Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple Launching Larger, Low-Cost iPhone for Emerging Markets Late This Year?
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Market Share
Apple has to do something drastic if it wants to counter Samsungs grip it has on sales in North America of smartphones, never mind the emerging markets since if they dont they will continue to lose market share and with Google and Motorola coming out with a smartphone to try to counter Apple and Samsung the piece of the pie will be ever decreasing.
Apple has to do something drastic if it wants to counter Samsungs grip it has on sales in North America of smartphones, never mind the emerging markets since if they dont they will continue to lose market share and with Google and Motorola coming out with a smartphone to try to counter Apple and Samsung the piece of the pie will be ever decreasing.
What has screen size got to do with class? Lol.
You're just saying that because Apple don't give you a choice.
I have to agree...the statement would have been fine if he didn't slander lower class people....Should have directed it more toward samsung/android if anything.
That would be counter intuitive based on Apple's usual policy of tying screen size to price. The larger the screen the higher the price. It would make sense that any 5" iPhone would follow that rule.
The smaller iPhone 4S would be a more likely candidate for a cheap entry level iPhone for emerging markets.
The smaller iPhone 4S would be a more likely candidate for a cheap entry level iPhone for emerging markets.
If Apple was that concerned about display size the iPhone 5 would have been bigger. It's not like other phones haven't had bigger screens for a while now. It amazes me how many people seem to think Apple's success these days lies in copying what other people are doing.
I dont want a top of the range phone just to be trendy I want it because they work better and have more functions. We are not talking about vertu or anything, look how many they sell. Its a mass market product. My note 2 (cheap plastic android that still doesnt have a scratch on it unlime some other phone....) costs just as much as an iphone. If apple makes a larger phone I may buy it if its their flagship but if its out of date, no thanks.
As long as the device can tell the App Store which device is loading an app, and the App Store sends a version of the app with only that resolution, I say larger screens are inevitable. I believe the current system sends universal apps with all available resolutions, inflating app sizes.
This makes NO sense to me. Bigger iPhone but cheaper? No, no, no! As much as I HATE Android, it's so clear that Samsung has the correct strategy when it comes to multiple phones. If a bigger iPhone is to come (which it absolutely should), it should be the premier device, just like the Note 2 is. It should have better battery life, a faster processor etc. The 4-5 incher should then be renamed the iPhone Mini and feature cheaper internals. This strategy is clearly also working for the iPad. People KNOW that the big iPad is a more premium device, yet many still flock to the mini because of its inherent advantages when it comes to portability! Ultimately, a larger phone would allow for better internals due to space and should reflect that.
I am in China right now and am out and about a LOT. Nearly every phone I see someone using is a big Android device, whether it be HTC, Samsung or whatever. The iPhone is obviously still very popular here but I see just as many big Androids, if not more. I personally don't understand the allure of or want a massive phone but am absolutely willing to concede due to the overwhelming and obvious public appreciation for such devices. The reality is that Apple ARE missing the boat and if they release a crapper, bigger iPhone people will NOT buy it. It needs to be a better, bigger iPhone. What a dumb rumor. It's like saying Apple are releasing a 15" MacBook Pro with worse internals than the 13".
I am in China right now and am out and about a LOT. Nearly every phone I see someone using is a big Android device, whether it be HTC, Samsung or whatever. The iPhone is obviously still very popular here but I see just as many big Androids, if not more. I personally don't understand the allure of or want a massive phone but am absolutely willing to concede due to the overwhelming and obvious public appreciation for such devices. The reality is that Apple ARE missing the boat and if they release a crapper, bigger iPhone people will NOT buy it. It needs to be a better, bigger iPhone. What a dumb rumor. It's like saying Apple are releasing a 15" MacBook Pro with worse internals than the 13".
Never say never, but considering Apple just made a size transition seems to make it unlikely that they will transition again to an optional 5 inch size.
A friend of mine recently purchased a Samsung Galaxy SIII and while she likes it for the most -- actually complained that it felt big in her pocket. As far as watching videos, the long iPhone 5 actually works well. If the screen were wider it would simply create a letterbox border -- not a bigger image most likely.
A friend of mine recently purchased a Samsung Galaxy SIII and while she likes it for the most -- actually complained that it felt big in her pocket. As far as watching videos, the long iPhone 5 actually works well. If the screen were wider it would simply create a letterbox border -- not a bigger image most likely.
