New 4-inch iPhone could launch alongside iPhone 7 next year

Not all avid Apple users are huge fans of the latest iPhone models. Although the gadgets have very high-end specs, some do not particularly like their big screens.

With that in mind, Apple reportedly has plans to release a 4-inch iPhone alongside next year's expected flagship, iPhone 7, according to Apple Insider. This information was recently confirmed by Ming-Chi Kuo, one of the analysts who work for KGI Securities. It is expected that the upcoming 4-inch iPhone model will function pretty much like the iPhone 5S, which was the last Apple flagship to sport a 4-inch screen.

The 4-inch model will serve as an alternative for Apple consumers who prefer devices with smaller screens or are looking for more budget-friendly handsets.

After discovering that a huge part of today's tech users are not fans of the bigger units, the Cupertino-based tech giant apparently want to take sales away from Android handsets that have big displays. Apple gave the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus 4.7- and 5.5-inch screens, respectively. These screen measures were also carried over to this year's iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus.

Kuo is convinced that other tech companies will be looking into the lucrative market for smaller models. That said, he expects mass production of such devices to rev up during the first half of 2016. Apple might unveil its new 4-inch device together with its next big-screened flagship sometime in September, which will likely be during its annual event, according to CNET.

Although Kuo has not physically seen Apple's 4-inch device -- nor did Apple contact him about it -- he believes that its exterior will boast a premium, metal look, unlike the plastic casing that was found on the iPhone 5C. It will reportedly have an A9 processor, which was also used in the current models, the iPhone 6S and the iPhone 6S Plus.

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