Sketchy Rumor Claims Apple Planning New 4-Inch iPhone for 2015

[LostMyiPhone]

Can you tell me how do you reach the "M" or Delete key in say iMessage while you hold it with left hand in portrait mode?

with your left thumb, presumably. I'm right-handed though so I would be holding with my right hand. But similarly, I can reach the Z or shift key with my thumb.

My wife on the other hand (pun for lols) would probably not be able to and she would be a perfect candidate for a "new" smaller iPhone.

 

[ChrisCW11]

OMG stop this please

End this stupid speculation and rumor mill. I know this is what this website was founded on but there is a difference between real information about upcoming products and just the barrage of many months worth of stupid speculation about a product.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that Apple will want to position some product as a "value" model for the iPhone and so keeping a 4" iPhone product in circulation makes sense. It's hardly clever nor ground-breaking for an analyst to "predict" this product, and so its not newsworthy.

Put stuff like this on Page 2, or Page 10 event, until there is some definitive information.

 

[jpn]

Please, I would love a 4 inch iPhone with an iPhone 6 form factor!

overall size about the same as the iPhone 5/5S would be great, but not with the slim profile of the 6: battery life would be next to nothing.
so maintaining the rounded-ness of the 6, but not as thin as the 6 would be best.

 

[Traverse]

That's because nothing else was available other than 4"

Funny enough, the article mentions it's main target is females, whoever, I see more females using the 6+ or Samsung Galaxy with 5" displays.

You know, that's true. I saw my first iPhone 6 Plus in the wild yesterday and it was a female's. More often than not it's the females I see with the phablets. I realize that is just my perception, but that's what I see.

Most of the people I know who want a smaller phone are males.

 

[garbage-barge]

female users as the targeted audience for the smaller phone

Get ready to have people point out that you're using the "girl phone". Kind of like a boy getting called out for riding a girl's bike.

Maybe apple can color it pink and give it styleable hair. Call it My Little Phony

 

[Karolis]

..female users as the targeted audience for the smaller phone.

Where I live most women prefer 5"+ phablets. They're not looking for smaller devices.

 

[wizard]

The "news" title is hilarious. Notwithstanding, I'm not sure I believe Apple will continue to produce a phone with a 4" screen. It would make sense though if they did and called it their budget phone.

I'm not looking for a "budget phone". I'm looking for a reasonable, pocketable phone that gives me modern performance of a 64 bit solution. Frankly they could put a 64 bit solution in a 4/4S case tomorrow and I'd be happy. The last thing they need to do though is to deliver a highly compromised PHone just so they can call it a budget phone.

By the way i don't expect all the advanced features of an iPhone 6. The more the merrier of course but the primary goal should be to advance IOS performance. One camera would be fine for example.

 

[green tea]

If true it would sell too! Many people want a smaller iPhone with better internals.

funniest post of the year award goes to you good sir.
In 2016, Apple will make a 2" phone for extreme ease of use

 

[dannyyankou]

overall size about the same as the iPhone 5/5S would be great, but not with the slim profile of the 6: battery life would be next to nothing.
so maintaining the rounded-ness of the 6, but not as thin as the 6 would be best.

Well yeah, I never said it should be the same thickness. But a mostly all aluminum back with rounded edges would be nice.

And for the record, the 6 isn't as thin as it looks. The 6 plus is only half a millimeter thinner than the 5s.

 

[Reason077]

My girl is pretty happy with her iPhone 5c.

She says that size doesn't matter.

Right?!

 

[LostMyiPhone]

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that Apple will want to position some product as a "value" model for the iPhone and so keeping a 4" iPhone product in circulation makes sense. It's hardly clever nor ground-breaking for an analyst to "predict" this product, and so its not newsworthy.

Exactly. I would still lean toward it not happening more than it happening... that is -- introducing a 3rd "flagship" iPhone that is smaller. Like I said back a page or 2, if it does happen, it'll be more like the 5c was -- a cheap alternative, aimed at budding markets or the market that has less disposable income for the "expensive" versions.

