Right now you can walk into a carrier or Apple Store and buy one of four iPhones. All of them are good products, but only two of them are new.
The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, launched this past September, are bigger, slimmer takes on an existing design; the iPhone 5s and 5c are holdovers of an older, simpler time. They also contain aging hardware components, and will continue to lose compatibility with new features as Apple upgrades its software.
A rumour out of Apple Insider, which got access to an analyst’s note, purports that Apple is working on a new 4-inch device to replace the iPhone 5c, and could release it next year alongside a refreshed iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.
Dubbed the iPhone 6s mini (unlikely to be the actual name), the device may sport a curved glass display, thinner bezels and thinner frame, similar to the iPhone 6, and be the least expensive device to feature Touch ID.
The analyst fails to mention where the iPhone 5s fits into this strategy, since by 2015 it will be two years old and perfect for that entry-level product in Apple’s lineup. The analyst stresses that the device will include “purpose-built low-cost components” by Qualcomm to maintain a lower price.
[source]Apple Insider[/source]
