Apple may be working on 4-inch iPhone

Apple is currently working on a 4-inch iPhone that's set for release in 2015, according to reports.

Evidence of the move comes from the Electronic Times of Taiwan, supported previous claims that Apple could be returning to smaller devices following the success it had with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in 2014.

The site claims the supply chain for production next year includes parts for an iPhone model markedly smaller than its most recent handsets.

One reason for the change is, the report claims, "for the convenience of single-handed operation of female users," who we guess have smaller hands and find it difficult to use phablets such as the iPhone 6 Plus.

The plans are to make a new budget' phone for the company, taking the place of the iPhone 5c, which has previously been Apple's cheapest handset. It was discontinued as soon as the iPhone 6 was announced back in September this year.

With 4-inch, 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch models, PocketNow theorises Apple could standardise their line-up and introduce a truly budget option.

Product marketing executive Greg Joswiak announced that Apple had no plans to produce a cheap smartphone at the Code/Mobile conference in October, saying: "We were talking about some of the mistakes Apple made in the 90s, and some of it was trying to do things like making cheap products that were chasing market share instead of chasing a better experience.

"Our goal is to make the best products with the best experience," Joswiak continued. "We believe that if we made a better product and a better experience, that there will always be a healthy market for that. And a healthy market doesn't mean we have to be marketshare leader."

A more affordable iPhone had been rumoured for some time, attributed to the desire to compete with Android in the low-end devices market.