iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, iPhone 6C to Launch This Year: Report

While the report suggests that the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus will be the incremental updates from last year's iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, it adds the iPhone 6C will be cheaper variant of the handset that the Cupertino-based giant will launch to tap the emerging markets, which also includes India. All three are due in the second half of 2015.

No reasoning was given as to why the 'S' in the model names will be upper-case. Digitimes suggests that the new iPhone models will pack LTPS panels supplied by various companies including Japan Display, Sharp and LG Display, and will also feature Corning Gorilla Glass protection. The report adds that the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus will use the A9 chips while the iPhone 6C will be backed by A8 chips. Other highlight features such as NFC and fingerprint scanner will be present on all three iPhone expected to launch later this year.

The rumoured 4-inch iPhone has been in news for some time and was claimed to be targeted at "female users". The handset, tentatively called iPhone 6C, is said to replace the iPhone 5c, which was priced in an entry-level to mid-range smartphone segment for Apple, according to sources in Taiwan's handset supply chain. The report stresses that Apple will work on the iPhone 6C's design, pricing and timing of the launch.

One of the sources pointed out, "The adoption of a plastic case for the 5C, which made the iPhone look cheaper than its family products, contributed to lower-than-expected sales of the model." Another sources however added that Apple might still prefer plastic cases for the iPhone 6C as it helps check the production costs.

Further commenting about the pricing of the iPhone 6C, a source added that it should be priced around $400-500 (roughly Rs. 25,000-31,000) in the US. "Shipment performance of iPhone devices in emerging markets, including India, Africa and Latin America, has been flat, as consumers in these markets are more concerned about pricing," notes the report.

The 4-inch iPhone could also tie-in with a recent Wall Street Journal report that claimed Apple is working on a Pink variant of the handset as the successor the iPhone 5c. The report had added the Cupertino giant was looking to use its new pressure-sensitive Force Touch technology introduced in the new 12-inch MacBook to its next iPhone models as well.

In another report Digitimes claims that the rumoured iPhone 6C will be manufactured by Wistron while the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus will be assembled by Foxconn and Pegatron. It adds that Wistron and Compal Electronics joined Apple as manufacturing partners recently and that while the former handles older generation iPhone models; the latter assembles iPads.

Digitimes also suggests that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) will be the main supplier of processors to Apple in the second half of 2015. It adds that the 20nm chips for the iPhone 6C and 16nm FinFET chips for iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus will be supplied by TSMC.