If those tiny hands of yours have had trouble grasping the gargantuan devices that flooded the smartphone market this year, don't worry. Apple hasn't forgotten about you.
Over the past two years, Apple has introduced two new iPhones each fall: first, the iPhone 5S and 5C in 2013, then the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and 5.5-inch 6 Plus in 2014. Next year, though, a third iPhone model may make its debut with the successors to the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus—and it'll be smaller, not larger. Analyst Timothy Arcuri told Apple Insider that the company told investors about a new 4-inch iPhone this week that they're aiming to release in 2015. According to him, the phone will be similar to the iPhone 5S but will feature the rounded corners and slimmer design found in the iPhone 6.
Arcuri also mentioned that a 12.9-inch iPad will launch in the spring and the company will ship 15 to 20 million units. That gives the iPhone and iPad lines three sizes for about every pair of adult hands imaginable.
One of the other changes that Apple made this year was to the pricing of its low, mid, and high storage options. The company took its mid and high options (32GB and 64GB) and doubled them—making the iPhone's total storage options 16GB, 64GB, and 128GB. Oddly enough, they chose not to double the low option (16GB). According to Above Avalon, an Apple analysis blog, Apple will make $3 billion in the coming year by not doubling the 16GB iPhone with a 32GB, which seemed to be a natural choice. "Apple's near-term motive behind keeping the 16GB capacity option is pretty clear: get people to buy the 64GB option," the report says. When someone opts to purchase the 64GB version instead of the 16GB (because, you know, 16GB isn't anything these days), they'll be locked into buying the mid-priced option instead of the low-priced iPhone the next time they want to upgrade. So, think about that the next time you're doing some shopping at the Apple Store.
