We're just weeks away from the launch of Apple's iPhone 6S range, but reports suggest the tech giant could be planning to release another handset just months later.
Apple suppliers are gearing up for the launch of a smaller 4-inch model dubbed iPhone 6C as soon as November.
It follows reports in May that a smaller, cheaper model would launch before the end of the year and feature the same Touch ID sensor seen on the flagship handsets.
Apple typically launches its new handsets each year at an event in September and this year the firm is expected to release its iPhone 6S and 6S Plus.
These models will be more powerful version of last year's 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 and 6 Plus handsets.
At last year's launch event, Apple had been expected to launch a iPhone 6C following the release of the 5C the previous year but these rumours were proved wrong.
In May, images emerged online - which were believed to have been accidentally leaked by Apple itself - of a 4-inch phone that looked like the iPhone 5C but had a Touch ID sensor on its Home button.
This Touch ID sensor launched on the iPhone 5S and is seen on the current flagship range.
The reports about the November launch date appeared in China Times which claims supplier Hon Hai, which trades as Foxconn, has hired more employees to handle the production of a third device.
It is not know how much the iPhone 6C will cost, but the 5C was marketed as a low-cost alternative to the flagship models and the 6C is expected to follow suit.
The 5C costs £319 ($450 in the US), for example, while the 5S costs £459 ($549 in the US) and the iPhone 6 starts at £539 ($649).
The iPhone 6 range was Apple's first foray into the phablet market, designed to directly compete with Samsung and HTC's larger models.
And by launching a third, smaller and cheaper model, the tech giant could attract a wider range of customers - especially in China.
According to leaked images and analyst reports, Apple's iPhone 6S and 6S Plus will look almost identical to the current versions
But they will have a radical overhaul internally and a new pressure sensitive screen that uses the Force Touch features seen on the Apple Watch.
According to Apple: 'Force Touch uses tiny electrodes around the flexible Retina display to distinguish between a light tap and a deep press, and trigger instant access to a range of contextually specific controls.
'With Force Touch, pressing firmly on the screen brings up additional controls in apps like Messages, Music, and Calendar.
'It also lets you select different watch faces, pause or end a workout, search an address in Maps, and more. Force Touch is the most significant new sensing capability since Multi-Touch. '
Source: DailyMail
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