It started out so simply: each year Apple would introduce one new iPhone. Sure, you could choose storage capacity, and eventually color, but there was only one phone. Back in 2013, Apple first started showing signs that it was ready to mix things up, and launched a pair of new iPhones: the 5S and the 5C. Now you could argue that the 5C shouldn’t really count, as it was more a repackaged iPhone 5, but that only set the stage for last year, when we got two undeniably distinct iPhones with the debut of the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus. To hear the latest rumor, this year Apple will do us one better and deliver three new iPhone models, including the return of a smaller option.
The rumor claims we’ll be seeing Apple come back with an iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, but those will be joined by a new four-inch model, and while the name doesn’t sound too confirmed, it appears that industry sources have taken to calling it the iPhone 6C.
Beyond just being smaller than the other two, the iPhone 6C could also mirror the 5S/5C relationship by running slightly different silicon than the 6S, using Apple’s A8 SoC again, instead of moving forward to an A9 chip. But other than that, these three devices sound very similar, all tipped to feature Touch ID scanners, support NFC, and have Gorilla Glass-protected screens.