14 DAY TRIAL // Apple's already preparing for the upcoming iPhone 7 lineup, and new reports claim that a 4-inch model is also in the works to help the company expand into the (more) affordable device lineup.
And according to IHS analyst Kevin Wang, who has kept a good track of information about unreleased Apple products, the Cupertino-based company is actually planning to release the upcoming 4-inch iPhone a little bit earlier than it usually does.
Most new iPhone launches took place in the fall, but Wang claims in a post cited by G for Games that Apple's going to change this strategy for the upcoming model and will go for a mid-year unveiling.
iPhone 7c?
Specifics aren't available for the time being, but it's believed that, together with the 4-inch model, Apple could also take the wraps off the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. All versions will come with the A9 chip, specifically optimized for better performance and improved battery life, but also with a smaller bezel, which should in the end lead to reduced weight.
The 4-inch iPhone 7 is very likely to lack more advanced features, such as 3D Touch support, as Apple wants to keep this exclusive on more expensive models, but also in an attempt to make the device a little bit more affordable (the term “affordable” doesn't really match Apple's philosophy, but the goal here is to offer a model that's not as expensive as the high-end iPhones).
Instead, the smaller iPhone could come with a metal case that would contribute to the premium finish, despite its lower price. The device is very likely to retail such as the iPhone 7c, but the name could obviously change in the meantime, as Apple might actually look for a different moniker in order to differentiate it from the 5c, which wasn't exactly successful.