2015 Mac mini release date, specs, features, UK price: Broadwell processor bump anticipated

Will a new Mac mini launch this year? We think Apple should add the Broadwell processors to the Mac mini when it updates the 21.5i iMac. Here's what we are expecting including everything you need to know including UK price, specs, features and release date.

Apple has given nothing away about the new Mac mini. But based on past experience and the existing specs of other Macs, it is easy to surmise what to expect from the new Mac mini in 2015. In this story we round up the latest information based on what we deem to be credible rumours and speculation, and our own analysis of Apple rumours. We'll update this story as new rumours and evidence comes in, so keep checking back. And when Apple makes its announcement we can all have a good laugh at how wrong we were.

After a two year wait, Apple finally updated the Mac mini on 16 October 2014, but Mac mini fans are now waiting for the next iteration of the smallest/cheapest Mac, hopefully coming this year

Here, we bring you everything you need to know about the new Mac mini, including its expected release date, its UK price and the new specs and features.

Mac mini 2015 release date: When is the new Mac mini coming out?

The 2014 Mac mini became available to buy immediately after Apple's 16 October keynote ended, and you can still order a new Mac mini on the Online Apple Store.  Shipping times at time of writing are 24 hours.

However, since the introduction of that Mac mini Apple has added new processors to it's range of laptops - with the MacBook Air and the 13in MacBook Pro models gaining the latest Broadwell processors.

The 21in iMac is yet to get a Broadwell update, but we think that the time is ripe for it, and the Mac mini, to gain the newer processor.

Mac mini 2015 price: How much will the new Mac mini cost?

There are currently three models of the new Mac mini available, depending on your budget and your specification needs. The cheapest model currently costs £399, the middle model is £569, and the priciest model is £799.

These 2014 prices were significant because they marked a reduction of £100 compared to it's price before the  update, previously the cheapest Mac mini was £499, for example. Of course, you'll need to factor in the price of a monitor, keyboard and mouse with the Mac mini, though.

However, we don't anticipate Apple reducing the price further with the new model when it launches, so you can expect similar pricing, but hopefully better specs.

What is the Mac mini?

It's understandable that you might not be aware the the Mac mini even exists - sometimes it looks like even Apple isn't aware of its presence (if the long gap before the 2014 model was launched is anything to go by).

The Mac mini is Apple's smallest desktop Mac and also its cheapest Mac, at £399. It's a full-blown OS X desktop that fits into a self-contained chassis no bigger than a set-top box. An inexpensive living room Mac that lacks the power of even some MacBooks and comes with no keyboard, mouse or display, but one that works perfectly as the centre of your digital home – not least because it comes with HDMI sockets making plugging it into a modern TV a doddle.

There used to be a Mac mini with OS X server available for £849 but Apple removed that option from the line up in October 2014.

 

Don't forget: when you buy a Mac mini you also need a screen, mouse, and keyboard...

Is Apple going to discontinue the Mac mini?

Last year we were starting to worry that Apple would discontinue the Mac mini, indeed we speculated about whether Apple might discontinue the Mac mini in this article. We think Apple is wise to continue to ship this low cost of entry Mac because, despite the declines in the PC market, there is a lot of interest in Macs, as evidenced by the increase in Mac marketshare while the rest of the PC industry is in decline. In the future the Mac could become even more important for Apple.

New Mac mini specs and features: Processor

It seems likely that Apple has been waiting for Intel to ship the new Broadwell chips - successors to Haswell - and that now those chips are available we can expect to see a new Mac mini soon.

It's likely that the lack of Broadwell availability is also the reason for the lack of update to the 21in iMac models, which haven't been updated since 2013. None of the iMac models have been updated to Broadwell yet - even the recently introduced 3.3GHz Retina model still runs a Haswell chip.

Alternatively Apple could wait until next year and introduce Intel's Skylake processor in the Mac mini, however, a low cost low powered Mac may just benefit from the smaller bump, rather than being left untouched for a long period of time again.

2015 Mac mini rumours: Design

It's possible that the Mac mini will get a new design. We're not expecting a major visual or build redesign, but it is certainly possible that it could get thinner and smaller, especially since it no longer has to accommodate a CD drive.

