By Staff Writer (media@latinospost.com) | First Posted: Apr 24, 2015 12:51 AM EDT

Rumor has it that Apple will be launching not just two but three smartphones this year, with the third being a decidedly smaller, budget-friendly version of its in-demand handsets.

Other reports later said that the rumored 4-inch iPhone is not happening. And now, word has it that it's highly likely that the said model will indeed see the light of day, although not this year.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, considered to be a pretty reliable pundit on tech products, reportedly said via a note to investors that "Apple won't launch the 4-inch iPhone 6C until 2016," Digital Trends said.

"The company's reasoning seems to be that the iPhone 5S is still enjoying strong sales among customers, and Apple is reluctant to throw in another device to compete with those sales," the site explained. "He also believes that when the 6C does launch, it will support Apple Pay."

The revelation of what appears to be the plastic casing of the alleged iPhone 6C fueled rumors of the said device's existence. However, considering that the site that leaked the images was considered an unknown, the leaked photos should be taken with a hearty helping of salt. This is also considering that, according to Mac Rumors, Feng.com has not received orders from its supply chain from Apple for the 4-inch smartphone.

With regards to the device's specs, it's been alleged that the iPhone 6C will "likely have a similar design as the iPhone 5c, and possibly have the same hardware as the two-generation-old iPhone 5s, including a 4-inch screen, A7 processor with M7 motion coprocessor, 1GB of RAM, 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and 1,560 mAh battery," the site said.

The making of a smaller and lower-cost handset appears to be an obligatory move for Apple "to comply with customers' desires and continue selling 4-inch iPhones," Digital Trends said. It can be recalled that the iPhone 5, 5C, and 5S - all of which were smaller models - had done well in the market, despite the presence of larger models from other brands.

All these considered, there indeed is good reason to expect a smaller iPhone model. Its release is only a question of when.

Previously, a concept version of the iPhone 6C was released in December 2013 by Set Solution. However, the C reportedly "stands for curve, not color," CNET noted.

"The iPhone 6C concept features a number of different colors like the iPhone 5C , but a pronounced curve on the screen similar to that of the LG G Flex , though the back is flat," the site said.

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