Apple’s iPhone 6c, set to be the first iPhone ever released in the Spring, has got the die-hard 4-inch iPhone fans excited for a return to the smaller form factor smartphone. From what we’ve heard, the iPhone 6c may have new colors that resemble an iPod Touch as much as it’s said to resemble the current crop of iPhones in terms of the physical design. This mockup imagines what the iPhone 6c would look like with iPod and iPhone colors, rounded edges and iPhone 6/s design.
A recent report from KGI anticipates an A9 processor, 16GB of storage, NFC, Touch ID, and 2GB of RAM internally, which will make it extremely fast, especially with the fewer amount of pixels to push compared to Apple’s larger iPhones. Many, including China Times, expected the iPhone 6C to be released last year, but KGI also was the first to suggest a H1 2016 launch.
A series of Chinese reports noted that a larger 1,642mAh battery is in the cards for the 6C– an upgrade from the battery in the 5s– but support for 3D Touch is likely not. That’s a feature Apple will likely want to reserve as a highlight feature of its flagship handsets for some time. And the reports again suggested that the 6c will get Touch ID and an NFC chip to support Apple Pay.
Our Mark Gurman exclusively reported that Apple would be having a March 2015 event where Apple Watch 2 would be revealed and an iPhone 6c would be a likely second billing.
We don’t expect the iPhone 6c to have an OLED display, though it seems like Apple is moving in that direction on its flagships.
(Head below for the full gallery put together built by our friend Ferry Passchier)
The iPhone 6c would obviously replace the iPhone 5s as Apple’s entry level device, which is currently available for $450 and up and for free with a 2-year commitment. That device is getting old and Apple needs something new to offer die-hard 4-inch fans as the 5c’s aging specs become more and more obsolete. We expect the price of the iPhone 6c to be similar. Also, the 5s is available in 16GB and 32GB configurations with a $50 premium on the higher end model.
There has been some speculation that the name of the device might instead be the iPhone 7c, since it could eventually accompany the upcoming iPhone 7 in the lineup. However with the usual fall launch still expected for the iPhone 7, this feels unlikely.
But what’s more interesting here is that Apple’s iPhone 6c will start to resemble its iPod touch lineup more than ever before, to the point that perhaps there will soon be no need for a separate iPod line at all. We noted in our review of Apple’s refreshed iPod touch in July that an iPhone 5s and 5c models could be had for around the same amount as a new iPod touch. It remains to be seen exactly how Apple prices the new 6c, or what happens to the iPod line, but the 6c will certainly be the most attractive option to those that would otherwise opt for a 4-inch iPod touch or previous generation 4-inch iPhone.
While the new iPhone 6c may spike the low end of Apple’s market, IDC doesn’t expect the release to change the Android-led smartphone landscape drastically.
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What’s that sound? Oh..I think it’s falling Apple stocks.
nah. there is a market for this phone. entry level for kids and people who dont care for power too much. it will eat away at the ipod sales untill they no longer exist.
some products are not for all users. even though i would never buy this, i know that a ton of people will because they dont want to spend hundreds on a phone for the kids
It will still cost many hundreds and it will be as powerful as the current top of the range.
Believe it or not, there are people who want 4″ phones, as they prefer them.
And yet, the market is stagnated, because Apple has abandoned if for a year, and Android OEMs just can’t put their power hungry hardware and uncontrolled software on a size that small.
Gosh, I hope this is true. I’ve continued to use my 5S because I don’t want to carry around a larger phone. Although I do hope there is at minimum a 32 gig version, 16 gigs is like trying to sell a computer that still uses 3.5 inch floppy disks.
with this “new” 4″ iPhone, chances are there will be 16GB & 64GB
Although, if it’s replacing the iPod Touch, that device comes in 16, 32, 64 AND 128GB configurations…
Silver Aluminium+black front would kick major ass!
I’m just happy they might give us black front lovers more than 1 color option. Hopefully the black faceplated iPhone 7 gets an additional darker color option or a lighter one like the silver aluminum
OMG, I need the blue one!
Thought it was rumored that Apple will eliminate the antenna lines in the next iPhone.. Why are the renderings still have them?
Because that rumor pertains to the iPhone 7, not the 6c.
I think a plain iPhone would look bad!! The antenna basically adds style to it.
The kind of style I like to keep perfectly hidden with a case..
damn,pulled trigger too early for iPhone 6 plus 64GB 8 months ago,this s**t only has 1GB ram,bad decision!
I like it. But the graphic says an A8 chip but the article says A9. Are we assuming A9?
Graphic is for iPod touch
Ah, didn’t notice that. Thought it was about the iPhone.
Thanks
Yes, there is a market for 4″ iPhones still complaining about the large screens.
I love the 4″ 5S iPhones but I have 6S Plus. With the 6c option I will think again about the “Blue + Black front” as secondary Phone.
The mockups do a good job of showing how they would look bad if they made the current 6 design in colors. It’s because they make the same mistake Ive made with the space grey and silver iPhones. He tried to make the bands a color that would blend in but it just looks uncanny. He should have made them pure black or white. The two (real) gold models just look better – but still bad because those lines are just horrible.
