The buzz is that the iPhone 6c is about to go official, essentially replacing the iPhone 5s as the go-to 4-inch Apple smartphone and serving as the successor of the iPhone 5c released in 2013.
Back in September 2014 when the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus rolled out, the iPhone 5c did not get a follow-up device. On top of that, Apple discontinued the budget-friendly handset on Sept. 5, 2015, opting for the iPhone 5s as the company's low-cost smartphone offering.
This time around, the rumored 4-inch iPhone seems more than likely to materialize.
Initially, the talks indicated that the so-called "iPhone 6c" would roll out at the same time as the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus sometime in the second half of 2015. However, Cowen and Company analyst Timothy Arcuri said that the plans were scrapped in early 2015, and developments regarding the smartphone started to become sparse.
But according to new information that made rounds on the Internet, the iPhone 6c is going to hit the shelves in 2016. Before it does, here are a couple of things to know about the highly anticipated handset:
Hardware Specifications
The iPhone 6c is expected to sport an A9 chipset along with 2 GB worth of RAM and a 1,642 mAh battery pack. As mentioned earlier, it'll have a 4-inch display topped off with a 2.5D curved edge glass – similar to the one used on the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus – and a resolution of 1,136 x 640 pixels, packing in about 325 ppi.
Yep, it has almost the same specs under its hood as the iPhone 6s, where the components are just crammed in a smaller handset that has the same resolution and display size as the iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s.
However, Japanese website Mac Otakara says (translated) otherwise, suggesting that the iPhone 6c will house an A8 chip instead to be distinct from the Cupertino brand's line of flagships.
Since nothing has been set in stone yet, anyone's guess is as good as the other's, but the majority of the rumors all point to an A9 chipset, making the purportedly upcoming handset a smaller alternative.
As for the camera, it's believed to be fitted with an 8 MP rear-facing shooter with an f/2.2 aperture and a 1.2 MP front snapper. Regarding connectivity, there's a pretty good chance the phone will have 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.1.
Overall, the iPhone 6c will have better battery life than the iPhone 6s despite both sharing similar components and the latter having a 1,715 mAh battery. That's because the former has fewer pixels and a smaller screen.
Features
First off, the iPhone 6c will likely not support 3D Touch, but seeing as it is what Apple purportedly intends to tout as a budget iPhone, this shouldn't come as much of a surprise.
On the plus side, it is reportedly going to have NFC, allowing owners to make payments via Apple Pay. This could be considered as a done deal because the smartphone maker is really going all out to make Apple Pay huge, striking up a deal with UnionPay to bring the mobile payment service to China in early 2016.
What's more, it'll probably feature Touch ID, Apple's finger recognition technology.
Design
Early reports hinted that the iPhone 6c will have a plastic body just like the iPhone 5c, but the latest rumors contradicted that statement, hinting at a metal casing like the material used for the iPhone 5s.
In terms of the colors, it's said to come in gold, silver or black.
Release Date
Now, the rollout date has been jumping around the past couple of months, but taking the word of the rumors – with a generous amount of salt – the iPhone 6c could hit the shelves sometime in the first and second quarters of the year.
According to sources, mass production could start this January, which is way ahead of the rumored March unveiling date. If all goes well, fans could be looking at an April release date.
Price
MyDrivers suggests (translated) that the iPhone 6c could have a price tag of 4,000 yuan (roughly $615) for the 16 GB variant. Also, the Chinese website appears to refer to the upcoming budget iPhone as the iPhone 7c, which complicates matters just a bit.
iPhone 7 Rollout
It's worth mentioning that Apple hasn't released the iPhone 6c yet because it could potentially cannibalize the sales of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. However, the iPhone 7 is said to arrive soon, featuring an A10 chipset and 3 GB of RAM, which could be the company's answer to its presumed woes.
To sum things up, the iPhone 6c is arguably on par with the iPhone 6s in terms of performance, where the latter only comes out on top when it comes to features. This could be the perfect phone for Apple fans who don't want to go overboard with their budget.
