This smaller smartphone is intended to provide an affordable option for the less well-heeled Apple fan. It is also thought that the 4-inch alternative to the existing iPhone series would provide something of a boost for Apple in the East Asian marketplace in particular. Apple has had big success in China in recent years, but will still be looking to penetrate developing economies more efficiently in the future.
Although Apple has yet to confirm the iPhone 6c publicly, it is looking increasingly certain that this iPhone variant will appear on the market at some point in the near future. So here is all the latest news about the iPhone 6c, and a rundown of everything that we know about this smartphone already.
iPhone 6c – plastic edition
It may seem counter-intuitive to release a plastic version of the iPhone 6c considering that smartphones with metallic finishes are now a market standard. But there is increasing momentum behind the idea that Apple will release a smaller smartphone which has a colourful and plasticky appearance, and that this will be named the iPhone 6c.
This device would feature a 4-inch display and a polycarbonate plastic case, similar to that of the iPhone 5c.
iPhone 6c – Touch ID but no Force Touch
It is also expected that the iPhone 6c will embrace Touch ID technology. But reports have emanated recently which suggest that the Force Touch technology which was pioneered in the Apple Watch will not come to the iPhone 6c. With Apple hoping to keep the cost down for this more affordable version of the iPhone, it is speculated that Apple will merely include Force Touch in the forthcoming iPhone 6s Plus phablet.
iPhone 6c – 2015 release date?
One of the ongoing discussions about the next range of Apple iPhones is whether or not there will be an iPhone 7 in 2015, or if it will be delayed until 2016. Running parallel to this is also the notion of whether this 4-inch iPhone 6c could be released as a companion device for the iPhone 7 in 2016, or whether it will instead be released during this calendar year alongside the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.
Some analysts are now suggesting that the inclusion of Force Touch on the new iPhone is such a big change in the way that the smartphone operates that Apple will skip straight to the iPhone 7. With an iPhone release certain in 2015, this would mean that we will see the iPhone 7 at some point during this calendar year, but that doesn’t solve the issue of the iPhone 6c.
Apple could still delay the iPhone 6c until 2016, even if it does choose to release the iPhone 7 this year. However, it still seems far more likely that Apple will want to get this product to market as quickly as possible, particularly if it is to be a companion device for the iPhone 7. This would lead to questions regarding whether the iPhone 6c will be named thus, or instead dubbed the iPhone 7c.
But regardless of this issue expect to see it at some point during 2015, although this is by no means a blanket opinion among analysts. What we can predict with some certainty is that Apple will play its cards close to his chest as usual, and release very little concrete information about the iPhone 6c until the very last minute.
iPhone 6c – Gorilla Glass not sapphire glass
Fans of the iPhone range will know that sapphire glass has been linked with this handset for at least a year now. It was strongly believed by many analysts that Apple would include sapphire glass in the construction of the iPhone 6. As it happened, this did not come to fruition, as Apple instead decided to stick with the Gorilla Glass which has served it pretty well in the past.
However, in the aftermath of the ‘bendgate’ scandal, many fans of Apple and observers of the corporation were suggesting that it would be advisable for Apple to switch to sapphire glass in the near future. This is considered to be a more durable material than the Gorilla Glass which has been utilized to protect the iPhone screen previously, and it is thought that it could significantly protect the iPhone against similar bendgate headlines.
But the latest indications are that sapphire glass will not feature in the iPhone range in 2015. It has been reported that sapphire glass shatters more easily than Gorilla Glass, and this is the reason why the sporty version of the recent Apple watch smartwatch has opted not to utilize sapphire glass. With the iPhone intended to be an extremely durable device, this would seem to make sense for Apple at least in the immediate future, so until problems are solved with sapphire glass we can expect to see Gorilla Glass featuring in the iPhone 6C.
iPhone 6c – new camera orders placed
One of the most interesting rumors about the iPhone 6C is that Apple has placed an order for new camera parts which are said to be earmarked for this particular smartphone. While previous reports had suggested that Apple would simply utilize the camera which was included in the iPhone 5s, this suggests that the consumer electronics giant will instead upgrade the snapper included in this small iPhone quite significantly.
Apple is obviously generally intending to improve the quality of its cameras, with reports recently linking the iPhone 7 with a dual-lens professional standard photographic equipment. Additionally, a unique periscope design camera has also been mooted as a possibility for the iPhone 7 range, with Apple looking to produce a device capable of world-class photographic standards.
iPhone 6c – other specifications and details
Other possible specs for the iPhone 6c include an A8 processor, NFC compatibility in order to allow users to utilise Apple Pay, and an excellent battery cell which will hand this smaller iPhone device a similar battery life to the previously released iPhone 5s.
