Apple is said to be working on improved version of iPhone 5s

Nov 4, 2015 10:35 GMT  ·  By

Apple is again looking into ways to build a more affordable iPhone that could be marketed as a “budget model” (we’re pretty sure that the term budget will still have nothing to do with Apple’s iPhone lineup, though). According to a new report, the first project in this direction is a 4-inch device.

Citing KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, AppleInsider says that Apple is planning to mass-produce a smaller iPhone in the first half of 2016, which basically means that the public launch could take place during the fall, most likely together with the new iPhone 7 lineup.

Although it’s very difficult to imagine a budget iPhone, the source claims that Apple won’t go too far in terms of lower specs, so the new model will still come with features that would still beat competition in this category.

A9 chip

First and foremost, the upcoming 4-inch iPhone is very likely to be a direct successor to the iPhone 5s, which is the very latest model coming with a screen of this size. So the upcoming iPhone will more or less be an improved version of the iPhone 5s, but with several upgrades and differences.

For example, word has it that Apple is looking into a metal case that would give a premium finish to the device, but also into the company’s A9 chip that’s currently available on the latest-generation iPhones. The iPhone 5s features an Apple A7 CPU, 1 GB of RAM, and an LCD display measuring 4 inches and a resolution of 640x1136 pixels.

High-end features such as the 3D Touch pressure-sensitive screen won’t be available on this model as part of the company’s efforts to make it a little bit more affordable.

Obviously, there are too many unknown details in this case, so don’t take anything for granted right now. It’s not the first time we hear about a budget iPhone, so we’ll only be sure that it’s real when it comes out.