Apple is still selling its new handsets like hot cakes, and even dominated the statistic for device activations this Christmas. With the release of the new iPhones, one was left to wonder – is Apple completely done with the small-sized smartphones?
Well, rumors claim that Cupertinians are, in fact, planning to launch a “mini” version of their flagship this year (iPhone 6 mini, or 6s mini? We don’t know); the first time we heard of such plans was around 10 days ago, when analyst Timothy Arcuri of Cowen and Company apparently sent a note to investors, claiming that Apple is working on a possible “mini” iPhone.
An alleged report from another US investment company, called Zacks Equity Research, reportedly also makes a mention of a “mini” iPhone being in the works for 2015. Not only that, but the price is expected to “be a lot cheaper”.
The cheapest iPhone on Apple’s portfolio is the iPhone 5c; and it’s still rather pricey, at $450 for a SIM-free version. We wouldn’t really expect Apple to release a brand new model, be it a “mini”, and slap a price tag on it lower than that. The rumors suggest that Cupertinians are thinking about equipping it with lower tier hardware, in order to justify a large price drop, but we’d say the iPhone 6’s sales have proven that the company does not need to produce a low-end smartphone in order to have market dominance, so we’re at the edge of calling shenanigans on that rumor. Not to mention that customers that want a smaller screen will not necessarily agree to a less powerful handset.
What we find believable about the rumors, however, is that Apple may really be thinking about having a line of 4-inch-screened iPhones, instead of completely abandoning the handy-sized devices.