Right now the dimensions are 3.6cm high, 19.7cm wide, and it weighs 1.22kg. How about a Mac mini that has similar dimensions to an Apple TV (9.8cm wide, 2.3cm high, 0.27kg).

There was some speculation that the reason for the long delay prior to the Mac mini update in 2014 was that Apple was looking at redesiging the Mac mini along the lines of the Mac Pro.

This was probably intended as an April Fool's Day prank, but we like this render of a flat Mac mini, as seen on Apple User.

Even better, how about a Mac mini that was also an Apple TV! Adding Apple TV functionality to a Mac mini would be a great way of getting the Mac mini into people's living rooms as a home entertainment device.

2015 Mac mini rumours: RAM

Currently the entry-level Mac mini features just 4GB RAM as standard, we would like to see that ramped up to 8GB in the new entry-level model.

2015 Mac mini rumours: flash storage

The other big change we hope to see in the 2015 Mac mini is more flash drive options. Currently the 2.8GHz model comes with a Fusion Drive, or you can add 256GB flash storage to that model, or the 2.8GHz model. 

While the 500GB hard drive in the current entry level model (and the 1TB hard drive as standard in the £569 model) might appear attractive to some, flash memory is so much faster that we believe it is well worth the compromise of storing additional files on an external hard drive.

However, it seems unlikely that Apple would do away with the hard drive storage option all together as many workgroups choose the Mac mini as a server and will need the extra capacity and lower prices that HD storage makes possible.

2014 Mac mini specs

As well as the new price tag, the 2014 Mac mini differed from its predecessor when it comes to specs, though the overall design of the Mac mini remains the same. It features Intel's Haswell processors, 802.11ac WiFi and Thunderbolt 2. 

The new Mac mini is available with the choice of three processors, all dual-core Intel Core i5. Those options are 1.4GHz, 2.6GHz or 2.8GHz.

The two higher-end models are configurable, though, allowing you to add a 3.0GHz dual-core Intel i7 processor if you choose (at an additional cost, of course).

The 1.4GHz model comes with a 500GB hard drive, while the 2.6GHz model features a 1TB hard drive and the 2.8GHz model has a 1TB Fusion Drive.

When it comes to memory, the £399 model features 4GB, while the other two models have 8GB of memory, but all are configurable up to 16GB.

The £399 model will give you Intel HD Graphics 5000, while the two more expensive models both feature Intel Iris Graphics. Apple says that this means up to 90 percent faster graphics performance than the previous generation.

You'll now find two Thunderbolt 2 ports on the Mac mini, as well as the faster 802.11ac WiFi standard.

iPhone 6c release date rumours and images | 4in iPhone 6c rumoured to launch in September

Will Apple launch an iPhone 6c, a 4-inch replacement for the iPhone 5c? We examine the rumours about the iPhone 6c, including iPhone 6c release date, design, specs and features.

In September Apple's iPhone 5c will be two years old, and that has led to questions about whether it'll be the first and last model of the colourful, plastic iPhone. Earlier this year, we were convinced that Apple had decided to ditch the 'C' range from its iPhone line-up, but reports keep on appering suggesting that an iPhone 6c might launch this year, or in 2016. Here, we've gathered all of the latest iPhone 6c rumours, including release date, design, specs and features speculation. We've also got iPhone 6c concept images and mockups.

There's already a lot of talk about the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 6s, but not so much about the iPhone 6c, which is what we're calling the 4-inch successor to Apple's iPhone 5c, the iPhone 5s's (marginally) cheaper and (massively) more colourful sibling. This article is all about Apple's next 4-inch iPhone - although whether the company will make a new 4-inch iPhone at all, after the great success of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, remains to be seen.

Latest: iPhone 6c coming in September

The talk has been about how the iPhone 6c won’t launch until 2016, but now a rumour has surfaced that suggests that a new 4in iPhone could make an appearance at the September iPhone event.

The source of the rumour is Evan Blass, who is well known for reliable leaks. He sent a Tweet on Tuesday 11 August claiming that Apple will release three new iPhones at the annual iPhone event in September, reports Business Insider.

