Apple could keep making 4-inch phones in 2015

With the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus Apple finally embraced larger screen sizes and while the new handsets went down well it meant there were even fewer options for anyone who wants a smaller phone without sacrificing specs, beyond buying last year's iPhone 5S.

If you fit that profile you might be in luck, as G4Games spotted a report from Asia that Apple may be returning to the 4-inch form-factor in 2015. This rumour, which supposedly originates in Apple's Chinese supply chain, states that a 4-inch iPhone will be launched in the second half of 2015.

But it won't be a replacement for the new larger breed of phones that Apple has started building, instead it will sit alongside them, giving buyers a choice of sizes.

Premium or budget, that is the question

What's not clear, assuming the rumour is even true, is where this 4-inch phone will be positioned in Apple's line-up. Will it be placed alongside the iPhone 6S / iPhone 7 as a top end handset in a smaller size or will it be a cheaper alternative, perhaps replacing the iPhone 5C?

That remains to be seen, but for now anyone who was disappointed by the size of Apple's latest phones at least has some hope to cling to.

• The iPhone 7 could be in for some serious camera improvements.