“Apple was planning to release a smaller version of the iPhone 6, but the company has scrapped plans for a new 4-inch iPhone for now, says one analyst,” Jan Dizon reports for Tech Times.
“According to Timothy Arcuri, an analyst at Cowen and Company, the rumored device was supposed to have been the iPhone 6c and was reportedly to have the same hardware as the flagship iPhone 6,” Dizon reports. “Arcuri tells Business Insider that he has seen of evidence of the iPhone 6c in Apple’s supply chain from January through March, but the phone has apparently disappeared which led him to speculate that Apple could have stopped the project.”
Dizon reports, “‘I think one of the reasons is because the iPhone 6 has sold so well. And they said, ‘Look, why would we want to cannibalize? If we came out with an iPhone 6C, we would essentially cannibalize a price-reduced iPhone 6,” Arcuri says.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: As per 4-inch iPhones (our thoughts prior to wearing Apple Watches):
In general, the only people who still think they want a 4-inch iPhone are those who do not yet own a 4.7-inch iPhone 6 or 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus. After iPhone 5s and 5c go the way of the dodo, the 4.7-inch display should, and likely will, be Apple’s smallest iPhone display going forward. — MacDailyNews Take, December 5, 2014
That said, there certainly are times now, with Apple Watches on our wrists, where we’d appreciate a smaller iPhone that we could just tuck away in a pocket and forget — at least while Watch is so dependent on iPhone. But, watch OS 2, coming soon, will begin to lessen the dependence, so whatever desire we had developed for a small iPhone to support Apple Watch has diminished since watchOS 2 was unveiled. It’s likely Apple is thinking this way, too. Even with Apple Watch and watch OS 1.0, we’d want a larger iPhone for the times when we actually use the iPhone anyway. So, we’re back to thinking the 4.7-inch display is the smallest iPhone Apple should make.
SEE ALSO:
Analyst: No 4-inch iPhone coming – May 12, 2015
KGI: 4-inch iPhone ‘unlikely’ this fall – April 22, 2015
Five reasons Apple won’t make any more 4-inch iPhones – December 9, 2014
Not for nothing, but in trying out T-Mobile’s service on my old 5s, while still keeping My AT&T SIM in my 6 for comparison, Have to say that despite loving the 6, The5s still has a lot of appeal to miss…
Amd by the way, T-Mobile’s signal quality and stability are far superior to AT&T’s everywhere so far.
I am a thumb operator!
The 6 is way to big for thumb operation.
This mentality is vanishing but for me having to use my two hands on a device for every operation is alienation to its max!
But hey! Thumb operation has vanish with Steve… Sadly
Feel the same, plus, I’m not a 16 year old who gets all my internet and TV from my phone.
A 4.7 inch screen is a nightmare when I can only use one hand…which is the vast majority of my day.
I’m sad to say this but, my next phone might have to another maker…a 4.7 phone doesn’t work for me.
I couldn’t agree more. I thought the 4″ screen on my iPhone 5 was PEFECT. I just loved it. I didn’t really want to upgrade to the iPhone6 as I thought it was just to big….
Now I’m moving to the 6S+ the iPhone6 is just amazing. LOVE the bigger screen. Can’t believe how it transforms the phone.
5.5″ would appear to be the biggest that would also fit in pockets so it seems perfect. Better camera, more battery and bigger screen.
I have and love a 6+ and I agree that it is delightful and the larger screen transforms the iPhone. It transforms it into an iPad Mini.
That’s fantastic for me in that I was able to replace my iPad mini with a more up-to-date device. I cannot use it as a PHONE, though, unless I am wearing headphones. It is also not handy for pulling out of my shirt pocket (it won’t fit in my shirt pocket) on the spu of the moment to send a quick text or create a quick reminder or whatnot. I still have my old 5s for that purpose, but I surely wish Continuity and WiFi hotspot worked more reliably.
Come on, Apple, you can do it. Make a small iPhone for that segment that needs/wants a tiny phone. There are many of us who just don’t want to carry around a larger device. We need something small for increased portability, the smaller the better. I know it would be hard to do for certain technical reasons, but I would love to have a phone-capable iPod.
Just buy the new A8 iPod and install magicJack for a lifetime of free wifi phone service.
I went to an Apple Store yesterday and played with the new iPod touch. It’s quire remarkable. It has nearly the power of the current flagship iPhone, squeezed into the same case size as the previous 4-inch iPod touch. And it’s thinner than previous iPhones of the same screen size. Love the new “deep blue” color.
I think Apple will release a 4-inch iPhone 6C based on the same technical design as this new iPod touch. The “cannibalization” theory, if that’s their evidence, does not make sense. Apple is not going to keep selling the current iPhone 6 as the “middle” choice in the iPhone lineup, because it looks exactly like the upcoming iPhone 6S. THAT would cause cannibalization. By packaging iPhone 6 tech in a 4-inch “colorful” design, Apple BETTER distinguishes the “high” choice iPhone 6S (and 6S Plus) from the “middle” choice iPhone 6C and “low” choice iPhone 5S (“free with contract”), reducing cannibalization. And it provides customers who want a smaller iPhone with a new choice that has near-latest tech.
