Apple may launch 4-inch iPhone alongside iPhone 7 next year: Report

After breaking the monotonous trend of smaller displays fitted on its smartphones, Apple has now introduced a 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and a 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus. But lookslike, that hasn’t stopped the company  from working on a smaller 4-inch iPhone which is likely to be launched alongside the upcoming iPhone 7. According to a research note obtained by 9to5Mac, KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that Apple is working on a refreshed 4-inch iPhone model. Kuo also states that the company will market the handset as a ‘budget’ smartphone and launch the device in the first half of 2016. It will ship between 20 million and 30 million units by the end of the year. In terms of specifications, the device is rumoured to sport a metal casing wrapped around the assortment of sensors, circuits and processors respectively. Apple will most likely include an A9 SoC. However, the device will not come with the new 3D Touch feature, which allows a user to hard press a particular icon and get quick access to the basic menu of the app. According to the report, Kuo believes that Foxconn will be the sole manufacturer of the upcoming 4-inch iPhone. There is no other information provided regarding color variants or whether it will move away from metal and opt for plastic, as seen preciously in the mid-range iPhone 5c. Earlier this year, a  **report**  had stated that Apple is working on a new 4-inch device, dubbed iPhone 6c, but it was not ready to ship. This could probably be the same device which may launch alongside the iPhone 7.