That's correct! It's going to be called the iPhad and will be dubbed the iPhail soon after. 
Seriously, we're seeing the evolution of the 'pocket' here.
If phones keep getting bigger then clothing manufacturers are going to have to make our pockets bigger.
Edit:
I was quoting another post regarding "iPhad" but looks they've changed their post. ????
Seriously, we're seeing the evolution of the 'pocket' here.
If phones keep getting bigger then clothing manufacturers are going to have to make our pockets bigger.
Edit:
I was quoting another post regarding "iPhad" but looks they've changed their post. ????
Last edited:
I'm generally a "never say never" kind of person, as the whole world could change in a minute, but I don't see this happening. While Apple has catered to individual markets in the past, e.g. including support for Chinese sites, they haven't done so with hardware, and the way they keep railing on about fragmentation makes me believe they don't intend to start now.
The Apple strategy for penetrating new, fast developing markets, which resulted in a great success for ipod line, always was "start from high end".
As you can see on ipod line, it started from most expensive ever iPods, then gradually cheaper models like iPod mini and iPod nano and iPod shuffle were introduced. At final stage, iPod touch (actually a brand new device with a brand new iOS, not iPod OS) was introduced, a new premium model. All segments of the market were covered as a result, competition was beaten, Apple triumphed. It took approximately 3-5 years to introduce cheaper iPod models to cover fully the low end segments (which means it took 3-5 years to saturate high end market).
![e73234a0918b4fa67062390a6541916f.png]()
For iPads, the high end saturation period came last November or roughly 2.5 years after introduction of the first iPad. At this stage, mini came and began to successfully cover low-end segment with its smaller screen and slower processor (but extremely well designed and built).
For iPhones, it seems that saturation period took same duration as for iPods: approximately 4-5 years and we are close to witnessing first low end iPhone, similar to iPad to cover the missing segment. Historically that role was given to previous generation models such as iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4/4S when newer models were introduced. However, that iPhone strategy no longer works because for iPhone 5, new size 4 inch was chosen.
If iPhone 5S or 6 comes with similar size, it means that it can't be really a distinguishing feature, because 5S or 6 with 4 inch itself is becoming relatively small sized among 4.8-5 inched models. Therefore, the 4 inch model must become the new cheaper model, while we will see introduction of new 4.8-5 inch models as real premium models. I don't think that resolution will change; it will stay as Retina for 5, but just physically the very small pixels will be slightly enlarged still having one of highest resolutions on market. So for games, there is no difference but for web browsing an obvious advantage of a larger screen.
Therefore, I think we going to have
4.8-5 inch model
4 inch
3.5 inch
4 inch being budget model.
As you can see on ipod line, it started from most expensive ever iPods, then gradually cheaper models like iPod mini and iPod nano and iPod shuffle were introduced. At final stage, iPod touch (actually a brand new device with a brand new iOS, not iPod OS) was introduced, a new premium model. All segments of the market were covered as a result, competition was beaten, Apple triumphed. It took approximately 3-5 years to introduce cheaper iPod models to cover fully the low end segments (which means it took 3-5 years to saturate high end market).
For iPads, the high end saturation period came last November or roughly 2.5 years after introduction of the first iPad. At this stage, mini came and began to successfully cover low-end segment with its smaller screen and slower processor (but extremely well designed and built).
For iPhones, it seems that saturation period took same duration as for iPods: approximately 4-5 years and we are close to witnessing first low end iPhone, similar to iPad to cover the missing segment. Historically that role was given to previous generation models such as iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4/4S when newer models were introduced. However, that iPhone strategy no longer works because for iPhone 5, new size 4 inch was chosen.
If iPhone 5S or 6 comes with similar size, it means that it can't be really a distinguishing feature, because 5S or 6 with 4 inch itself is becoming relatively small sized among 4.8-5 inched models. Therefore, the 4 inch model must become the new cheaper model, while we will see introduction of new 4.8-5 inch models as real premium models. I don't think that resolution will change; it will stay as Retina for 5, but just physically the very small pixels will be slightly enlarged still having one of highest resolutions on market. So for games, there is no difference but for web browsing an obvious advantage of a larger screen.
Therefore, I think we going to have
4.8-5 inch model
4 inch
3.5 inch
4 inch being budget model.
