4-inch iPhone 6c 'due for release in first half of 2016'

Apple moved to larger screens with its iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s lineup, but a smaller 4-inch iPhone 6c is reportedly in the works and is due for next year. Kevin King, IHS technology Research director for China, revealed that the new iPhone 6c with a 4-inch display is expected to launch in mid-2016. The information is brief and doesn't offer any other details. 

This is line with the previous rumors about the a 4-inch iPhone 6c. Earlier this month KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, known for accurate Apple predictions revealed that Apple is working on a 4-inch iPhone model, which will be positioned as a budget device and will launch in the first half of 2016. The company is likely to ship between 20 million and 30 million units by the end of the year, he added.

In terms of specs, the Apple iPhone 6c will have features similar to the iPhone 5s. However, unlike the iPhone 5c, the iPhone 6c is not expected to sport a plastic build, instead it will sport a metal build like the iPhone 5s. The iPhone 6c is also rumored to pack an Apple A9 SoC, which currently powers the latest iPhone 6s models. 

However, the device will not come with the new 3D Touch Technology, which allows a user to hard press a particular icon and get quick access to the basic menu of the app. This is because Apple's pressure-sensitive display technology is reserved for the high-end models.

If the report is to be believed this will be Apple's second attempt at building a budget iPhone, after the iPhone 5c flopped.

Via