While the iPhone 5c has been seen as a disappointment when it comes to sales, the phone may still have a future in Apple’s iPhone lineup after all. A new report from Macotakara (via AppleInsider,) a fairly solid source for Apple-related leaks, reveals that the iPhone 6 phablets may have a design inspired by the iPhone 5c and the seventh-generation iPod nano.
Instead of plastic like in the iPhone 5c, the bigger iPhones would have cases made of anodized aluminum like the iPod nano, and could be available in multiple colors. This doesn’t necessarily mean the iPhone 5c will have a successor, as the iPhone 5c-like phablet will apparently be a higher-end model than the iPhone 5c.
Macotakara mentions two screen sizes for the upcoming generation of iPhone smartphones including a 4.7-inch and a 5.7-inch version, which appear to be the final candidates for this year’s smartphones when it comes to display size.
Like the iPhone 5c, the bigger iPhone 6 models will have similar button shapes and rounded back edges, with iPhone 5c’s speaker and microphone also in place for the new handsets.
When it comes to handset size, the publication says the 4.7-inch model will measure 14 x 7 cm, while the 5.7-inch model will measure 16 x 8 cm – the current iPhone 5s measures 12.38 x 5.86cm. Both devices could be just 7m thick, 0.6mm thinner than the iPhone 5s, in which instance the iSight camera could protrude from the case. However, the design of the next-gen iPhone isn’t final, and the device may be thicker than 7mm – similarly, the iPad Air has a 7.5mm profile, reportedly 0.5mm bigger than initial designs.
Apple is expected to launch at least two new iPhone 6 models this year, although it’s not clear what names it will use for them, and whether the iPhone 5c subfamily will have any successors. An image showing what bigger iPhone 5c-like iPhone 6 models may look like follows below.
