Rumor: 'new' 4-inch iPhone on the way

In the latest iPhone refresh, a lot changed. In addition to the screen size uptick, the overall design of the phones changed, bringing a more well-rounded (punny!) form factor, and slipping us away form the squared-off design of iPhones past. Still, one thing remained unanswered: how would Apple treat the smaller iPhones moving forward? The iPhone 5C is near its end of cycle, and the iPhone 5S will likely disappear next year. A new rumor suggests Apple is going to come back strong with a new 4-inch phone to replace them.

As we heard they might ahead of the iPhone 6 launch, a new (well, not sure I can really say that, but you get the point) iPhone is rumored to check in next year. With a 4-inch screen, it will keep Apple rooted to its one-handed past while we double-tap the home button to shrink screens on the larger phones.

The questions surrounding this are why, and how. Why would Apple create an entirely new — but still smaller — iPhone? How will they market it? Is it an emerging market flagship, or a budget-friendly offering for the US?

Let's also keep in mind this is a rumor, and comes via a source we're not familiar with. The "new iPhone" could even be an iPod refresh, instead of the "female friendly" iPhone the Chinese source claims.

As the Apple TV becomes more smart-home hub than streaming box, I've long held the position that a robust remote with the ability to run apps is a good idea, and the iPod fits that purpose nicely. Still speculative, but I'd much rather that than a new, small iPhone.

Source: Feng

Via: GSM Arena