In 2012, Apple released its iPhone 5 smartphone with a 4-inch display. Two years later, the company’s management, with an eye on the latest trends among consumer requests, decided once again to increase the screen size of smartphones.

Not everyone accepted the output of smartphones in a larger format with enthusiasm, but this is already an accomplished fact. Nevertheless, throughout 2015, until September, there were rumors that Apple would return smartphones with a 4-inch diagonal display. As always in such cases, evidence of “reliable sources”, supported by several muddy photographs, was cited in evidence.

September 2015 came, Apple made its presentation, everyone was convinced that the form factor of smartphones remained the same, however, rumors about the release of a 4-inch smartphone did not subside.

So, on the Web are distributed pictures of supposedly a smartphone - the "younger" brother of smartphones. If the photos were real, then it would be possible to conclude from them that the mini-version will not differ in any way from the existing two models, except in size.

As evidence that the device is real and not the fruit of the artisanal work of Chinese craftsmen, insiders also report that Cupertino is aware that the current size of smartphones displeased some users and decided to catch up. In addition, it was noted that the model can be positioned as a purely female model - due to its compactness and convenience.



They don’t say anything about the characteristics of the new smartphone, but they are sure that the Cupertinos will announce it before the end of autumn. In general, at first glance the photo captures the standard Chinese “variation” of Apple smartphones, which can be bought at almost any online store in the Middle Kingdom for several tens of dollars with a device quality that matches the price. However, do not discard the version and with the return of the Cupertinians to the old form factor, although it is unlikely.

After the announcement of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, rumors about the launch of the updated 4-inch model of the iPhone somewhat subsided. But Apple, it seems, does not abandon this idea and is going to launch a new version of the compact phone in the near future. This is evidenced by a fresh batch of photographs obtained from unnamed sources.

The photo allegedly shows the iPhone 6s mini. Please note that the device case is made in the new "trendy" color "pink gold". Externally, the device is no different from the current flagships, with the exception of the size of the display, whose diagonal is 4 inches, as on the iPhone 5, iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c.

It is possible that the iPhone 6s mini will be a smaller copy of the iPhone 6s, presented in the same four colors. True, the characteristics of this smartphone on the Web are still silent, but they will obviously be far from those inherent in the latest generation of iPhone.

The launch of the 4-inch iPhone 6s mini is designed primarily for those users who prefer more compact models of a mobile device, rather than “shovels”. It is possible that most of the users of the mini-iPhone will be represented by women. There is no specific information on the release date of the iPhone 6s mini.

Last year, Apple launched the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus smartphones, which are equipped with 4.7- and 5.5-inch displays, respectively, while all previous generations, starting with the iPhone 5, were equipped with 4-inch screens. But already in 2015, the company plans to return to this form factor, as informed sources report.

The undoubted commercial success of the latest iPhone has refuted fears that large screens will be more likely a minus than a plus. Everything happened exactly the opposite. Suffice it to say that the iPhone 6 set a record for Apple products in terms of sales speed - more than 10 million devices were sold in three days. According to a Kantar Worldpane study, 58% of shoppers attribute the purchase of the iPhone 6 Plus to screen sizes.

However, deciding to increase the size of its smartphones, Apple has lost part of its audience. MacDigger offers five reasons why it is advisable for a company in Cupertino to release the iPhone 6s mini.

1. Design

Apple understands that not everyone liked the dominance of large-format mobile devices such as the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus. The company will want to change the current layout. Apple will release a new 4-inch iPhone, based on the convenience of using older models with one hand. Some owners of “sixes” are experiencing problems with this. Also, the new model will appeal to the female audience. We are talking about the fact that the smartphone could fit in a handbag, or about the smaller sizes of female hands.

2. Marketing

The 4-inch iPhone will be similar in technical characteristics to the iPhone 5s, but in terms of design it will get the features of the iPhone 6, including the rounded edges of the case. The model will increase sales of "apple" smartphones, as users are more likely to buy devices in a new form factor than last year's models.

3. Apple Pay

4-inch iPhones have limited support for Apple's payment service. You can only use iPhone 5s for payments in conjunction with the Apple Watch. It is important for Apple to release a model with an NFC module that will work with Apple Pay out of the box.

4. Fitness

The HealthKit platform works with previous generations of iPhone in limited mode. Fitness lovers will be happy to choose a communicator with an expanded set of sensors and compact enough for sports.

5. Performance

The new Apple A9 or A8 processor will provide better iPhone performance. And although this factor is often not determining when choosing a smartphone, for some users this will be an incentive to buy a new generation model.

Recall, the last time Apple released 4-inch smartphones in 2013, announcing the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c. Previously, the company adhered to an even more compact form factor: iPhone 4s and younger models had a screen with a diagonal of 3.5 inches.

At the end of last year, the network constantly published information about the imminent release of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Mini - a variant of the “sixth galaxy” with a screen diagonal of 4.6 inches. A dual SIM version of the Galaxy S6 Mini Duos was also expected.

In the second half of December 2015, the alleged Galaxy S6 Mini was even featured on the product list on the LetsTango website, which is a major online retailer from the UAE operating around the world. The price of the device remained unknown as a result, and the S6 Mini did not take place.

In general, some sources said that the price of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Mini was supposed to be about $ 500. One way or another, buying it all the same will not work, as well as another expected option - the Galaxy S6 Mini Edge.

Nevertheless, the characteristics of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Mini were published in a number of online media, according to which the smartphone should have received a 4.6-inch screen (as mentioned at the beginning), manufactured using Super AMOLED technology and having a resolution of FullHD 1080 × 1920 pixels.

The processor for the Galaxy S6 Mini was planned to be quite powerful, and at the same time not “hot” - the six-core Snapdragon 808. That is exactly what, by the way, LG chose in 2015 for its G4.

It was expected that the smartphone will have 2 Gb of RAM and 16 Gb of internal flash memory, and unlike the original Galaxy S6, it should have received a microSD card slot. The main and front cameras of the S6 Mini were expected as in the base model.

Despite the fact that the Samsung S6 Mini in the end did not come out, there is still a demand for such devices. According to Yandex Wordstat, there are at least 2000 “galaxy s6 mini” requests per month only in this search engine.

Indeed, the Galaxy S5, S6 and S7 with a screen diagonal of 5.1 inches are close in size to phablets and are not satisfied with everything. It would be more convenient for many to have a classic-sized smartphone, even with a slightly less powerful filling.

By the way, Apple, unlike Samsung, went this year to meet the consumer and released the iPhone SE - on the "stuffing" of the iPhone 6, but in the case the size of the good old 5s. The Korean company does not have a similar offer, in this niche Samsung produces only inexpensive devices at a budget level.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Mini as a fake object

And then the ubiquitous Chinese enter the arena. There is a demand - there is a supply! You can still find many offers on the network to buy the “real” Galaxy S6 Mini in various third-rate online stores, as well as in dubious retail outlets, such as the Savelovsky market in Moscow or the Karavaev dachas in Kiev.

Of course, these devices have nothing to do with Samsung. Instead of the relatively expensive Qualcomm Snapdragon 808, they use cheap chipsets from MediaTek. This has already happened once with an example.

Chinese “Samsung Galaxy S6 Mini” in one Ukrainian online store

Characteristics are weaker than originally stated. The unequivocal verdict is it is not worth buying. If you really want an inexpensive smartphone, it is better to buy an “honest” Chinese device.