Latest: iPhone 6c not coming until 2016...

However, a mobile app marketing firm is saying that is has seen two new iPhone device identifiers in its dataset for July, indicating, it says, that there are only two new iPhones in the pipeline: the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.

The firm, Fiksu, claims it is seeing "iphone8,1" and "iphone8,2" identifiers, which are likely to relate to the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus because the iPhone 6 would have been identified as iPhone7,1. According to an Apple Insider report, the iPhone 6c would likely carry the "iphone7,3" or "iphone7,4" designation since it will be based on the earlier specs.

This backs up earlier claims that the iPhone 6c won't launch until 2016. In fact, according to DigiTimes sources the device will launch in the second-quarter of 2016.

According to the semiconductor industry sources, the device will use 14/16nm FinFET chips manufactured by TSMC and Samsung. This is a change to the original plan to use 20nm chips. Apparently the smaller chips will enable a specs upgrade and lower power consumption.

The iPhone 6c is rumoured to have an A9 chip, Force Touch technology, 2GB RAM and a 12MP camera, but this seems unlikely for Apple’s ‘budget’ level iPhone.

Latest: Apple has ditched iPhone 6c

Cowen and Company analyst Timothy Arcuri is claiming that Apple has canned ideas for an iPhone 6c. He claims that Apple wants to avoid cannibalization of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus by the cheaper device. He told Business Insider: “I think one of the reasons is because the iPhone 6 has sold so well and they said, ‘Look, why would we want to cannibalize? If we came out with an iPhone 6C, we could essentially cannibalize a price-reduced iPhone 6.’”

Arcuri says he has been monitoring evidence of the smaller iPhone since the beginning of the year, and had been able to gather some evidence from the supply chain, but says that now those leads have dried up, suggesting Apple has abandoned the project.

But it’s not just about cannibalization, some people don’t want a bigger phone. Why would Apple write them off?

Read on for all the rumours and speculation about the iPhone 6c that we have gathered over the past few months...

iPhone 6c release date: New 4in iPhone 6c coming in September

While the rumours just won't agree on whether the 4in iPhone will launch in September, or not until 2016, there does seem to be some confidence now that Apple is working on a 4in iPhone - we think it would be a mistake if it was leaving the 4in phone category for good as a lot of people have held off updating iPhone 5, 5s, and 5c models because they prefer the smaller iPhone size.

If the iPhone 6c is so arrive in September, logic suggests that the Apple iPhone event will be held around the 9 September (the date Apple held the iPhone launch event in 2014), perhaps Tuesday 8 September or Thursday 10 September. 

As mentioned above, Evan Blass, who is well known for reliable leaks, Tweeted that he believes that three new iPhones will launch at the event in September.

He wasn't the first to say so. On 25 March 2015, rumours from Asia claimed that Apple plans to launch three new iPhones in September, one of which will feature a 4in display that could be called the iPhone 6C.

That rumour originally came from DigiTimes, who claimed we'll be getting an iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus and iPhone 6C later this year. However a later report in DigiTimes suggests the second quarter of 2016 is when the new cheaper iPhone will arrive.

The original report claims that the iPhone 6c will have an A8 chip like the one found in the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, NFC and Touch ID.

Even that was not the first time we'd heard rumours that a new 4in iPhone is in the works at Apple. A Taiwanese parts manufacturer had said that an 'iPhone mini' is expected to launch in 2015 with a 4in display.

In late December analyst Timothy Arcuri of Cowen and Company backed up the report, claiming that his sources have suggested that it is "possible" that Apple will launch three new iPhones in 2015, with one of those new iPhones sporting a 4in display. Arcuri dubs the smaller iPhone the iPhone 6S mini.

iPhone 6c release date: New 4in iPhone 6c coming in 2016

However, other reports are suggesting that the iPhone 6c may not arrive in September alongside the iPhone 7 or iPhone 6s, instead it may not arrive until next year.

A source claims that AU Optronics will apparently be producing the 4-inch screens, but that this will be for a 2016 model rather than one that will appear this year,according to GforGames.

