The iPhone 6 release date appears to be approaching real soon as Apple partner retailers are racing to offer the best iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C deals, which analysts read as one sure-fire way to clear existing inventories and make room for new ones.

And U.S. retail giant Walmart is convinced that the best way to make the old iPhone fly off the shelves is to dangle them with inviting sticker price. The16GB iPhone 5S, for instance, is now ready to take home for only $119.

As the usual case, the promotional deal comes with a 2-year contract and customers can choose between AT&T and Verizon, according to CNN Money. Note that when the 5S first came out, the asking price was $200 so the Walmart iPhone package is indeed worth more than a second look.

Even the colourful iPhone 5C is hard to resist now as Walmart shoppers can snap it up for as low as $29, also with lock-in agreements from network service providers.

Compared to the Best Buy price list, Apple fans are set to realise more savings as the iPhone 5S and 5C lure buyers at $150 and $50 respectively in the store with essentially the same terms and conditions.

But the iPhone pricing war is not confined between Walmart and Best Buy, according to 9to5Mac, as Target is also slugging it out by highlighting sumptuous trade-in deals involving the 5S and 5C. As an example, buyers willing to swap in an iPhone 4S or iPhone 5 can get an additional $50 gift card on top of the cash value attached to the old units.

So an iPhone 5 that is appraised $100 for swapping will merit a total of $150 for Target shoppers looking to unwrap and bring home fresh iPhone 5S and 5C, which according to Techno Buffalo Target sells for $150 and $50 respectively with AT&T, Sprint and Verizon contracts.

That would mean the iPhone 5S on Target can be had for free, which should be reason enough for customers to take the plunge.

However, keen Apple watchers are reading the tumbling iPhone prices differently. Like in previous years, attractive price discounts have been attached to something bigger to come, which is an iPhone refresh or the iPhone 6 for this year.

The rationale, especially for iPhone retailers, whenever iOS device prices are hitting the bottom low is Apple has given the green light to wipe out old iPhone stocks as quick as possible because the new edition is coming very soon.

A number of analysts have forecasted that the next iPhone could hit the market as early as June or July 2014 and the rising trends of great iPhone deals only support these projections. However, CNN Money also notes that market forces like saturation could be dictating the development and not the signals that seemingly come from Apple.

Whichever is true, the iPhone 6 release date is almost certainly to happen in the second half of 2014, likely between July and September of the same year with the following killer features: a 4.7-inch display in Quantum Dot technology, a Liquidmetal casing with sapphire coating, a 64-bit A8 chip and iOS 8.