Connected analyst Kuo says Apple will not release a 4-inch iPhone this year

Late last month, we showed you a picture of what allegedly is the rear plastic case for a new 4-inch iPhone model. According to the speculation, this handset would be called the Apple iPhone 6c and would offer NFC connectivity (most likely to support Apple Pay), TouchID and a Gorilla Glass protected display. But this phone will not see the light of day anytime soon if a well-connected Apple analyst is right.

KGI Securities' Ming-Chi Kuo, who has made some great calls in the past involving Apple, has sent out a note to clients in which he says that the new iPhones to be unveiled later this year will keep the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch screen sizes found on the Apple iPhone 6 and Apple iPhone 6 Plus, respectively. Kuo says that there will not be a 4-inch model produced by Apple this year.

In a bit of a surprise, Kuo says that Apple might name the new models the Apple iPhone 7 and the Apple iPhone 7 Plus. The analyst says if the next iteration of the iPhone debuts Force Touch as rumored, that might be enough of a change to warrant the use of the iPhone 7 moniker. The Force Touch sensor allows the screen to tell the difference between a light touch and a heavy press on the glass. While this is going to be used on the Apple Watch, it would open up a number of new features for the iPhone. Kuo sees Apple making changes to Force Touch next year that would give it a thinner form factor, improving iPhone users' experience in 2016.

source: MacRumors via BGR