Analyst Wu also claims that the new iPhone 6c with a metal case won’t arrive until the first half of 2016.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also thinks that the new 4in iPhone won’t arrive until 2016.

According to DigiTimes sources (in a later report than the one that claimed the launch would happen in 2015) the iPhone 6c will launch in the second-quarter of 2016. According to the semiconductor industry sources, the iPhone 6c will use 14/16nm FinFET chips manufactured by TSMC and Samsung.

If the 4in iPhone doesn’t arrive until 2016 it may be called the iPhone 7c, rather than the iPhone 6c.

Phone 6c release date:  iPhone 6c never coming...

Cowen and Company analyst Timothy Arcuri is claiming that Apple has canned ideas for an iPhone 6c. He claims that Apple wants to avoid cannibalization of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus by the cheaper device. He told Business Insider: “I think one of the reasons is because the iPhone 6 has sold so well and they said, ‘Look, why would we want to cannibalize? If we came out with an iPhone 6C, we could essentially cannibalize a price-reduced iPhone 6.’”

Arcuri says he has been monitoring evidence of the smaller iPhone since the beginning of the year, and had been able to gather some evidence from the supply chain, but says that now those leads have dried up, suggesting Apple has abandoned the project.

Arcuri isn't the only person to turn his back on the dream of the iPhone 6c. In early January, those of us who wanted Apple to refresh its 4-inch iPhone range were disappointed to hear new predictions. A Chinese-language website calledfeng.com (the same site that reported the claims above, in fact) cites sources within Apple's supply chain who say that no such device exists at present; and that Apple has not made "any new production tasks" related to a 4-inch device.

Here's what the site says in more depth (converted from Chinese using Google Translate, so please forgive the clumsy phrasing):

"Supply chain sources said that Apple has not made any new production tasks iPhone 4 inches to parts of the supply chain, and therefore will be launched on 4-inch screen Apple iPhone 6s argument is not true - at least so far. Sources believe that after using the 4.7 inches of the iPhone 6 listing has been refreshed Apple smartphone sales record, and therefore the re-launch of the new Apple iPhone 4-inch screen is likely to suffer the same embarrassment like iPhone 5c market reaction."

Doesn't sound good, does it? But we've since heard the rumours from DigiTimes that suggest we might see an iPhone 6c after all, we can only hope that the Feng.comsource has got things wrong, or that plans are simply not sufficiently advanced for plans to have reached the supply chain.

iPhone 6c design: New iPhone 6c to have metal case

Apparently the new iPhone 6c will have a metal casing, rather than the plastic case of the current ‘c’ model. This is according to Jefferies analyst Ange Wu, who claims that Foxconn and Hon Hai will benefit from this metal casing business, causing shares of Foxconn to surge.

Wu thinks that the metal case is likely because it represents Apple’s “style” and helps differentiate iPhones from other smartphones, notes a Barrons Asia report.

(Interestingly there is a rumour that the new iPhone 6s will come in rose gold, but we don’t expect that the iPhone 6c will get a rose gold finish, even if it does get a metalic coat).

iPhone 6c design: What colours will the iPhone 6c come in?

Apple has updated the iPod touch with a new range of colours – can we expect to see the iPhone 6c share the same colour palette? The specs of the previous iPod touch model were iPhone 4S-era, now that the iPod touch sports the A8 and M8 processors it’s more akin to the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus – apart from the fact that it’s got a 4in display.

There is quite a price difference between the iPhone 5c and the iPod touch with the touch costing exactly half the price of the iPhone, despite having twice the storage (as well as a faster processor now):

• 8GB iPhone 5c, £319
• 16GB iPod touch, £159

Of course, the iPhone 5c can be used with 3G or 4G, while the iPod touch relies on WiFi for web access. Perhaps Apple could launch an iPod touch capable of cellular connectivity, kind of like the iPod mini. If it did that it would practically be an iPhone 6c.

Alternatively, the iPhone 6c could come in a colour scheme to match the Apple Watch Sport straps - as you can see below, the current colour scheme isn't that different to the Watch...

