Case Manufacturers Hedge Their Bets on iPhone 6c, Even Despite Previous Inaccuracies

There’s definitely something to be said about being among the first to successfully achieve something — a feat that’s especially par for the course when it comes to being the first case manufacturer to have their products on shelves when a brand new iPhone is looming on the horizon.

After all, it’s a multimillion dollar business that’s more about the mantra, “the early bird catches the worm,” than anything else — even though the plans and associated investments made in an attempt to cross the finish line first, can just as easily backfire.

All that being said, the race is clearly on — as Apple is almost certain to release a revamped, 4-inch iPhone in the first-half of the year. Experts and insiders and analysts the world over have shed a bright light on that already. However, what they can’t seem to agree on, with no universal consensus in sight, is exactly what the forthcoming handset will entail from a physical form-factor standpoint.

Some, for instance — such as well-connected KGI Securities’ analyst Ming Chi Kuo — believe the so-called “iPhone 6c,” or “iPhone 5se,” or whatever it’s called, will resemble a smaller version of Apple’s blockbuster iPhone 5s handset — adopting the rounded glass screen of its successor, the iPhone 6.

Even still, others believe the impending iPhone will feature a form factor somewhere along the lines of a shrunken down iPhone 6, in and of itself — which would effectively standardize the company’s full line of handsets for the first time in years.

Which leads us to the current dilemma: Insofar as cases are concerned, early bets indicate that manufacturers are leaning towards the shrunken down iPhone 6 form-factor.

Rearth USA, for example, has so far shown off renders of a new case designed for a 4-inch “iPhone 6c.” And even though they’re currently available for preorder, it still remains to be seen if the company has committed to full-on production.

After all, accessory makers have periodically lost out in the past — hedging their bets and placing their money on form factors that ultimately never saw the light of day. And that only makes this gamble even more of a risky proposition, right?

Another such instance occurred in 2011, when Hard Candy placed a $50,000 order for production of case molds based on a rumored teardrop design for the device that would eventually become the otherwise fine-lined iPhone 4s.

Also in 2011, CaseMate prepped for the same type of handset, with a “completely different form factor,” featuring an “extended home button.” Although it’s still unknown if the company ultimately followed through with its plans for mass production.

Learn More: Leaked Video May Reveal New iPhone 6c

Are you planning to buy yourself one of the impending “iPhone 6c” handsets?
What are your plans when it comes to buying a case for it?

[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]