So-called ‘iPhone 6c,’ the true successor to Apple’s mid-tier iPhone 5c which sells SIM-free for $450, won’t arrive this year as previously rumored.
Instead, the device should drop by the summer of 2016, if a new report by DigiTimes is an indication.
The story backtracks from DigiTimes’ previous report which speculated that the iPhone 6c would launch this fall alongside ‘iPhone 6s’ and ‘iPhone 6s Plus’ models.
Be that as it may, the iPhone 6c will reportedly be powered by an Apple-designed chip built on the 14/16nm FinFET process technology by Samsung and rival Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the sources said.
Keep in mind that the original iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 launched in June so it wouldn’t be out of character for Apple to launch a new iPhone model in the summer, as opposed to its usual fall timeframe for new handsets.
Revered Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is adamant that Apple is developing a brand new four-inch iPhone model for introduction next year. Jefferies analyst Ange Wu added that the iPhone 6c will drop its “unapologetically plastic” casing for an all-metal enclosure based on the iPhone 6 style.
The biggest news is the rumored adoption of a 16nm processor.
“The original plan was to equip the devices with chips built using TSMC’s 20nm SoC process, but the adoption of FinFET processors would enable specs upgrade and lower power consumption,” reads the article.
DigiTimes is a Taiwanese publication which has a mixed track record, at best, when it comes to accurate rumor-mill reporting. It usually reports reliable supply chain information but is often off regarding the timeframe for unreleased products.
Therefore, take today’s report with healthy skepticism.
In addition, DigiTimes’ sources have corroborated earlier reporting by The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg that TSMC and Samsung have started volume production of new Apple-designed ‘A9’ processors for the upcoming iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus models which should be announced next month.
Source: DigiTimes
iPhone 6c concept images: 3DFuture.net.