The iPhone 5c is currently available in the following colours: yellow, blue, pink, green and white. Apparently the yellow version is the least popular with pink being the most popular and blue the second most popular (apparently around half of all iPhone 5c sales are the pink model.)

The Apple Watch Sport straps come in blue, pink, green and white colours, which as you can see from the image below, match the iPhone 5c. You’ll notice that Apple hasn’t made a yellow watch strap – probably because that colour is so unpopular. This suggests that we will not be seeing a yellow iPhone 6c.

There is also a black sports strap available for the Watch – suggesting to us that Apple may launch an iPhone 6c in black. We think that a black iPhone 6c will be very popular.  

In July Apple updated the iPod touch with a new range of colours – can we expect to see the iPhone 6c share the same colour palette?

An iPhone to go with the Apple Watch

Does Apple need a cheaper iPhone to sell alongside the Watch to offer a low-cost of entry way into the world of wearables?

iPhone 6c price

Prior to the launch of the iPhone 5c much of the talk was about Apple launching a cheaper iPhone, although in the end it turned out not to be quite a cheap as people had hoped.

We think that the iPhone 5c is now a good price, but we'd prefer it if it was 16GB rather than 8GB.

As for the iPhone 6c price, there are suggestions that if Apple launches an iPhone 6c it will be cheaper than the iPhone 5c was at launch, addressing the demand for a lower entry-point iPhone.

However, with the iPhone 6c being a new phone, will the current iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus still be sold at a reduced price, and if they are will they be cheaper than this new phone? Probably not if the new iPhone 6c is a repackaged iPhone 5s.

We can imagine Apple launching the new iPhone 6c at an entry level phone, with 2014s iPhone 6 and 6 Plus remaining at a lower price, and a new iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus (or iPhone 7) at the high end.

An 8GB iPhone 5c currently costs £319 new from Apple (cheaper on a contract). We'd like the new iPhone 6c to come in at £299, the same price as the Apple Watch.   

iPhone 6c rumous: New features

What's the next step for Apple's 'c' series iPhones? Will Apple bring new colours for the iPhone 6c? Will it get new features such as a camera upgrade, a processor boost or a design tweak? 

We think that Apple wants to move all its products over to Touch ID so we surmise that the company could decide to repackage the iPhone 5s in a similar polycarbonate case to the iPhone 5c and sell it at a lower price. Customers would get all the features of the iPhone 5s, but Apple would be able to produce it for less, enabling the company to lower the price.

iPhone 6c rumours: Camera

We had expected that the iPhone 6c would be a repackaged iPhone 5s, with the same camera as that phone, however, a report from GSM Dome suggests that Apple has placed an order for camera parts for a 4in iPhone – presumably the rumoured iPhone 6c.

The order is said to be with Sony and is for a significant number of camera sensors destined for the iPhone 6c.

According to the report, two Chinese analysts (one of whom is chief analyst at Electronic System Design China) claim that Sony can only meet 50% of demand for camera sensors because so many have been bought up by Apple for the new phone.

It’s not clear why these camera sensors are destined for the 4in iPhone 6c and not another new iPhone, but it would appear that the analysts believe the camera is destined for the plastic iPhone.

Another indication that the iPhone 6c may get a new camera can be seen on the back of what are said to be leaked images of the iPhone 6c. The new flash on the back of the leaked iPhone 6c models, as seen in the photograph below, suggests that Apple will be tweeking this phone.

Apple has also been issued patent for a “digital camera with light splitter”. Apple’s system would split up red, green and blue light and send each to a dedicated sensor. This should mean images are clearer and sharper, however, this new camera is likely to only appear in the newer iPhones

iPhone 6c rumours: Processor

The iPhone 6C is said to have an A8 processor, according to DigiTimes. That's the same processor as is found in the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, while the iPhone 5s uses the A7 processor. 

