ROME: Apple could launch an all-metal, 4-inch iPhone alongside the iPhone 7, according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
The phone would “resemble an upgraded iPhone 5S” with an A9 processor (the same as in the iPhone 6S) but no 3D Touch, the headline feature of the latest handsets. This would help differentiate the lineup, according to Kuo.
Apple previously made a “lower-end” iPhone 5c which was later scrapped due to poor sales. However, Kuo argues that “there is still demand for a 4-inch iPhone, we believe Apple will upgrade this product line.” As the iPhone expands into China and other markets with a growing middle class, offering an array of options can help broaden its appeal.
One of the ways Apple may differentiate the 4-inch iPhone from the 5c is by making it all metal.