A new report claims that Apple is indeed working on a cheaper iPhone 6c smartphone that will be launched later this year. But this new devices will adopt the outer looks of an iPhone 6 in a 4-inch sized body with metallic construct rather than an updated version of iPhone 5c in a shell made out of plastic.
Jefferies analyst Ange Wu suggests that more than half of the metallic casings for this upcoming iPhone 6c model will most probably be manufactures by Foxconn and the device will be will be assembled by Hon Hai Technologies in Taiwan. The analyst also estimates the metallic casing to make up around 10% of Foxconn’s sales in coming year.
The report suggests that the so called ‘iPhone 6c’ will be an extended version of iPhone 5s with a four-inch display size and it will replace the polycarbonate shell in favor of a more robust metal casing based on iPhone 6 style.
The experience gained from iPhone 6/6 Plus rear metal casings will sustain FTC’s position as the main supplier for the iPhone 6S/6S Plus, and this will likely be extended to the iPhone 6C.
While the introduction of metallic casing for an iPhone 6c will make it more expensive to manufacture than the plastic shell variant, it’d likely help the device sell better. Some also expect the rumoured iPhone 6c to be a smaller version of upcoming iPhone 6s rather than a cheaper iPhone targeted at budget concious customers.
Apple launched iPhone 5c alongside iPhone 5s as a cheaper iPhone option in an effort to attract budget concious folks, but it could not be a huge success. Featuring aging hardware, and missing core iPhone features such as Touch ID, many preferred to spend some extra for an iPhone 5s over the 5c.
If the rumored iPhone 6c turns out to be a smaller version of iPhone 6s, with similar hardware, it’s likely to be much more successful in the group of people who don’t like larger smartphones.
Apple launched iPhone 5c alongside iPhone 5s back in September 2013. These two are the last iPhone models sporting 4-inch display. Apple did not launch any revision of iPhone 5c since its launch.
iPhone 6c is rumored to launch later this year alongside iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus.