iPhone 6c

Reliable leaker claims Apple will launch iPhone 6c next month after all

The elusive 'iPhone 6c,' or whatever it will be called assuming it exists at all, is launching next month alongside the widely expected 'iPhone 6s' and 'iPhone 6s Plus' smartphones, reliable leaker Evan Blass wrote Tuesday on his @evleaks handle on Twitter.

“Sounds like iPhone 6s, 6s Plus, and 6c will all arrive concurrently,” reads his post. We normally wouldn't even be telling you about such a cryptic message if it weren't for Blass, who has leaked reliable details and accurate images of several unreleased smartphones.

iPhone 6c apparently launching next summer

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.

Analyst: ‘iPhone 6c’ to replace polycarbonate shell with metal casing based on iPhone 6 style

According to Jefferies analyst Ange Wu, Apple's next iteration of the the “unapologetically plastic” iPhone 5c will do away with its polycarbonate shell in favor of a more robust metal casing based on iPhone 6 style.

Wu wrote in yesterday's note to clients, a copy of which was obtained by Barron's, that the so-called 'iPhone 6c' will be an extended version of the iPhone 5s with a four-inch Retina display and a unibody metal casing.

Alleged four-inch iPhone 6c rear shell leaks

Monday, we got our first glimpse of what a rumored iPhone 6c might look like in a pair of purported images of the handset's rear shell, leaked by Chinese parts vendor Future Supplier and reposted by French blog NowhereElse.fr.

The part resembles the backplate of the current-generation iPhone 5c, sans a thicker casing, a pill-shaped LED flash hole next to the iSight camera, two rows of speaker grilles on the bottom versus a single row of four holes on the iPhone 5c and six microphone holes stacked in two rows versus just one mic hole on the iPhone 5c.

Rumor: TSMC building iPhone 6s chips, $400-$500 iPhone 6c to become new entry-level model

TSMC, or Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited, is expected to remain the major supplier of Apple's in-house designed processors for the upcoming iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.

In addition, the world's largest independent semiconductor foundry is said to supply 20-nanomenter chips for an upcoming iPhone 6c model, expected to arrive as Apple's new entry-level iPhone with a price tag between $400 and $500.

An Apple-designed system-on-a-chip for the next-generation iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus models should be called the 'A9' and will be built on TSMC's 16-nanometer FinFET process technology, industry sources told DigiTimes.

Apple rumored to launch four-inch iPhone 6c this year, in addition to iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus

In addition to this year's S-upgrade to the iPhone in the form of an ‘iPhone 6s’ and ‘iPhone 6s Plus’, Apple is also expected to release a third iPhone model, a four-inch ‘iPhone 6c’, according to a sketchy rumor last night by DigiTimes, a Taiwan-based trade publication.

Citing industry sources, the hit-and-miss publication claims the three devices will release in the second half of 2015.

This iPhone 6c concept looks plausible

We don't know yet whether or not Apple will introduce an ‘iPhone 6c’ when a next-gen model debuts this fall but if it does, it might resemble these curiously looking mockups posted by 3DFuture.net.

For what it's worth, the prospect of refreshing its plastic handset with a fingerprint sensor, a bigger Retina HD screen, an improved eight-megapixel iSight camera and a speedy processor is certainly tantalizing.

Check out the images after the jump and meet us in comments.

Sketchy schematic drawing of next-gen iPhones surfaces

A fairly sketchy, schematic-like drawing has surfaced on the web this morning depicting what could be two next-gen iPhones. The image, which is of terrible quality, was first published by popular Japanese magazine MacFan and then passed on by Macotakara.

As you can see, the drawing shows two separate handsets: one with a 4.7-inch display and one with a 5.7-inch display. This lines up with several previous reports, as do many of the design elements of the devices such as their bezel-free screens and slim profile...

Delightful concept videos envision iPhone 6c and iPhone Air

It's been a while since we've been treated to a compelling concept regarding Apple's next iPhone. SET Solution, which specializes in visual effects, 3D graphics and animation and video editing saw to that with a pair of rather incredible video concepts that try to envision Apple's next 'c' iPhone, the iPhone 6c, and the ultra-thin iPhablet dubbed iPhone Air.

As its name suggests, Italy-based SET thinks the next major iPhone revision should be ultra-thin and of course incorporate Apple's Touch ID fingerprint scanner. I've included both videos for your viewing pleasure right after the break so have a look and join us in comments...