Will this year's new iPhone release be a 6s?

One of the questions that media outlets and Apple fans are asking nowadays is whether the Cupertino-based company will be releasing an updated version of the current iPhone, or if it will instead go for a whole new iPhone concept altogether. 

Apple is one of the smartphone providers that regularly ships out an updated version of a current-gen smartphone instead of rolling out new models. The company designates updated versions of its current lineup with an "s," a practice which started with the iPhone 4s followed by the recent iPhone 5s. The company even came out with a budget-friendly iPhone 5c version. 

With the current pair of flagships, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus introduced last year, media outlets are speculating that the company will be coming out with an updated model this year instead of introducing a new flagship. Speculations circulating around the Web say the company will need more time to prepare for a possible iPhone 7, and with the months counting down, unveling a new model in the iPhone lineup by the end of this year might not be feasible.

Introducing an updated iPhone, however, is more likely to happen since most of the parts and features are already present such as Force Touch technology, which Apple already used for the Apple Watch and the new MacBook. Updating the chipset to the newer A8x processors is already a given, since Apple already inserted the current iPhone 6's CPU into the relaunched iPod touch.

Recent reports and leaks also suggest that Apple will be coming out with an iPhone 6s instead of a new iPhone 7. According to Forbes, leaked images from Nowhereelse.fr show the production line for the front panel of the next Apple smartphone. The photos show that not much has been changed on the outside of the device. The new iPhone will still come with the same display size at 4.7 inches with 1334 x 750 resolution, and will still have the same Touch ID-enabled Home button.