iPhone 6S Mini? Chinese Website Claims To Have Leaked Specs Of New Apple Smartphone


Could Apple be returning to its roots with the latest iPhone 6S? A Chinese website has claimed the technology juggernaut has designed a new smartphone dubbed the iPhone 6S Mini.

While it is difficult to decipher the specifics of the new iPhone due to website MyDrivers being written in Chinese, Forbes has a breakdown of the new iPhone’s specs:

“an Apple A9 chipset, 2GB of RAM, a 1,642mAh battery and a 4-inch 1136 x 640 pixel display. Yes, these are very similar specifications to the iPhone 6S (A9, 2GB RAM, 1715 mAh battery) alongside the same screen size and resolution as the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C. So what makes them so exciting? How they are combined.”

Forbes said the combination of a smaller yet more powerful battery combined with a smaller screen size can form the perfect smartphone for users who have desired better battery life, and the smaller model iPhones Apple had previously been known for prior to the launch of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. It would also be a return to the smaller devices Apple co-founder Steve Jobs had long championed in his second round at the company. Under new CEO Tim Cook, Apple’s devices have increased in size with the iPhone 6 and the latest iPad Pro being distinct examples.

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A Chinese website is reporting Apple is developing a new iPhone 6S Mini, with development expected to begin in January or February 2016. (Photo by Cole Bennetts/Getty Images)

In addition to the possible iPhone 6S Mini, Apple has also been pushing the Apple Watch as smaller technology that could appeal to the masses. The difference between the iPhones and the Apple Watch? While Apple’s iPhone models have continued to dominate the smartphone market against major and growing competitors like Samsung’s Galaxy, some believe the Apple Watch has lagged its competitors, as Apple does not release specific sales figures for the new device. That is expected to shift, though, according to website 9to5 Mac. The website reports market intelligence firm IDC as forecasting Apple Watch sales of only 45.2 million units by 2019, a growth rate annually of 36.5 percent. At the same time, Android smart watches are expected to grow in annual sales by 80.5 percent.

In spite of the slower growth rate in the next three years, the same forecasters are predicting Apple will eventually capture 51.1 percent of the market within three years versus Android’s 38.8 percent at the same time.

Even though Apple will dominate the market, it is currently being helped by “a number of significant price promotions available recently at levels which suggest discounted supply from Apple,” 9to5 Mac reported. Such moves are generally unheard of from Apple, at least on newer devices such as the Apple Watch. In years past, no such moves have been made to prop up sales of iPhone, iPad, and iPod devices, though cellular providers have offered discounts for contracts. Such contracts are quickly becoming a thing of the past, though it is expected Apple will continue to see strong profits.

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Apple currently dominates the smartphone market is expected to dominate the smart watch market by 2019. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

As for the latest iPhone 6S model, Forbes said the iPhone 6S Mini is more of a unique unit rather than an updated so-called iPhone “C” model, noting the improved battery life, the case which resembles the regular and plus models, as well as the price point. As for that price point, Forbes said “it could cannibalise sales of the 6S and 6S Plus.”

So when will this latest model hit the market? It could hit as soon as September, the same month an iPhone 7 model is expect dot hit the market with an expected “A10 chip and 3GB of RAM,” Forbes noted. MyDrivers is quoted by Forbes as saying mass production of the iPhone 6S Mini could start as early as January or February of this year.

When the latest iPhone is released, will you go with the top of the line model, or will you go for the cheaper iPhone 6S Mini?

[Featured image by Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images]

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