Apple will reportedly release three new iPhones this year, including a brand new 4-inch model that will supposedly be released next summer rather than in September – at least according to the most recent reports on the matter. Previously known as the iPhone 6c, the smaller iPhone should better cater to the needs of smartphone buyers who aren’t interested in bigger displays.
Various reports have said that the new 4-inch iPhone will essentially offer the same features available on the company’s high-end handsets, but a new report seems to paint a completely different picture.
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According to Japanese-language blog Macotakara, which has provided accurate details about upcoming Apple products in the past, the new 4-inch iPhone won’t necessarily be on par with next year’s iPhone 7 when it comes to performance.
Citing “credible sources,” the tech site says the new phone will essentially be an “iPhone 5s Mark II” that would resemble the sixth-generation iPod touch when it comes to specs, rather than the iPhone 7.
The device will supposedly pack an A8 chip rather than the A10 chip that’s supposed to power next year’s iOS devices, as well as support for 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.1. The phone will pack a better FaceTime HD camera with an f/2.2 aperture lens.
It’s not clear whether this new iPhone will also get a 3D Touch display like the one found on the 2015 iPhones.
By comparison, the current iPhone 5s, which is still available in Apple stores, has an A7 chip and 802.11n Wi-Fi. Previous reports said the upcoming 4-inch iPhone would get the same A9 chip used in the iPhone 6s, and pack 2GB of RAM, Apple Insider reminds us.
Macotakara says this upgraded iPhone 5s version will be ready for production and could start shipping “anytime” next year. Apple, meanwhile, has yet to confirm plans to release a smaller iPhone.
