iPhone 6C release date points to February 2016; metallic design, multiple color variants expected

The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are currently hogging all the limelight but rumors are rife Apple will release a 4-inch iPhone called iPhone 6C in February 2016. It’s said to be a refreshed edition of the iPhone 5S.

Apple is expected to announce the alleged 4-inch iPhone 6C in January and the phone will hit stores by February, according to G for Games that cited unnamed tipsters from Foxconn as its source.

Just as the iPhone 5C came in multiple color options, the iPhone 6C will also arrive in different colors. Moreover, it won’t have a polycarbonate shell but will be clad in metal like the iPhone 6s handset. The Chinese source didn’t reveal more details about the hardware specs of the handset.

The purported iPhone 6C is internally referred to as “iPhone 5S Mark II” indicating it’s an upgraded version of the iPhone 6C.

The iPhone 6C won’t feature the 3D Touch available on the newly released iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus handsets. Also, it won’t be powered by Apple A9 chipset but will embrace the Apple A8 that powers the older iPhone 6 and 6 Plus smartphones.

WCCF Tech has reported the Apple A8 chipset will be coupled 1 GB of RAM. Another feature likely to be available on the iPhone 6C is the Touch ID fingerprint reader. It will be placed underneath the physical Home button.

Some of the other features the iPhone 6C is likely to include are an 8 megapixel rear camera, Wi-Fi 802.11ac and v4.1 Bluetooth. The iPhone 6C will probably come in at around $400-$500 (AU$547-AU$684).

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