I really hope you are all wrong about the body. The precedence is the iPad mini. It came out with the beautiful new design and then iPad air came out later with the same design.
That blue one is nice!
I like that slate black.
I doubt they would do Rose Gold AND pink in the same lineup. Also, I’d expect the only one with a black face to be the Space Gray (even though I would love to see the yellow gold get the black front across all the iPhones/iPads. It looks great on the watch and 12″ MacBook).
I’d LOVE to have a 7+ in the blue!!!! Not sure why they won’t expand the colors to the top of the line device. I don’t want the base device just to get a color. As is I throw mine in a color case to have the device I want, the color aluminum in a 7+ & a super thin clear case would allow me to have both the color I love, & the phone to not be hidden away; after all Apple loves to talk about how beautiful the phone is but 99% hide it right away in a case. Full color range & thin clear cases would be perfect!
Once you put a case on it the body color and the gap lines are totally irrelevant, just saying.
If you do cases. Just saying.
I hope they were able to get a smaller overall footprint than on the 5s.
I have an iPhone 6 (shifted from Android to iPhone) and like it, but would seriously consider a shift to a smaller device if available storage is at least 64g and battery life is comparable. Excited by the prospect!
To the author,
The alt-text for the iPod touch image is INSANE. :P
Cannot see me never owning or using an iPod touch even though I have an iPhone. In fact, I just purchased a new 6th generation touch, for… MUSIC!
Seriously, with text messages, notifications, and phone calls all interrupting my music when using my iPhone for music, I just got sick of all of it and bought the iPod. Is it overkill? Maybe, but since I do not use iMessage, text forwarding or call forwarding on the iPod, I get no interruptions when listening to Pandora or Apple Music. Sometimes, you just want to hear the music and nothing else.
These mockups are all wrong, of course.
Apple isn’t going to be using a throwback design for a new product. It’ll be thick enough to not need the camera wart, for one. This is going to be the entry model, so they won’t be pushing any envelopes… but it’ll still also be the 4″ for the 4″ fans, so they’ll make it nicer than the 4c was.
In dimensions, I would honestly expect it to be as thick as the camera, and either be smaller physically than the 5/5s with a same size/thinner bezels screen, or similar in size but with a sightly larger thinner-bezel screen.
It’ll basically be a design that won’t give anything away for the 7, but will be familiar once the 7 is released. Like “Oh yeah, I see the resemblance now, I see where this and that came from.” I’d expect the antenna breaks to be minimized/different/hidden – maybe similar to the ipad air 2. I think colours are a given.
So yeah. Largely status-quo on the hardware front, with a semi-new design.
I’m sorry, but you are crazy if you think Apple will release a 4″ phone that is anywhere close to the same size as the iPhone 6. What is this? 2005? It will need to be as small or (more likely) much smaller than the iPhone 5s.
Remember that the 5c was the exact same design as the 5s, only with plastic instead of aluminum. The 6c will also be the exact same design as the 6, only a smaller form factor.
dude can I have a 6S in that blue though?
Yes please but in black (front and back), I’m still using a 5 and don’t want a bigger screen.
Shut up and take my money… Switched from 6 to 5s because of that stupid big screen. If I need a big screen I will use my iPad mini, iPad, Macbook or iMac. I don’t need to hurt my hands by using a stupid big phone.
Despite the overwhelming popular opinion, more RAM does not make any computer any faster.
On the other hand, a more capable CPU with a higher clock speed and more parallelism and more instructions executed per clock tick and higher address space bandwidth and larger caches can make a huge difference.
These colors are…. interesting, to say the least. I can see why apple goes with a white cover glass for all the non-space grey iPhones/ipods, but with that being said i think gold with black looks the best of the bunch. One combo I’ve been wanting to see since the OG iPhone is white/silver back with a black cover glass, black touch ID ring and buttons. I actually would really like the black strip on the bottom like the original iPhone, in place of the current antenna band system
this would be perfect next phone for me been with android for years now but struggle to get a good small phone i have the sony compact which was ok
but as a trades man working with a huge phone in your pocket is hopeless and you need to put a tough cover on it which makes them even bigger. this with a tough cover would be perfect size. i have a tablet and an iMac at home i don’t need a huge phone for on the go use.
I personally would like any new small form factor iPhone to be offered with available high end options. No way, no how am I ever carrying anything the size of a 6 Plus .The standard 6 is still a compromise for those of us who prefer the size of the earlier model iPhones. But if release this spring is true, the 4″ model will certainly be crippled and will soldier on and on without options or improvements through the future 7 and 7S releases. So boring and predictable.
I’m glad they will have a new 4″ model, to me the newer sizes are just too big.
That should at least make the iPhone 4.1 inches
A smaller phone would be great but I would like to see the ipod touch continue too. It is a great music player and a good little pda. It’s really a pocket sized ipad and there is a lot to be said for pocket sized devices. Work provides an iPhone but we are required to keep our personal stuff separate so I use the ipod touch for that. I am more likely to have my pocket sized device with me than a tablet when I take my children to the dentist or take an elderly parent to the doctor.