Noted Mobile Phone Leaker Believes 'iPhone 6c' Could Still Launch Alongside 'iPhone 6s' and '6s Plus'

While recent rumors have claimed that Apple has ditched plans to release the so-called "iPhone 6c" until at least the second quarter of 2016, noted mobile phone leaker Evan Blass believes that the 4-inch budget smartphone could still be released alongside the "iPhone 6s" and "iPhone 6s Plus" later this year.

Blass, who has accurately leaked several images and details about unreleased smartphones on Twitter (@evleaks) in the past, recently tweeted that it "sounds like iPhone 6s, 6s Plus, and 6c will all arrive concurrently," suggesting that Apple could release three new smartphones at its annual iPhone event in September.

Blass is better known for leaking Android-based smartphones from handset makers such as Samsung, HTC, Motorola and Huawei, and Apple's release date plans for the so-called "iPhone 6c" appear to be in flux, so his latest prediction should be treated with a proverbial grain of salt and have been shared for discussion purposes only.

"iPhone 6c" release date rumors have widely varied, ranging from the "second half of 2015" to "2016" and "Q2 2016." The much-rumored smartphone is expected to be a long-awaited successor to the plastic "iPhone 5c" budget handset that Apple released in 2013, and could feature new 14/16nm FinFET chips from TSMC and Samsung for improved performance and lower power consumption.