Hey, I said the new iPod touch would have an A8, and it does. 🙂
And so, All those who bought their iPhone 6 and 6 Plus running an M8 and A8 cpu will see the iPod touch has almost equal power – minus the true telephone capabilities.
Yet, if that is not to piss off customers, the new A9 and M9 cpu comes out this summer in the iPad. Be this the new iPad Pro or not… iPhone is also deserving of the new cpu boost as well… and if it does… many people will be upset.
Apple has to stop doing business this way.
It must offer the new CPU across the complete line of iOS devices.
If it can not, then the Product line needs to be reduced and simplified.
Apple is a hardware and software company. Offering two operating systems. iOS and OSx. Some investors out there see Apple only as the iPhone maker since iPhone is the biggest market and money maker for the company. And since iPad is actually an bigger screened phone, minus the calling features. https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/people-clearly-worried-apples-golden-170703021.html
Apple needs to do what Steve Jobs did when he returned to Apple and gave us OSX. He simplify the product line into four categories, and split consumer and pro level hardware. iPad is really no different of a product from iPhone. Apple just make Phablets — phablets without true calling hardware are called iPads.
Basically all there is, is iPhone.
Make 4 screen sizes. BIG, MEDIUM, SMALL & TINY. (tiny is iPod touch)
It comes with WIFI and full Cellular Communications enabled.
An option for a WIFI only device. (hence the name change to iPad)
It comes with the latest CPU. (last years cpu as a savings option)
It comes with the latest iOS.
Available with 32, 64, 128 or 256 Gb memory.
An iPhone with WIFI only is what makes it an iPad.
This was so predictable it’s beyond rediculous. It’s the same routine with these analysts: 1. “Predict” every possible scenario under the sun. 2. Claim to have indisputable source for their info. 3. When their claims prove false, instead of owning up to their failed predictions (lies) they claim Apple changed their mind, reconsidered, put off for now, or cancelled due to production issues. Once the 6s is launched this fall they will be predicting an all-new, next-gen model due to launch the spring – like they always do.
As a retired person, I don’t have much need for a cell phone. I use a land line at home and for my music, video and messaging needs I have an iPad. BUT I need to carry a phone to stay in contact and for emergencies. I do not want an $800 phone with a $100 monthly fee, and I don’t want to carry a brick! Something small, simple, basic and cheap! Please!
Flip phone?
Possible, but flip phones don’t have ApplePay. ApplePay (or equivalent) is going to be for phones what spreadsheets were for PCs.
You can link ApplePay to an Apple Watch. The Apple Watch can be paired with an iPhone 5s.
Possible, but I hate watches. Currently carry an old iPod touch mainly as a pocket watch.
There are plenty of cell phones that meet your need. There is no need for Apple to make such a device (though if Apple did make a cheap cell phone it would be delightful and probably not quite AS cheap as you would like).
Even if Apple produced a 4″ iPhone, it would not be simple, basic or cheap. Apple would make a smaller version of the other iPhones, pretty well with the same features. As a result, it wouldn’t be much cheaper than it’s larger siblings.
If you want a no-frills iPhone that is cheap to buy and run, my suggestion would be to buy a second-hand iPhone, fit a brand new battery and use it on a SIM only deal. You will get the ability to work within the Apple ecosystem, a high quality, reliable iPhone and only pay low monthly fees.
4″ would definitely be the best size to me. It would just be a shame Apple wouldn’t give a choice to get back a smaller smartphone.
Till then, i’ll keep my 5s (that already is a little bigger than i’d like).
Again and again: If Apple doesn’t answer request of customers who still thinks 4″ is maximum size for an iPhone in the pocket, they (and myself) are going to find it elsewhere, no matter what Apple marketing, AWatch and MDN would think about. Be T-Mobile, Amazon, China… anywhere.
depressing. i have no use for a large iPhone. I carry my iPhone on a holster on my belt. 6’s are Way too big for this. I do not want to fish it out of my pocket or start carrying a bag just for my phone. I notice that everyone I know with a 6 leaves it on a table or counter. I usually have trouble getting my friends because their phones aren’t with them. How hard can it be to just make a mini iPhone? I won’t upgrade until there is one. Size does matter!
Microsoft is just one of many companies that continued to make product/pricing decisions based on protecting its existing income stream. Seems like Apple is embracing that philosophy. I don’t care if they sell the 4″ iPhone for the SAME price as the iPhone 6 – I will buy the smaller one because the that’s what I want. Otherwise, I’ll likely dive into the shark infested waters of Android to buy a small phone.
