The rumor mill is in full swing with reports that Cupertino, California-based tech giant Apple, is planning to introduce another 4-inch iPhone model in mid-2016 with new hardware. The Apple iPhone 6c will be powered by the new A9 chipset and arrive earlier than the usual time frame, various sources claimed.

Kevin Wang, an analyst at IHS, posted to his Weibo account said that the new iPhone 6c will be similar to the 4-inch Apple iPhone 5s that currently sells for $449, or free with a new two-year service contract.

Wang said the tech giant wants to re-introduce a more improved 4-inch iPhone model with a more powerful A9 processor the middle of next year. The report said that if the rumor is true, then Apple will be changing its calendar as far as launching new iPhone models is concerned.

AppleInsider cited sources as claiming that Apple plans an "earlier-than-usual launch for the anticipated iPhone 7 as well." According to the report, Apple is hoping to finish the development cycle of its latest iPhone 7 faster than its previous records. Despite fast-tracking its development, Apple plans to launch an iPhone 7 that will sport a completely new external design and wants to move away from the traditional new model numbers.

"This year's iPhone 6s upgrade features largely the same external design as the iPhone 6. That has prompted concerns among investors that demand for the iPhone 6s could wane, particularly toward the tail end of the product cycle, as consumers await a new-look iPhone 7 next year. Launching the iPhone 7 in an earlier window of 2016 would be one way for Apple to address those concerns, and to help avoid a potential year-over-year decrease in sales as the iPhone 6s product cycle winds down," the report said.

G for Games was the first to report about the rumor that Apple is indeed planning to launch a faster 4-inch Apple iPhone model and the iPhone 7 simultaneously.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also echoed the claims of Wang who said that Apple is developing a 4-inch iPhone model to be powered by its next-generation A9 processor that it plans to unveil next year. However, Kuo hinted that Apple might stick with a metal casing for the new, smaller iPhone instead of the plastic back casing used for the iPhone 5c.

Kuo also suggested that Apple would withhold its force sending 3D Touch capabilities from the new model, leaving that exclusive to higher end offerings.