For the previous years, Apple has made it a habit to release two size variants of their phones -- 2015 saw the release of the iPhone 6s and the larger iPhone 6s Plus. However, rumors now suggest that the upcoming iPhone 7 will come not in two but in three size variants.

According to a report from MacRumors, IHS Technology research director Kevin Wand stated via Chinese social media site Weibo that Apple was planning on releasing a smaller 4-inch device in 2016, a sentiment shared by KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Kuo reportedly believes that Apple may release an iPhone 6c, which will be smaller and more affordable than either the iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus. He also states that it might not come with 3D touch, a removal which may lead to the device's lower price range.

Wang, on the other hand, states that Apple might release this smaller phone in mid-2016. This would be a few months early since Apple is known for announcing its upcoming major devices in September and then releasing them in the months that follow. 

Doing so would allow Apple to market the smaller phone to their potential market while still saving room to push their bigger, more powerful devices such as the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in September.

Tech Insider points out that Kuo specifically calls the rumored device the 'iPhone 6c" instead of an iPhone 7c or iPhone 7 mini, hinting that it might not bear the same features as the upcoming iPhone 7 and therefore would not carry its name.

However, fans are now speculating that Apple is leaving the iPhone 6 and 6s lineup as it enters 2016 and may integrate this concept of a 4-inch phone into its upcoming iPhone 7 lineup instead. 

No official release date for any of the upcoming devices has yet been announced but Apple has followed a fairly predictable time table in the past few years and it is expected that an announcement for the iPhone 7 will arrive in September 2016.