Apple is bringing back the 4 inch iPhone
According to Chinese websites cnBeta and MyDrivers, Japanese website Mac Otakara, and last, but never the least, KGI Securities top analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, a 4 inch iPhone could be in the works, as Apple’s next entry level smartphone. The above-mentioned do not agree on every detail, transpired from a combination of sources close to manufacturing and plain-old analytical prediction.
Starting from cnBeta, sources close to Foxconn, one of the longest running manufacturing partners for Apple, claim that the new device will be named “iPhone 5e”, which may seem like a rollback, however it does make quite a bit of sense in terms of an entry level device, built to follow the iPhone 5S. cnBeta also claims that the new handset will be powered by an A8 processor, and 1GB of RAM. Japanese website Mac Otakara and cnBeta seem to converge on the claims, while Chinese website MyDrivers offers a different take on the new smartphone’s processor and RAM, postulating that the new handset will be powered by a A9 chip, with 2GB or RAM and 16GB of storage.
While cnBeta and Mac Otakara’s claims seem to be on the conservative side, the logic behind their claims are sound. Within the realm of an entry-level product, Apple has been consistent in powering devices with an A8 chip, such as the iPad Mini 4, the latest version of Apple TV, and the latest iPod Touch.
As sensible an assumption as it is, KGI’s Ming-Chi Kuo seems to believe that an A9 chip is in the cards, furthermore, the new handset will hit the market with a basic storage of 16GB, the latter of which is in line with MyDrivers’s information, to which Kuo adds that there could be a 64GB version as well.
The iPhone 5e is very likely to integrate NFC, which will enable the handset to support Apple Pay, an opinion shared by Ming-Chi Kuo as well. By such virtue, the ability to use Apple Pay will, of course, be extended to entry-level consumers as well, and widen considerably the mobile payment system’s reach.
Another rumor that is finding widespread consensus, is that the new handset will support VoLTE, a technology that allows for high-quality voice calls, on a number of carriers worldwide.
It’s also possible that the iPhone 5e’s casing will follow suit with the latest higher-end models, and be constructed in anodized aluminum, unlike the iPhone 5c, which features a plastic casing.
Multiple sources predict that the new iPhone will be unveiled in the first quarter of 2016, and will be priced around $500.