporation is still mindful of the fact that it needs to demonstrate new revenue streams in order to stimulate growth.
The Apple Watch and the iPhone 6 Plus were the first two shots fired in this particular battle, and the production of a small iPhone 6c would seem to be the next logical step. This could rack up a large number of sales for Apple, while at the same time being relatively simple in logistical terms to produce, and an affordable production alternative to the existing iPhone models.
With images now being leaked via Reddit, the speculation related to this device will only intensify. Whether we will see the iPhone i6c this year or not is debatable, but the existence and release of the handset seems increasingly inevitable.
