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It looks like the earlier rumors about a 4-inch Apple iPhone model next year may hold more credence than we previously expected. Timothy Arcuri, analyst at Cowen and Company has issued a note to investors recently that claims Apple is working on a new 4-inch iPhone model for next year. AppleInsider has gained access to a copy of the note and has published some interesting details from the note.

Although Arcuri doesn’t confirm that the 4-inch model will certainly launch next year, he does believe that it is highly likely that Apple will launch three new iPhone models in 2015. The first two will be the successors to the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, while the third model will be a 4-inch version. Unfortunately, according to him, the 4-inch variant of the iPhone next year will not boast of high-end specs like its larger screen siblings. Instead, the new 4-inch iPhone may be similar to last year’s iPhone 5s as far as hardware specs are concerned. It will, however, feature a new design apparently, similar to the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Interestingly, Arcuri mentions that the new 4-inch iPhone could feature ‘purpose-built low cost components’ from Qualcomm to minimize price of the handset. Apple has so far only used its custom designed chipsets in its iPhones, so if Arcuri is indeed accurate, it would be the first time that Apple will be sourcing major components from Qualcomm. Currently, the only Qualcomm component that Apple uses are modem chips.

The analyst has also claimed that Apple is working on a new iPad model for 2015 that will sport a larger 12.9-inch display size. The new iPad model will apparently be released in the spring, earlier than usual for Apple. The new larger screen iPad model is expected to ‘reinvigorate’ the tablet market and Arcuri believes Apple will be able to ship around 15 to 20 million units of the 12.9-inch iPad initially.

Would you buy a ‘lower end’ 4-inch iPhone over the larger screen iPhone models with better specs?

Source: AppleInsider