4-inch Apple iPhone coming early 2016, iPhone 7 w/ A10 chip, 3GB RAM on track for Q3

Ming-Chi Kuo, a reliable Apple analyst has shared a research note outlining his expectations for Apple's 2016 iPhone lineup. He says demand for the smaller handset is still present and the company plans to capitalize come next year.

The analyst suggests that a new 4-inch iPhone is in the works that "resembles an upgraded iPhone 5". The 4-inch iPhone is going to be different from its predecessors in many ways. Apple is likely to opt for an all-metal body, instead of the plastic body. It will be equipped with an A9 processor.

"As there is still demand for a 4-inch iPhone, we believe Apple will upgrade this product line. Because the iPhone 5s is more popular than the iPhone 5c, we think Apple is likely to launch an upgraded iPhone 5s. We predict Apple will mass-produce this new 4-inch iPhone in 1H16 with metal casings. In order to make the current iOS 9 or next-generation iOS 10 run smoothly, Apple may adopt an A9 chip for this new phone."

Kuo also believes that Apple will ditch the 3D touch as a part of an effort to keep the 4-inch iPhone differentiated from the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. Apple will launch the device in the first half of 2016 and ship between 20-30 million units by the end of the year.

When it comes to iPhone 7, Kuo expects the usual Q3 launch in 2016 release of the iPhone. As usual there will be two variants - one with 4.7-inch screen and the other 5.5-inch. Both variants will be equipped with A10 chip. Apart from display, the RAM will also be a differentiating factor on iPhone 7, the 4.7-inch will pack 2GB RAM, seen in current iPhones, while the 5.5-inch model will packs 3GB RAM for improved performance.

Foxconn is said to be the sole manufacturer of the 4-inch iPhone and TSMC will produce the A9 chip for it. TSMC will also be the sole provider of the A10 chip for the iPhone 7.

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Kaiser Bey

Kaiser is a tech enthusiast who likes to write, read and talk about tech. He dreams of going to Mars and never come back. We hope that you find his posts on AndroGuider helpful and informative