According to DigiTimes semiconductor industry sources, the device will use 14/16nm FinFET chips manufactured by TSMC and Samsung. This is a change to the original plan to use 20nm chips. Apparently the smaller chips will enable a specs upgrade and lower power consumption.

iPhone 6c rumours: NFC & Touch ID

Now that Apple has launched Apple Pay in the UK, it seems likely that Apple's strategy moving forward will be to offer Apple Pay to more and more customers, and doing that is likely to include making sure that all current iPhones have the ability to be used for Apple Pay - as a result we expect that the entire line up of iPhones in September are likely to offer Touch ID and NFC, so it will make sense for Apple to rebadge and repackage its entry-level iPhone.  

Earlier this year claims were made that the iPhone 6c would gain NFC and Touch ID,according to a DigiTimes report.

iPhone 6c rumours: Gorilla or Sapphire Glass

According to DigiTimes the new iPhone 6c will use Gorilla Glass.

iPhone 6c rumours: Battery

Apple is hiring experts to work in its battery division. According to a report on Apple Insider, Apple has advertised nine positions within the last month, some of which are explicitly oriented towards iOS devices, according to the site. However, any new battery technology is unlikely to make it in to the iPhone 6c, instead we expect that this phone will offer the same battery life as the iPhone 5s does currently. 

A leaked image of the battery that will apparently features inside the iPhone 6c has appeared on French website, NoWhereElse.

It’s a 1715mAh battery, which is better than the 1510mAh battery in the iPhone 5c, but smaller than the iPhone 6 1810mAh.

iPhone 6c leaked images

On 21 May the iPhone 6C was spotted online, and it's on Apple's own website of all places. Take this with a pinch of salt because it could just be a Photoshop error, but there's no mistaking that this photo of Apple's new iPhone charging dock with Lightning connector appears to have an iPhone 5C with a Touch ID resting in it.

And if you know the iPhone 5C, you'll know that it doesn't have Touch ID, Apple's fingerprint sensor that sits beneath the home button on the iPhone 5S and later.

Rumours have claimed that the iPhone 6C might be a repackaged iPhone 5S with a Touch ID fingerprint sensor, so it could indeed be the first glimpse of the iPhone 5C 's replacement.

We'll be following this story closely to see if Apple changes the image or reponds to requests for comment.

Apple website 'leak' aside (let's face it, it's probably a rendering mistake) there are very few leaked images of the iPhone 6c, but there have been other sightings, for example, on 30 March, photos (apparently) leaked that appear to show a new iPhone with a colourful plastic chassis, similar to the iPhone 5c, in the smaller size that many are hoping for.

The images suggest that this is a new iPhone because the camera flash has a different shape to currently – oval rather than round - and there are more holes for the speaker at the bottom of the leaked iPhone shots, which were shared by FutureSupplier, a wholesaler of cell phone spare parts based in China.

This picture shows the camera flash on the new iPhone 6c

Here is another apparently, leaked images of the iPhone 6c:

The iPhone 6c speakers, shared by FutureSupplier.

Not content with waiting for leaked images, designers have created concepts of the device. 

There are also plenty of artistic renders of what the new iPhone 6c might look like. For example, 3D Future has come up with the following renders of how a successor to the iPhone 5c might look:

Front and back

Touch ID

The back of the iPhone 6c as imagined by 3DFuture

Image: 3D Future

We quite like iPhonesoft.fr'sone 6c concept, which is slimmer and has an edge-to-edge display.

Designer Martin Hajek has also created a similar concept image:

iPhone 6c videos

To get even more of an idea of that the iPhone 6c might be like, here are some imaginative videos.

One iPhone 6c concept - this time a video - comes from designer Joseph Farahi (below). He's imagined a 4.7in iPhone 6c with colourful plastic chassis just like the iPhone 5c.

SET Solution thinks that the 'c' in iPhone 6c could stand for Curve, so has created a video to show what a curved iPhone 6c could look like.

Other iPhone 6c rumours

It's easy to imagine the changes Apple may decide to make to the iPhone 5c should it decide to continue the product line:

The iPhone 6c could have additional, or different, colours. The five colours used for the iPhone 5c are on-trend for the year 2014, but will they still be fashionable in 2014-2015? If not, Apple may decide to update the colours to suit new fashion trends.