I have an iPhone 6+ and I think it will be a big mistake not to return to the 4″ size for the smaller iPhone. The smaller sized iPhone is just too big to fit comfortably in a shirt pocket or to use as a phone with one hand. Even the 4″ iPhone is too small in the sense that the top row of home screen is only suitable for unused or rarely used apps (though that problem could easily be rectified by an OS option that replaced the top row with a constantly-displayed mini-notification screen.
That being said, the iPhone + is an excellent replacement for the iPad mini. I gave my iPad mini to my niece recently because I just don’t need it anymore. Ideally, the iPhone + could be a little larger, in my opinion. I hope the iPod will turn out to be a perfectly adequate replacement for the 4″ iPhone, but that only will be the case if Apple will fix the issues it is having with Continuity, Handoff, and the wifi hotspot.
For me, the plus has been an almost-perfect replacement for the iPad mini (it could be a little bigger) and the iPod could potentially be an almost-perfect replacement for the 4″ iPhone, if the IOS bugs are finally fixed (and with the caveat that 3.5″ would be even better).
In other words, I think the smaller iPhone should be 3.5 or 4″, and 4.7 is too large for a lot of people, including me, and I am a male who wears XL gloves.
On the other hand, the larger iPhone + is too small. The 6+ is occasionally frustrating and never quite as big as one would like, and I speak as an iPhone 6+ owner who is generally delighted by it. I think 7″ would be a perfect screen size for an Apple “Phablet.”
If Apple were to offer
all its screen sizes as Phablets, things would be great for all customers. The iPhone in every size.
Big 11.5, Medium 7.9, Small 5.7 and Tiny 4.
Pick a size… simple as that.
If the product is for children of whom parents wish not to have them calling and incurring data costs… a wifi only device would be called a iPad.
Yeah, Apple has adopted everything else Droid has done why not phase in Phablets too.
Longer term, why not erase the disntinctions between iPods, iPads, and iPhones? Just make iDevices, with Cell/Data and WiFi versions in each size. Then the size question could be addressed separately. In that case, I bet the squarer 3.5″ option would be very popular for people who simply use it for listening to music, talking, and texting. A 6 or 7″ widescreen option would be very popular for people who want to watch movies or play games. Probably an intermediate-sized version would still be popular for people who ideally would like both device sizes but either cannot afford two or cannot imagine having a way to carry both.
Well said… so so so agree with this. Been saying it myself for quite a while actually. I mean really, iPad Mini with true telephone capabilities would be perfect for me. And still its bigger than the 6 Plus. Also, these naming conventions are messy too. Apple honestly is following what Samsung had done… and even borrowed a lot of Androids features. And I will still agree that Droid was stolen – that iOS is the original. We have seen OS X adopt much of Windows functionality to pull over new users… same has occurred in iOS… so Phablets should happen. If not… the mess continues while customers wise up and see iPad for really what it is… a big iPhone.
Return to the smaller phone – even a 3.5 inch non touchable screen – if Apple creates a smarter simpler phone powered by a non-beta of Siri. Such that, Siri assists me completely with calendar, email, text messaging, calling, answering, browsing, data quests, play lists for music and GPS… If not, perhaps we may see this in the Apple Watch OS 3?
About Small, Medium, and Big: obvious choices to satisfy the majority of people.
For most men and women with normal or big sized hands, this is true. I prefer iPhone 6, but my girlfriend has small hands, and she really don’t like to own a phone of this size. Is it fair that she is stucked with an iPhone 5S, or soon even not with an iPhone at all? I believe apple can afford more choices for their customers. Did it strike your mind that – ok – a few canibalizations from the iPhone 6S would probably occur, but what about those finally becoming new apple customers, because of the right size? Include people, also them with small hands or other preferences.
Otherwise – the next 6S is the obvious choice – for me. Can’t wait.
Thanks
T
My perfect iphone would be a slick 4.3″ screen with the same footprint as the current iphone 5.
My perfect iPhone would be the size of my USB stick and stuck in my ear. A bluetooth ear bud that fully functioned by Siri to assist me whatever I needed to do. And whenever any monitor or display screen comes in close proximity Siri can network on the fly with that screen and provide visuals if needed.
Give me the Future Apple… thats what I want now.
Everything old is New again.
Soon we all will simplify our lives once again and not need the Apple Watch. A smaller smarter phone… perhaps one that does not get all these game apps and get you all creative with your device and just focuses on doing a few things really great VIA speech. A 4″ iPhone S – uses Siri as your assistant completely through every iOS offering. Calling. Scheduling calendar dates and times. Writing text messages and emails. Announcing and voicing new text and emails coming in. If Apple Watch can do all that… there is no need for a BIG Screen of even 4″.
Apple could work on a Smarter Phone. It can do all the fun stuff in a smaller space… even play music from the cloud.
When we are on the go… in the car… the WRIST in up steering the wheel. Voice overs from SIRI and you to your Apple Watch functioning as mentioned would be ideal. If not a 4″ smarter phone would be a great move for Apple.