Apple’s smartphone launches are usually fairly extravagant affairs, but its latest handset reveal landed with a dull thud.
That’s because it appears as though the Californian tech giant has accidentally leaked an upcoming handset – the heavily rumoured iPhone 6C.
The leak comes courtesy of promotional images for Apple’s new iPhone charging dock with a lightning connector.
Pictured is a handset that looks distinctly like the iPhone 5C, albeit with what appears to be a Touch ID fingerprint sensor in place of the usual home button.
Apple launched the iPhone 5C back in September 2013, releasing the colourful smartphone series alongside the then-flagship iPhone 5S.
While the iPhone 5S carried the new Touch ID sensor, the iPhone 5C didn’t, so it’s about time for an upgrade.
What’s also interesting about the leak is that the handset pictured appears to be a 4-inch smartphone.
Apple’s previous 4-inch offerings have had 5 rows of apps, just like the one pictured. The 4.7-inch iPhone 6, meanwhile, has six rows.
That gels with earlier rumours that Apple was working on a new 4-inch smartphone for 2015.
Related: iOS 8 review
Currently, Apple’s flagship smartphones measure up at either 4.7-inches for the iPhone 6, or 5.5-inches for the iPhone 6 Plus.
That means the company isn’t catering to a section of the market that find large phones unwieldy, and would prefer more pocketable devices.
Of course, we need to take this leak with a pinch of salt. This could just as well be a simple render error, rather than definitive proof of a new device.
There’s also no telling whether this is the iPhone 6C, or something else entirely, as Apple hasn’t made any official announcements on the matter.
Do you think Apple should refresh the iPhone 5C for 2015? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.