It's also likely that a new iPhone 6c would have an improved camera and processor, and would possibly also be thinner and lighter than the current model. As it stands, the iPhone 5c is slightly thicker and heavier than the iPhone 5s, at 8.97mm and 132 grams compared to the iPhone 5s's 7.6mm and 112 grams.

We also think that if Apple follows this strategy the iPhone 6c will get a Touch ID button for security purposes. 

The iPhone 6c will run iOS 8, which Apple unveiled during its WWDC 2014 keynote. 

Do you think Apple will release an iPhone 6c? Do you think it should? What new features would you like to see in a future iPhone 6c? We'd love to know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Will the iPhone 6c be a repackaged iPhone 5s?

Should Apple follow the format that it did when it introduced the iPhone 5c – repackaging the iPhone 5 in a polycarbonate case – we could expect the iPhone 6c to be a repackaging of either the iPhone 5s.

Rather than introduce an iPhone 6c, a discounted iPhone 5s may become the entry-level iPhone in 2015. The 16GB version of the iPhone 5s may replace the iPhone 5c, but we think that Apple would be wise to repackage in plastic and rebadge the iPhone 5s as the iPhone 6c, perhaps adding an NFC chip while they are at it.

Why Apple should launch an iPhone 6c

Here's why we think Apple should launch an iPhone 6c this year.

1)  We think that Apple needs to continue to offer a 4in iPhone. For some people even the 4.7in iPhone 6 is too big.

2)  While Apple and Apple Shareholders care more for profit and good margins than marketshare, having a lower-cost phone to offer people who haven't yet owned an iPhone is a great way to get them into the ecosystem. It's also necessary for breaking into the huge markets of China, India and Africa.

3)  Apple has for a number of years offered a previous year's flagship model as a low-cost entry-level phone and it's a strategy that has served it well. The iPhone 5c was a slight departure from this practice, but was essentially a repackaging of the iPhone 5 a year after that model launched. Since the launch of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in September 2014 there have been four phones on sale. We expect Apple to continue this practice, but we don’t expect to see the iPhone 6 repackaged as the entry level just yet. The iPhone 5s is a more likely contender for this rebadged entry-level role, we think.  

4)  The iPhone 5c has been a great success, despite complaints that it wasn’t as cheap as expected. Described inaccurately as a flop, Apple was estimated to have sold 24 million iPhone 5c models by June 2014.  By October 2014 it had topped the UK smartphone sales charts. According to Kantar Worldpanel ComTech: "The iPhone 5c was the best selling phone in Britain in August with 8.9% share, outselling the flagship iPhone 5s with 7.6% and the Samsung Galaxy S5 with 6.0%."

5) Reports are suggesting that the iPhone 5s is continuing to sell well, as well as the iPhone 6, in fact, and better than the iPhone 6 Plus. The reason for this is likely to be due to some people preferring a handset that is 4-inches, rather than 4.7- or 5.5-inches. The Kantar Worldpanel’s research indicates that during the three months ending in October the iPhone 5s was the second best selling iPhone in the US, behind the iPhone 6. It accounted for 26% of the devices sold in that period. There are a few other reasons why the iPhone 5s may have outsold the iPhone 6 Plus, one is that supply of the biggest iPhone has been constrained. Another reason is that the three months that ended in October also included almost two months of sales prior to the new iPhones going on sale. Whatever the reason though, it does suggest that there is a lot of interest still in the 4in iPhone model.

Read more about the iPhone 5c.

How successful was the iPhone 5c?

In Apple's 27 January 2014 financial call, Apple CEO Tim Cook effectively acknowledged that the sales of the iPhone 5c were not as high as expected. "It was the first time we'd ever run that particular play before, and demand percentage turned out to be different than we thought. We sold more 5S than we expected," Cook said, tacitly admitting that the iPhone 5c under-performed.

At the time Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster said: "Demand has not been good. [Apple] will discount it and use that as a lever to improve unit growth. I don't think they will get rid of it completely."

Jefferies analyst Peter Misek was even more harsh, he thought the iPhone 5c had a short life-span ahead of it. "I would expect them to cancel the product after the iPhone 6," he said. "Price cuts are not what Apple does. They build products that they are passionate about and then charge accordingly."

