Just a few months after the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus hit shelves, rumors are already swirling about Apple's next-gen smartphone.

Apple is reportedly readying a new 4-inch iPhone that would sport Cupertino's latest A9 processor and NFC support for Apple Pay, according to an analyst note from KGI Securities's Ming-Chi Kuo, obtained by AppleInsider.

The phone would resemble the iPhone 5s, though its display would be slightly curved like on the new iPhones, the blog said. It would also come in the standard gray, silver, and gold colors rather than the bright hues on the 5c. And while iPhones typically arrive in the fall, this new device might be released in the first half the year, Kuo said.

A Chinese report, meanwhile, claims the rumored 4-inch iPhone 6c will be announced next month, and go on sale in February. Cited by 9to5Mac, the translated story said the gadget will get Touch ID and an NFC chip to support Apple Pay, but no 3D Touch.

Kuo first predicted the 4-inch iPhone last month, saying that while mobile phones are getting increasingly bigger, there is still consumer demand for smaller devices.

Apple did not immediately respond to PCMag's request for comment. The company is still pushing its current iPhone lineup, recently hiring actor and director Jon Favreau to star in a 15-second ad highlighting the operating system's "Hey Siri" functionality.