Though the iPhone 5c is no longer available for purchase, there have been continued rumors suggesting Apple is working on a successor to the device in order to answer continued demand for a 4-inch iPhone to be sold alongside the larger 4.7 and 5.5-inch iPhones.
The first rumors in
December of 2014 suggested Apple would launch a new 4-inch iPhone in 2015, and soon after, an image of a
leaked iPhone 6c casing surfaced alongside a report claiming
three iPhones would be released in 2015: the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus and so-called "iPhone 6c."
Rumors soon backtracked, and a July 2014 report suggested while Apple had planned on releasing an iPhone 6c, the project was cancelled to focus on selling the now price reduced iPhone 6 and 6 Plus to customers looking for a less expensive iPhone.
iPhone 6c plans were shelved for 2015, but rumors indicate Apple is still planning to launch a new 4-inch iPhone in 2016. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who often accurately predicts Apple's plans based on supply chain research, believes Apple will launch a 4-inch iPhone during the first months of 2016, a claim that's been backed up by other rumors. The iPhone 6c could potentially launch at a rumored March event that will also include the debut of the second-generation Apple Watch.
Early rumors about the iPhone 6c suggested it would use a plastic casing like the iPhone 5c, but later rumors, including information from Kuo, indicate it will instead resemble the iPhone 5s, with an aluminum casing and support for Touch ID. According to Kuo, the iPhone 6c will be offered in "at least two to three color options," but it is not clear if that means iPhone 5c-style colors or colors in line with the iPhone 5s. One sketchy rumor out of the Asian supply chain says the iPhone 6c will feature a colorful metal design.
While Kuo believes the iPhone 6c could include an A9 processor, Japanese site Mac Otakara has reported the iPhone 6c will include a previous-generation A8 chip to distinguish it from Apple's flagship phones. Other rumors out of the Asian supply chain have pointed towards an A9 chip and 2GB RAM, which would put the iPhone 6c on par with the iPhone 6s in terms of performance.
The iPhone 6c, like the iPhone 5c, could be positioned at the lower end of the iPhone lineup as Apple's reduced-cost smartphone, replacing the current iPhone 5s. It will be sold alongside the iPhone 6s, the iPhone 6s Plus, the iPhone 6, and the iPhone 6 Plus.
As a lower-priced device, the iPhone 6c will not offer 3D Touch, the pressure-sensing feature introduced in the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus, but it is likely to gain NFC to enable Apple Pay functionality. Otherrumored features include 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, a somewhat larger 1,642 mAh battery, an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera with an ƒ/2.2 aperture, a 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera, and 2.5Dcurved edge cover glass like the glass used on the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus.
All current rumors are pointing towards an iPhone 6c release date during the first two quarters of 2016, potentially putting the iPhone 6c on a different release schedule than the larger-screened iPhones.
Apple's plastic iPhone 5c, released in September 2013, was not refreshed alongside the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in 2014, leading to speculation that the budget smartphone might be discontinued soon. Apple continued selling the iPhone 5c until September of 2015, when it was discontinued in favor of the iPhone 5s as the company's affordable smartphone option.
