Why would Apple want to release a smaller 4-inch device that’s tentatively being called the “iPhone 6c?” My response is, why wouldn’t they? Yes, phones with large screens are all the rage these days but there is still a market out there for smaller devices that fit comfortably in your hand and your pocket, particularly if you have small hands.
BACKGROUND: Report claims Apple will shock the world with a third new iPhone model this year
My wife, for example, is still rocking an iPhone 4. I know, the 2010 device is positively ancient by smartphone standards but it still functions very well and she’s not a power user who needs to have the latest hardware. In fact, she doesn’t even mind that she can’t upgrade the device to anything beyond iOS 7 because the phone as it is fits her needs just fine.
Eventually, though, she’s going to have to upgrade, if for no other reason than the iPhone 4 has no 4G connectivity. And when that happens, she’s not going to want a massive device that isn’t as comfortable to hold as the older iPhones.
And this is where the iPhone 6c or a similar device would come in. There are still plenty of people out there who value having an easily pocketable phone and frankly there aren’t that many high-quality Android phones out there that are 4 inches or less these days — even quality low-cost Android phones like the Moto G have displays that are five inches. In fact, the last major Android phone that would be considered “small” by today’s standards was the Nexus 4 that released back in late 2012.
So this sort of thing is right in Apple’s wheelhouse. A four-inch iPhone 6c won’t be the massive seller that the iPhone 6s will be but it will definitely be appealing to a lot of people… assuming, that is, that Apple doesn’t encase the device in ugly green plastic like it did with some iPhone 5c models…
