Apple Launching Larger, Low-Cost iPhone for Emerging Markets Late This Year?

[MacRumors]

Digitimes reports that Apple is planning to launch a new low-cost iPhone during the second half of this year, targeting emerging markets such as China with a new design and larger display.

Apple will roll out a low-cost version of the iPhone for China and other emerging markets in the second half of 2013, according to supply-chain sources.

Some sources claimed that they have seen the sample of the low-cost iPhone, which will come with a larger display, meeting the prevailing trend for the adoption of 5-inch displays for high-end models. They added that the low-priced iPhone will also have a brand new exterior design.

5.5-inch Samsung Galaxy Note II vs. iPhone 5 (Source: phoneArena.com)

Rumors of a low-cost iPhone for such markets have circulated for years, although they have generally focused on a smaller "iPhone nano".

Just last week, analyst Brian White claimed that Apple could be looking to launch multiple sizes of the next iPhone to address different markets. We did, however, note some of the obstacles to further increasing the iPhone's display size given that Apple has just gone through such a transition with the iPhone 5.

Article Link: Apple Launching Larger, Low-Cost iPhone for Emerging Markets Late This Year?

[Macdude2010]

Nope, too much pain for the developers

[mattopotamus]

how would a larger phone be lower cost? Will it just be a bigger screen in a cheap body.....making us again choose between size and current standars/form factor (mini/ipad comparison)

[kajakfahrer]

i heard something like this some years later, but nothing happend.
apple will ever be expensive.

[justperry]

I believe it when I see it.

[iRCL]

Make cheap phone with a huge display, to appeal to lower class people. Sounds like Android in USA!

[iMacFarlane]

Hmmmm . . .

Lower cost components?
-Non retina
-Big display
-Older processor
-Minimal storage

Hey! It's the iPad Mini!!!

[nick_elt]

larger iphone yes please. But not a low cost one. keep that crap for android.

[kcamfork]

This doesn't make much sense. A larger display, but cheaper. Of course, they would probably withhold this from countries in Europe and North America. I'm guessing it would be an oversized iPhone 4/4S. Underpowered parts, large display.

I think it would be nice if the price of the iPhone was based on things other than storage size. I'm tired of being gouged for an extra $100 for a 32GB model when it only costs Apple $7 extra for the 32GB chip.

[any-key]

Apple going to cover cheap markets? Please not.

Leave it to Samsung to create those cheap and ridiculous tablet sized phones.

[bushido]

lol at u people thinking an iPhone is still something thats only for the "rich spoilt brads" and "privileged" people

that may have been the case in 2007 but that has changed years ago. now everyone has an iPhone and some of those "cheap plastic" androids are just as pricey if not more expensive (u can get the iPhone 5 for 1€ on a 29€ plan here)

anyway, why invest into RaD if u could just sell the iPhone 4 for like 199€ without a plan
(would make the iPod Touch even more useless tho)

[AlphaHumanus]

Originally Posted by iMacFarlane

Hmmmm . . .

Lower cost components?
-Non retina
-Big display
-Older processor
-Minimal storage

Hey! It's the iPad Mini!!!

I had a similar thought.

[macduke]

Some sources claimed that they have seen the sample of the low-cost iPhone, which will come with a larger display, meeting the prevailing trend for the adoption of 5-inch displays for high-end models.

This sentence doesn't make any sense.

Furthermore, when has Apple ever tried to take out a high-end market by undercutting on price? That's usually what their competitors try to do.

I have about as much faith in this rumor as I did in the rumors of Apple releasing a netbook. Just watch—sometime in the next couple weeks some analyst will release a story about how Apple is suddenly doomed because it isn't entering the low-cost 5" phone market. Ridiculous.

[applesith]

Another screen size change so quickly? The should have just gone for it with the 5 instead of doing it again. But, I'll believe it when I see it.

[Joe-Diver]

Not gonna happen. An iPhone is an iPhone. Period.

The only way we'd see this.....Apple licenses IOS for use in other devices. Then, and only then, would we see "various" iPhones.

And that's NOT gonna happen.

[kyjaotkb]

1. See Samsung and others buid high-end behemoth 5+" phones, while the iPhone is 4"
2. Launch low-end 5" phone
3. See everyone start thinking that 5" phone = low-end phone
4. See the high end of the market go back to 4" phones
5. Profit

This may be genius... Discredit Samsung, LG and everyone by letting customers think that big = crappy. And give strength back to the small form factor of the flagship high-end iPhone...

[CBJammin103]

Is this a joke?

In other news Apple is releasing a plastic, portable Mac Pro for sale only in Sub-Sarahan Africa. Equally probable.

[GoldenJoe]

Originally Posted by Macdude2010

Nope, too much pain for the developers

This. Also, remember that time when Apple was behind in PC marketshare, so they made a really cheap low end model to keep up with Dell and Acer?

Oh wait.

[CKalgren]

this is how much size matters: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNBP18nrRdw

[Eduardo1971]

I find this hard to believe-maybe they mean that when the 5 'S' is released they will offer the 5 at the reduced iPhone rate (like they do currently with the 4 and 4 'S').

[iMikeT]

The low-cost iPhone is all ready out, it's the iPhone 4 that costs $0 with a contract. Anything else is the rumormill going full throttle with more baseless iPhone rumors.

By the way, that Note looks similar in size to the iPad mini when it's next to the iPhone 5. Why oh why would anyone really use something that might as well be a tablet as a phone? Don't people realize that those iPad mini wannabes look ridiculous when held to the ear as a phone?

I say to let devices do what they do best, in the sense of having them do what they were designed for, rather than meet at some weird in between size to satisfy the whiners.

[b11051973]

I hope Apple doesn't wait another 5 years before increasing the screen size again. I'd love an iPhone with a 4.5" or 4.7" screen. Screen size is the number one reason I've thought about moving on from the iPhone.

I don't want a Galaxy Note sized screen though. There are the new phones coming with the 5" 1080p screen. I wouldn't mind that.

[nfl46]

At this point, I wouldn't put anything past Apple. We do have an iPad Mini with a non-retina screen. Most people said there wouldn't be a smaller iPad.

I guess we shall see in the upcoming months...

I still think 4" is too small. The 4.8" S3 feels good in the hand and doesn't look massive in person.

[TheHateMachine]

Originally Posted by iRCL

Make cheap phone with a huge display, to appeal to lower class people. Sounds like Android in USA!

Dripping with elitism. Do you cuddle with your Apple products at night and while you kiss them murmur... "People will like me, they must love me. I buy Apple!"

[MonkeySee....]

Never going to happen.