Apple has had a busy couple of months, rolling out a number of new products, including two news iPhones and two new iPads. However, at the iPhone 6s/iPhone 6s Plus launch event, one variant of the all-conquering smartphone was not unveiled. We are talking about the iPhone 6c, which was widely tipped to land at the event as a replacement for the iPhone 5c.
A new report suggests today that Apple is still interested in the handset and that it will replace the plastic construction of the iPhone 5c in favor of the company’s familiar aluminum. The report says that the iPhone 6c will launch in 2016, likely in the fall when Cupertino raises the curtain on the iPhone 7.
However, we are not so sure. The problem is, the only thing that differentiated the iPhone 5c from the iPhone 5 (which it effectively replaced) was that it was plastic. If Apple debuts a metal c class smartphone then what is to differentiate it from just being an iPhone 6? We think the company is more likely to just use its outgoing flagship as its tier down smartphone.
However, there is the chance that the company is working on a smartphone that will feature a 4-inch screen, a form factor that Apple is still interested in. We do expect that handset at some point, whether it will be called the iPhone 6c is another matter.