Not interested in a larger iPhone, just as I was never interested in a 17" MBP.
As far as "cheaper", what I'd really like is cheaper and more flexible plans. For me it sinks to have to get a $40 voice plan in order to get a data plan. And there are others who think it stinks to have to get a data plan with their voice plan.
It is not the $99 (iPhone 4s) or $199 (iPhone 5) that keeps my parents from getting an iPhone. It is ~ $80 a month (or even $120 on a shared plan) for the plan when they maybe use 30 minutes a month (on their current phone) and probably would only use 25-50mb a month data.
As far as "cheaper", what I'd really like is cheaper and more flexible plans. For me it sinks to have to get a $40 voice plan in order to get a data plan. And there are others who think it stinks to have to get a data plan with their voice plan.
It is not the $99 (iPhone 4s) or $199 (iPhone 5) that keeps my parents from getting an iPhone. It is ~ $80 a month (or even $120 on a shared plan) for the plan when they maybe use 30 minutes a month (on their current phone) and probably would only use 25-50mb a month data.
I feel you. I have no problem with screen size changes as long as they go with a current res (iphone4 5 or even one of the ipads)
Apple has a chance to do something in the smartphone industry that no one else has done:
Make two versions of the same flagship phone, but in different sizes. Samsung raised hopes of this with the GSIII Mini, which turned out to be a piece of crap in a smaller package, not a smaller GSIII.
If Apple makes the 5S or 6 in a 4" form factor, then uses the SAME internal hardware, but makes a 4.8" version, so the ONLY difference between them is the screen, it would make a LOT of people happy. Those of us who don't want a giant phone would be happy because we could still get a compact smartphone that has all the features and speed and high end build that a flagship device deserves (Android has exactly ZERO phones that fit this right now), while offering that same high end flagship experience with a high end 4.8" display for those who want a bigger phone.
If Apple moves their flagship device to 4.8 or 5, while keeping the 4" size as a lower cost alternative, it'll make me rather upset, as I have no interest in anything larger than about 4.2" in a phone, but I still want speed, build quality and high end features. If they make a big phone and make it 'cheap' like the article implies, it'll upset people the other way.
Make two versions of the same flagship phone, but in different sizes. Samsung raised hopes of this with the GSIII Mini, which turned out to be a piece of crap in a smaller package, not a smaller GSIII.
If Apple makes the 5S or 6 in a 4" form factor, then uses the SAME internal hardware, but makes a 4.8" version, so the ONLY difference between them is the screen, it would make a LOT of people happy. Those of us who don't want a giant phone would be happy because we could still get a compact smartphone that has all the features and speed and high end build that a flagship device deserves (Android has exactly ZERO phones that fit this right now), while offering that same high end flagship experience with a high end 4.8" display for those who want a bigger phone.
If Apple moves their flagship device to 4.8 or 5, while keeping the 4" size as a lower cost alternative, it'll make me rather upset, as I have no interest in anything larger than about 4.2" in a phone, but I still want speed, build quality and high end features. If they make a big phone and make it 'cheap' like the article implies, it'll upset people the other way.
Most of these responses epitomise why Steve Jobs was able to invent products people didn't know they wanted. You guys wont know why it's good until they market it to you. It's that simple.
Look... it is CHEAPER to make the device larger. Are you guys serious? It's the SMALL components that are expensive.
GAW!
And? Most people prefer phones that are bigger than the iPhone. I'm sorry but it is clear. If you can't see that you are simply blind. I know the demographic of this site prefers what we have. That's not what the rest of the world likes. Clearly.
Now, so many people quote past marketing spiels. Fragmentation blah blah. The thumb can't reach blah blah.
Apple intends to sell people the best product they can. That product is a bigger iPhone. It's cheaper and more desirable.
Look... it is CHEAPER to make the device larger. Are you guys serious? It's the SMALL components that are expensive.
GAW!
And? Most people prefer phones that are bigger than the iPhone. I'm sorry but it is clear. If you can't see that you are simply blind. I know the demographic of this site prefers what we have. That's not what the rest of the world likes. Clearly.
Now, so many people quote past marketing spiels. Fragmentation blah blah. The thumb can't reach blah blah.
Apple intends to sell people the best product they can. That product is a bigger iPhone. It's cheaper and more desirable.