However, the iPhone 5c has not been as unpopular as some have presented it to be. The iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c both outsold Samsung's leading smartphones in 2014. Back in May 2014, according to research from Counterpoint, the iPhone 5s was the best selling phone in the UK. During that month sales of the iPhone 5s accounted for 11.1% of the market while the iPhone 5c sales were 11% - in the same period the just-launched Samsung Galaxy S5 saw just 9%. 

Looking at Counterpoint's worldwide data, the iPhone 5s is still out in front, although the Samsung Galaxy S5 moves into second place above the iPhone 5c. 

Furthermore, Apple was estimated to have sold 24 million iPhone 5c models by June 2014.  And by October 2014 it had topped the UK smartphone sales charts, becoming: “The iPhone 5c was the best selling phone in Britain in August with 8.9% share, outselling the flagship iPhone 5s with 7.6% and the Samsung Galaxy S5 with 6.0%,” according to Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.

The iPhone 5c might not have been the budget iPhone analysts were clamouring for, but was to become one of the most popular iPhones ever sold. In fact in August 2014 it was the best selling smartphone in the UK, just ahead of the iPhone 5s, according to Kantar Worldpanel. This was despite the fact that the iPhone 6 was due to arrive a month later. Probably because the less tech savvy iPhone 5c buyer wouldn’t have necessarily been aware of, or been in the market for, the immanent iPhone 6.

That said, Apple CEO Tim Cook did reveal back in January 2014 that the iPhone 5c market share was lower than expected, and in the UK the company did end up introducing an even cheaper 8GB model, which may have been the move that made the iPhone 5c as popular as it is.

We think that despite suggestions that the iPhone 5c has been a "flop" it has proven to be a popular alternative to the iPhone 5s and before that, the iPhone 4s.

What makes the iPhone 5c popular?

First things first, there has been a perception that the iPhone 5c wasn’t a popular phone, this isn’t true.

It’s popular because it’s the most affordable iPhone at £319 for the handset if you were to buy it outright. You can also find good deals on contract, getting the phone for free on a contract a little over £20 a month.

It runs the same OS as the other iPhones - and it will work with iOS 9. The main things it lacks in comparison with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus is the larger screen and Touch ID, and a slightly better camera. Sure the processor is smaller, but for most people this isn’t as important as price.

And while the screen is smaller than that of the iPhone 6, but it’s still bigger than some of the budget phones out there. Plus we like the 4in size as we find it sits comfortably in our hand when we are using it. 

Does Apple need to be in the budget handset market?

Selling a budget iPhone has never really been Apple’s strategy. The ‘budget’ handset has always been last year’s model, or the year previous to that, the iPhone 5c was the first time Apple didn’t just continue to sell the previous year’s model, although essentially that is what it did, it just repackaged the iPhone 5.

Apple cares more for high margins than marketshare but it has found a way to sell a phone that is attractive to those with less cash to spend, without making a loss as many of the other smartphone manufacturers do.

Will Apple discontinue the iPhone 5c?

Rumour has it that Apple is going to discontinue the iPhone 5c before the end of 2015.

There is some credibility to the claim as KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes it to be true, and he is generally quite a credible analyst. Kou claims that iPhone 5c and iPhone 4s production will end in 2015. The 4s is still sold in emerging markets.

When Apple announces the successor to the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus we think it is likely to discontinue the iPhone 5c, with another iPhone taking its place as the entry level model.

So expect the iPhone 5c to disappear in September 2015, or maybe even before then. 

There are several reasons why we think it's a good idea for the iPhone 5C to be discontinued. The iPhone 5c is now only available with a paltry 8GB of storage. Given that installing iOS 8 took up 5.6GB of storage for some, many iPhone 5c users will struggle with future updates unless they use iTunes to update the iPhone – the only way to update to iOS 8 without deleting anything.

The iPhone 5c doesn’t include a finger print scanner and therefore will not be able to support Apple Pay. Despite the fact that it has a fingerprint scanner, even the iPhone 5s cannot support Apple Pay instore as it doesn't have an NFC chip.