As we head further into 2014, much of the focus of Apple (AAPL -0.00%) investors is increasingly shifting to Apple's already widely anticipated iPhone 6.

While Apple's coming iPhone upgrade could perhaps recharge Apple's growth rate more than most investors realize, Apple also recently pulled another lever to hopefully support what's quickly becoming the weak link in its iPhone empire without causing much of stir.

Apple's lower, low-cost iPhone
Apple doesn't do cheap well. That's why so many questions swirled around its new low-cost iPhone 5c when it was first released last September.

Source: Apple

And, as many people thought may be the case, the iPhone 5c has subsequently turned into a flop, selling far fewer units than most had hoped for. Even more surprising, Apple's iPhone 5c has proven a major disappointment in emerging markets, where Apple likely hoped the device would perform the best.

However, in hopes of addressing this nagging issue, Apple recently released a smaller 8 GB version of its iPhone 5c in select markets that once again reduces the price consumers will have to pay for Apple's entry-level iPhone. So will this work? And what will the financial implications be for Apple's key profit driver?

In the video below, tech and telecom analyst Andrew Tonner discusses Apple's recent move and the implications it could have on the company and the broader iPhone 5c lineup this year.