“Apple Inc. received endless media attention for its decision to release two large smartphones. Now the company might have a new product idea in mind: a smaller iPhone,” Louis Bedigian reports for Benzinga. “The tech giant is rumored to be developing a four-inch version of the iPhone 6S, which could be branded as the iPhone 6S Mini.”
“‘The question is, do they make a 5S and a 5C-type phone or do they make a super powerful four-inch phone?’ Sean Udall, CIO of Quantum Trading Strategies and author of The TechStrat Report, told Benzinga. ‘In other words, do they make it with the same powerful specs as the new phones?’ Udall expects Apple to go the latter route and release a powerful four-inch device if the company can sell at least 10 million units per year. If that is indeed Apple’s goal, it may not be too hard to reach,” Bedigian reports. “‘[Consumers] want the upgraded specs of the new phone models,’ he said. ‘In a sense, I actually think it’s a pretty reasonable rumor because it wouldn’t be that hard for Apple to do it.'”
“Tech industry expert and analyst Jeff Kagan thinks that many customers would be thrilled to hear that Apple planned to release an upgraded four-inch handset. He doesn’t expect the company to do it, however,” Bedigian reports. “‘I imagine there will be a market for a phone that’s the same size as the iPhone 5,’ Kagan told Benzinga. ‘But I can’t see Apple doing it. Apple keeps the same-sized phone for two years, [then it] changes.'”
Read more in the full article here.
Note to Apple: battery life is more important than grams or millimetres.
Note to Apple:
As long as there as such things as “battery packs” anyone wanting more capacity has a way to get it.
Note to Apple:
One (or two) size(s) doesn’t fit all.
Note to Apple: unlike some people who are satisfied with poor battery life in Androids and don’t mind putting bulky battery packs to mar an already blah design, many of us actually *use* our elegant iPhones and want it to last more than an hour when taking video and photos at an event.
Exactly. Two millimetres ‘less’ thinness is far better than a bloody battery pack.
Also, battery life on day one is not the same as battery life on day 366, so I’d be happy with a phone the size of a 4S that just lasted and lasted.
And of course not forgetting that those with rhe Watch will have bluetooth on all the time – so more power capacity is essential .
Someone (in China) released an iPhone 3GS clone in miniature years back. You could buy it on eBay.
I thought it looked cute at the time. The OS was not android and needed a game boy like stylus to operate.
I think a mini iphone would be viable.
really? because what you just described sounds awful…
Please let it be true!
No, not for me. My wife has smaller hands and she is frequently nursing/holding a baby in one hand. She wants a one handed phone.
Apple should NEVER make a 4″ iPhone 6S. It would cost TOO MUCH!
PS: just kidding, but I hope some of you see how it felt when a product others crave, is resisted by a few. I want the customer to have his/her choice & Apple to supply it.
Another piece of hardware instead of fixing the ones already out there… Apple programming botch of the day #2: in the phone app which now has a very tall screen, where does apple have the back/delete key? You guessed it, all the way at the top, and it’s a tiny button when there is plenty of room next to the “0” at the bottom on the right. This is intentional stupidity/ignorance/failing programming. These people should be getting fired but they are probably gay so cook is hiring them or some liberal nonsense. Either way, Cook isn’t in control of programming or these things would be fixed.
It would be silly for Apple to make a 4 inch iPhone. Very few people would choose it over the 4.7 inch beauty. Their resources are needed elsewhere.
Not really; even MDN’s poll (on the left) shows that market for 4″ device is just a bit lower comparing to the touted 5.5″ size.
So it would be stupid to only release iPhone in two sizes, not in three.
I am a one hand iPhone user.
I embraced S.Jobs mentality of a one hand operated phone.
I will be waiting for an upgraded version of the 4″ iPhone.
For small people, a 4″ inch iPhone is a perfect match.
Apple will make it.
Apple listen to his market.
That wasn’t a mentality, it was a marketing maneuver. It helped justify buying an iPhone over its larger competitors. If Steve was still around he would’ve tossed that one-handed operation crap to the side and told people like you to get with the program.
I think they’ll make one, but there won’t be a lot of fanfare. It will basically be putting the A8 in a 5s and calling it a day. The waste is that they’re still making these smaller phones and putting older chips in them (which means they still have to fabricate those various chips) when they should just focus on producing A8’s or better for the next few years.
At a minimum, they also need to add the NFC circuitry for Apple Pay.
All iPhones in a current generation should have the same capabilities, with only differences being screen size and storage. Having to choose a 6 Plus instead of a 6 just to get optical image stabilization is annoying.
Good point. There’s a certain minimum that all iPhones should have and support for Apple Pay and the A8 processor should be included in that minimum. Due to economies of scale, they’ve likely already made back the R&D costs, so it’d just be down to manufacturing costs.
put the 5s specs in a plastic body like the c and I’d be pretty happy
It’s become comical to me those who don’t understand smaller form factors and accompanying cost parity useful for PEOPLE WITH KIDS.
Size isn’t everything, just ask my wife.
Badaboom! Ching!
Why is it so hard for some people to understand that some ( actually many) iPhone users like a smaller iPhone. I’m a power user with big hands, but I didn’t upgrade to the 6 because it is too damn big. I will even sacrifice some battery life for a 4″ form factor. I don’t think I’m alone.
Apple should make a 4″ iPhone; otherwise, ShameScam will ‘innovate’ a new smaller mini of their own. 🙂
I just upgraded to a 6 from a 5S and bought my wife a 6 Plus. Her phone is clearly too large for me and doesn’t fit in my pocket well, while the 6 fits fine. However, I find myself dropping the 6 much more than the 5S while doing one-handed tasks, even when using double-tap to bring apps closer to my thumb. After having lived with the 6 for a few months, I think I would opt for a 4″ iPhone with NFC (for Apple Pay) and comparable battery life to the 6. Choice is good.