New leak suggests iPhone 6C will land as iPhone 5E

Rumours of an imminent iPhone 6C release continue to come through thick and fast, but now it's been suggested the upcoming 4-inch phone could feature a completely different name.

According to Chinese site MyDrivers (via AppleInsider), the colourful iPhone 5C follow-on will forego the widely expected iPhone 6C moniker, and instead be dubbed the iPhone 5E when it makes its way to retailers early this year.

Confused? Well so are we. According to the unnamed insider sources, however, the unconventional naming switch would see the "e" stand for "enhanced".

It has been suggested that the phone will stick with the outdated numerical name due to its smaller 4-inch form - something the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 left behind in 2014.

Given the lack of official confirmation, however, we'd take these claims with a sizeable pinch of salt for now.

Name aside, the entry-level iPhone is shaping up as a solid but uninspired mid-market handset, with the ageing A8 processor tipped to make an appearance alongside 1GB of RAM and the option of 16GB and 64GB storage options.

Recent reports have claimed the iPhone 7-preceding device will drop in March, shortly after the Samsung Galaxy S7 and the Sony Xperia Z6 are expected to make a formal appearance.​