An exciting rumour is making the rounds online claiming that tech giant Apple will release a "free" iPhone this year along with the rumoured iPhone 6 and cheaper iPhone 5S.

There are whispers that Apple will introduce a subsidized smartphone that will negatively affect the rival smartphones.

According to the rumours, iPhone 6 and the cheaper iPhone will either be released this year or early next year. However, it will be joined by an unnamed iPhone alternative that costs absolutely nothing as long as you are under a contract of a particular carrier.

This is not the first time that Apple will offer a free iPhone. When the iPhone 4S was first revealed, the iPhone 3GS was offered for free in networks with the iPhone 4 then taking the middle spot for pricing between the two nicer and slightly less nice handsets.

With the next iPhone being a release that will be a surprise to no one later this year, we can expect at least one device to continue to be free. It would make sense that this slot would be taken by the iPhone 4S.

On the other hand, Apple is speculated to unleash the two handsets in August of this year and early next year. According to AppleInsider, Chinese company Foxconn, the manufacturer behind most of Apple's products, will exclusively produce the iPhone 6 and iPhone 5S.

Very little is known about the upcoming smartphones. However, it is speculated that the cheaper iPhone will have the same specs and features like that of the iPhone 4 or 4S, with a few additions.

AppleInsider also reported that either the iPhone 6 or the iPhone 5S would land in China Mobile, the largest cellular service provider in China. Many analysts believe that Apple's growth will be severely limited until it is able to sign a deal with China Mobile, which has nearly 700 million subscribers.

Japanese blog Macotakara, which has reported accurate details surrounding unannounced Apple products in the past, claimed that the upcoming iPhone 6 and iPhone 5S prep with a 4.5 inch screen display and polycarbonate body for its 2014 release date.

According to the blog, the new iPhone will feature a polycarbonate body similar to the material used on Apple's discontinued base-model MacBook laptop. The new handset will supposedly feature a larger 4.5-inch display and will be slightly thicker than current iPhone models as well.

Apple reportedly hopes to hit a retail price point of $330, which is significantly lower than the $650 unsubsidized price of the current iPhone 5.

Apple are expected to include an improved camera in the iPhone 6 and/or iPhone 5S which is rumoured to be capable of taking "Super HD" pictures. In order to take snaps at that resolution it'll need to have at least a 13 mega-pixel camera.

The lack of NFC support on the iPhone 5 was one of the biggest criticisms aimed at Apple's smartphone. Rumours suggest that the iPhone 5S could include support for the contact-less technology which can be used to pay for items in retail stores. Other features rumoured to be included in the handset is the A7 quad core chip processor, Retina or IGZO screen display among others.