Speculations have been rife if Apple will be launching the successor of its budget smartphone, the iPhone 5c, and now a new report suggests that the company is poised to release the iPhone 6c in February 2016.
Per a report from China-based publication G4Games, the 4-inch iPhone 6c will be introduced in January 2016 followed and the device will hit the shelves a month later.
The publication cites TechWeb, a Chinese publication, whose sources have spilled the beans on the impending Apple smartphone. The anonymous sources of the publication are none other than Foxconn insiders.
Reportedly, the iPhone 6c will not sport a polycarbonate body like its predecessors, but will boast a metal case. Keeping to the past, the smartphone will be available in multiple hues.
Moreover, the iPhone 6c is expected to be priced cheaper than its siblings iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus and will likely cost between $400 to $500.
The cheaper price point, despite a metal body, means that Apple would be excluding some fancy features found in the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. The iPhone 6c, it is believed, will not pack in the 3D Touch feature.
The affordable handset, however, will possibly include support for Apple Pay, as well as Touch ID, according to the sources.
Earlier in May this year, Apple accidentally revealed the impending iPhone 6c on its iPhone Lightning Dock page, sparking off speculations that the successor of the iPhone 5c was in the pipeline.
Previous rumors have hinted at a November launch for the iPhone 6c. However, with the date gone, it will be interesting to see if the current February 2016 release rumor holds ground.
Noted KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has held that the iPhone 6c will launch in H1 2016 and the current rumor's time window falls in line with the estimation.
While the February release cycle will be a first for Apple, considering the company has launched an iPad in March in the past, it could possibly pull a blinder and launch a new smartphone when least expected.
