If Apple did this, Apple fangirls will not be able to defend their product by saying how Android phones use plastic, etc. etc.
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Low-Cost iPhone to Use Plastic or Hybrid Plastic/Metal Design, Due in Late 2013
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But... they're not really getting an iPhone. They'll be getting a cheap plastic piece of crap like every other smartphone on the market.
If they still insist on having an iPhone, they're better off getting an iPod Touch and a REAL cell phone... it's a wonderful combination and much cheaper.
The "plastic haters" lives are about to change. Apples going to knock them off their high horse & prove that plastic is an excellent material to use.
All other manufacturers already knew this, only the elitist Apple worshipers programmed by Steve, were convinced if it wasn't aluminum it wasn't worth buying.
My how things change.
All other manufacturers already knew this, only the elitist Apple worshipers programmed by Steve, were convinced if it wasn't aluminum it wasn't worth buying.
My how things change.
Why the hate on for plastic? Not everything plastic needs to look ugly and besides most people put their phone in a rubber case so who really cares what it's made of?
I reckon this'd be good:
*A5 Chip.
*8GB & 16GB Models.
*3.5" Retina Display.
*Plastic case, similar to the 3GS.
*5MP rear camera, 1.2MP front camera.
*3G & WiFi Connectivity.
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Apple already have proven it, with the iPhone 3GS. But the way some people talk about plastic you'd think it's defined in the dictionary by: Crap, cheap, tacky.
Many companies sell $149 phones. It must be worth it to them, or else why would they bother?
Samsung sells a $149 phone and a $699 phone. And every price in between. All their bases are covered.
Apple chose to start their phones at $449... which is unreachable to many people.
I'm thinking $299 would be a good starting price... which would still earn them $150 in profit.
That's still better than making ZERO dollars when someone buys a competitor's phone.
i would be surprised if it were made of plastic. iv said it before already -
apple Shouldn't make a cheap quality Phone, they should be making a Phone for a different user.
unfortunately, as far as i can tell, the Phone market doesn't seem to have different user types, the only difference i know of in users is what they can afford.
its not like the iPod or Mac line, that have different products for users that want to use the product in different ways (i.e. portability>power>production)
iPod (portability>size, interaction, amount of music, users who just want music and content, not OS.)
iPad (portability>size)
how can iPhone be done? i can see Apple making a braoder range of iPhone sizes, like their Macs: 15 inch mbp, 13 inch mbp, etc..
because there IS a market that want bigger screens, for bigger experience of content.
but what about the way people use phones? what kind of uses o a phone is so different to experience from eachtother, like the iPod line?
if these arent reasons why apple makes a an iphone that costs less, and its simply to have a more affordable cheaper phone to sell more units, then apple's becoming a different animal. an animal that won't survive. back to the old days.
apple Shouldn't make a cheap quality Phone, they should be making a Phone for a different user.
unfortunately, as far as i can tell, the Phone market doesn't seem to have different user types, the only difference i know of in users is what they can afford.
its not like the iPod or Mac line, that have different products for users that want to use the product in different ways (i.e. portability>power>production)
iPod (portability>size, interaction, amount of music, users who just want music and content, not OS.)
iPad (portability>size)
how can iPhone be done? i can see Apple making a braoder range of iPhone sizes, like their Macs: 15 inch mbp, 13 inch mbp, etc..
because there IS a market that want bigger screens, for bigger experience of content.
but what about the way people use phones? what kind of uses o a phone is so different to experience from eachtother, like the iPod line?
if these arent reasons why apple makes a an iphone that costs less, and its simply to have a more affordable cheaper phone to sell more units, then apple's becoming a different animal. an animal that won't survive. back to the old days.
Apple would save tens of millions by switching from machined aluminum to polycarbonate.
If Apple goes this route it is probably about creating a device that can be purchased cheaply unsubsidized.
However, Apple has a unique version of cheap, and I would expect $499 for a 16gb model, which would be $150 cheaper than iPhone5.