In my opinion, Apple made it clear with the 5c that they're interested in the untapped markets targeted by said device (I don't want to say "cheap" so I'll use your term "value" market).

They also made it clear with the 6 and 6 plus that they are focusing directly on their battle with Samsung and trying to take some of the phablet market share.

Put those things together and, unless they are changing directions, we still have a small, value-oriented, cheaper alternative iPhone just like we do now.

 

[macduke]

This is definitely happening. I totally called this. You guys have no idea how many people I know who are not upgrading to a newer iPhone because it is too big. Mainly my wife's friends and women I know at work in the 25-35 age range, and a few guys as well. As for me, I'm going down to the 4.7" from the 5.5" next time. It was fun for a while but I'm over it. Even John Gruber has publicly stated that he misses the 4" iPhone and hopes it comes back.

 

[Col4bin]

I can actually see this happening...

Technologically speaking, the 5 is almost at it's capacity with it's synchronization with iOS 8. (And even older iP5 models are showing signs of struggle with this latest OS release.) It's evident through demand that many consumers still favor a smaller 4" design, though. Apple could release a moderized version of a 4" model to keep up with the latest iPhone technological development cycle and pending iOS 9—of which the current iPhone 5 surely won't be able to support without compromising core OS functionality. (You're only as strong as your weakest link sort of thing.) So in essence, yeah, the 4" model isn't for me but I support the rationale.

 

[wizard]

I really hope this is true.

Now, please give it the same internals as the larger phones, make it thicker if need be.

– someone, is still on a 4S, because in his eyes this was the perfect form factor.

Yep! I'm not sure if perfect is the right description but the large phones are far less than perfect. The other thing is that with modern screen technology one could actually have more screen space in a iPhone 4 form factor.

 

[Cayden]

I can see this easily happening. I think the 4" will likely have the iPhone 6 internals with the newer versions (iPhone 6S presumably) having the best and newest specs. Like the 5C, being a cheaper version of the 5

 

[goobot]

Can you say: "F-R-A-G-M-E-N-T-A-T-I-O-N" ? Sure, I knew ya could.

You do know Devs already have to surport a 4 inch screen now anyway. This changes nothing. The funny thing is that with the iPad 2 and the 4s most likely not supporting iOS 9 iOS will become much less fragmented then than it is now.

 

[Dwalls90]

An the iPhone Mini was born.

 

[Tiger8]

Can you say: "F-R-A-G-M-E-N-T-A-T-I-O-N" ? Sure, I knew ya could.

3 sizes are a fragmentation? wow

 

[CaryMacGuy]

iPhone 5s (4")
FREE 32 GB

iPhone 6c (4")
$99 32 GB, $199 64 GB
Same form factor as the iPhone 5c but add:
TouchID
Pay
OIS
A8 Processor

iPhone 6s (4.7")
$199 32 GB, $299 64 GB, $399 128 GB

iPhone 6s Plus (5.5")
$299 32 GB, $399 64 GB, $499 128 GB

Probably wishful thinking but who knows?

 

[Bahroo]

Can you say: "F-R-A-G-M-E-N-T-A-T-I-O-N" ? Sure, I knew ya could.

Not really actually at all, all 3 devices that would get released (4 inch 6S, 4.7 inch 6S and 5.5 inch 6S) would all most likely share same exact internals and SoC's besides the obvious (battery size and screen res)

Much easier to develop for a few SoCs then a ton

 

[crsh1976]

The old size makes a come back as the iPhone mini, I can totally see it happening no matter how far-fetched it may sound.

 

[viper2021]

I thought that I was going to miss my iphone 5 and its one-hand usability. But once I bought the iphone 6, I get used to its 4.7" display quickly and I don't see myself going back to a 4" display.

 

[Yurieff]

iPhone 6C:
iPod Touch chassis + iPhone 6 antenna lines.
A8 Processor + M8
Touch ID
Pay
16GB + 64GB options only.
$99 on contracts.

Seems plausible to me.

 

[Force332]

Introducing the iPhone 6 Minus...

 

[cambox]

Still on a 4s with IOS6, love it and it does everything I need thanks.