4-Inch Colored Metal iPhone Coming Early Next Year? Specs, Features, Release Date & Rumors Here!

With many folks still interested in a budget-friendly device that calls to mind the iPhone 5c, the ever reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo ramps up belief that one is due to come out in 2016.

The device is likely to be the widely rumored iPhone Mini, something that takes off from the eye candy iPhone 5c. However, it will come in a metal-casing and not the old plastic-based rendition that some got.

Being a budget phone, Apple will need to do some tweaking by taking out some features that could include the absence of the highly touted 3D Touch display.

Other than that, Kuo believes that the device will likely run on an A9 chip from TSMC and Samsung, a 2.5D cover glass which will all be contained in a curved mobile device that will likely take its queue from the iPhone 6s.

Like the iPhone 5c, there will most likely be two to three colored metal casings for the rumored device, as well as the same 8 MP main camera and 1.2 MP front-facing camera that the iPhone 5s sported.

While this bit should appease the ones who have been longing to see an iPhone 5c successor, the device is not expected to be among the top draws for the company next year, as mentioned via Mac Rumors.

Regardless, plans for the said iPhone Mini is something meant to satisfy the interest and demand for a 4-inch and budget-friendly device for customers on the prowl for a good deal and yet want to own an iPhone.

Kuo further adds that the full-year shipment for the iPhone Mini is expected to breach the 20 million unit mark, and will likely be priced somewhere between $400 to $500 in the U.S. This means that the device would be approximately $149 to $249 cheaper than a 16 GB iPhone 6s as mentioned on the Daily Mail.

Production for the iPhone Mini will likely start by the first quarter of 2016 and will possibly come out before the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

The next iPhone successors are likely to make their debut by September 2016, the usual month that Apple unveils its new mobile devices to the market.

It would be best to take note that the iPhone Mini (or iPhone 6c for some) will still technically be under the iPhone 6 brand line. It is seen as the last of the iPhone 6 models, a move which some feel is a brand recall strategy before moving on to the much anticipated iPhone 7 class.