Personally, I would have no issue wit Apple creating something along the lines of the HTC One X which I think is a great looking design.
It would be worth it... Just. They wouldn't make much profit at all on $149 phones like the Galaxy Y - But most companies don't have standards as high as Apple's when it comes to profit margins. If they don't make a hundred dollar POS, someone else will, so they may as well go for the $20 or whatever profit on each phone. Better them than another company.
Not me, for sure, but part of what makes the Apple brand the Apple brand is stuff like the aluminum casing, the glass and metal surfaces that are flush with each other... it's a high quality standard. And I'm afraid this is one step towards cheapening the Apple brand like happened in the 90s when the Macintosh line was diced into dosens of different models that were all indistinguishable from the rest of the competition. Then Steve Jobs came back and straightened things out, saved the Mac line and turned Apple into the most valuable company in world!
But Steve is gone now.
And I as much as I despise smartphones, I'd hate to see Apple's uniqueness flounder as it panders to the tasteless masses' lust for black plastic pieces of crap they can just as easily get from Samsung or LG or RIM or Microsoft or Sony or Nokia or Google or any of the other 800 phone companies.----------
And on top of that, they'll still probably hook you with a contract where you pay $30-$50 every month which is a net gain of *caculates*... $0.
This would be perfect. I am on a 3GS right now and it runs iOS 6 fine, if you can tolerate the lag opening some larger apps. If they could update the 3GS to be even just a *bit* faster and tolerate iOS7 I would gladly upgrade.
Because 9 outta 10 it the cheaper iPhone will support LTE, and the 5th generation wifi and whatever Apple see fit for an affordable price. The 4 is outdated. So is the 4S on the CDMA side of things
Isn't there already a cheaper iPhone? I think it's called the iPhone 4S. And there's also a practically free one that's the iPhone 4. Why waste the time and resources to make an even cheaper phone and spend time manufacturing it with the already high demand of the whatever new one Apple will introduce. Makes no sense to me.
swingerofbirch
macrumors 68040
I carry a dumbphone and iPod touch not because the initial cost of the iPhone is too high but because the contract is prohibitive relative to the value for an immobile person like myself. For me the overall cost would need to come down. I'd even buy an iPhone like phone without cellular data, in short an iPod touch with voice. The market for dumbphones is ripe. I haven't upgraded for several years because the dumbphones haven't improved and costs have gone up.
Idea has merit:
3G-S plus RAM (for later iOS), maybe dual Mic for Siri support?
As above, LTE?
Clear plastic case? (they could counter the "cheapness" with the "also beautiful on the inside" gimmick)
The smartphone side of a 3g-s is plenty for most people who don't want to play games - but the network side and RAM is lacking.
And both companies are successful while still maintaining a full product line covering all price ranges.
Can you believe Toyota is responsible for the $14,000 Yaris and the $120,000 Lexus LS Hybrid?
I think people are worried that a cheaper iPhone will cheapen the brand. I'm not so sure. Think different products for different people.
A Lexus buyer isn't looking at the Yaris... and a Yaris buyer can't afford a Lexus at all. But both cars have a market.
If Apple produces a $300 plastic "budget" iPhone... it will be an additional model to compliment the metal "good" iPhone. The good iPhone isn't going away.
I hope they don't do this and pull a Sony/Samsung/Nintendo on us. This is Apple, and they are based out of AMERICA, the least they could do is offer ALL of their products here.
If I like the design of the item, of course I am going to buy it. Also this cheaper iPhone is perfect for people with kids who want iPhones, but don't want their kids walking around with $650+ phones. Kind of like what the iPod mini was.
I'm going to have to copy this to my clipboard soon:
This phone is designed for the prepaid 3rd world market.
Agree with this.
As a business, we could certainly use the cheaper iphones for our users so they have email support, etc at lower cost. We couldn't give a crap if they won't run the latest games.
+1
Can't wait for screens larger than 4" down the road as well and see what they have to say.