Apple's Low-Cost iPhone Design Said to Be Mix of iPhone 5 and iPod Touch with iPod Classic Curves

[spb3]

will not believe it until i see it.
iphone 4/4s already does this.

[superman23]

Originally Posted by canucksfan88

the 4 and 4s are not "low budget." they are only $0 or $99 because of carrier subsidies. you buy them outright or out of contract they are still $499ish

low budget would be: buying an iPhone with no contract for $100-$250

wont happen, the cheapest ipod touch is $299 and this would undercut that.

[healage]

iLounge is almost never wrong, believe it

[Kolmogorov]

Originally Posted by canucksfan88

the 4 and 4s are not "low budget." they are only $0 or $99 because of carrier subsidies. you buy them outright or out of contract they are still $499ish

low budget would be: buying an iPhone with no contract for $100-$250

Not possible. The budget iPhone has to be much more expensive than iPod touch 5th gen, so $ 450 is more likely.

[stuffradio]

Originally Posted by bushido

wouldnt a low cost, contract free iPhone kill the iPod Touch?

anyway, if they do release one i predict multiple colors like on the iPod Touch (probably plastic) and the "high end" iPhone staying at the "classic" black and white.

Who said contract free iPhone?

[Vodka]

not interested...want more info on a bigger iphone

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Originally Posted by PrayForDeath

Apple is currently selling the iPhone 4 for $450, and the 4S for $550. That's not low-cost for countries where carrier subsidy isn't an option.

This is exactly the reason for the low-priced iPhone rumor. Too many here are U.S.-centric believing that a $0 iPhone 3 is the lowest price possible. But only people like us Americans can be so easily fooled into believing there is such a thing as a "free" phone or a "cheap" phone when we are then signing up for a 2-year fee tail for "service".

The world is different. And with some U.S. carriers looking to move away from the hardware subsidy model, maybe we're finally going to at least consider doing the same. It is almost always the best deal to pay up for the phone and get a cheaper cost of service than buy into the illusion of a "free" phone.

That said though, I still think the spin that a plastic back is going to make much of a difference in cost is silly. Aluminum is not an expensive metal and yes I'm also considering the milling, etc too. A genuine cheap (non-subsidized) iPhone is going to have to make some meaningful cuts to the guts too.

And $299 or $450 is too high for a "cheap" phone. If the goal is to be very competitive on price, Apple needs to be genuinely competitive on price. A premium, cheap phone is not a sensible combination of adjectives. Yes, under $299 means it probably kills the iPod touch. Or maybe this is the next-gen iPod Touch that includes the phone hardware? "But that would kill the iPhone." Cannibalize yourself and make money or let other cannibalize you and take (your) money.

Is any good Android under $299 without a contract? Maybe this will be a product exclusively for emerging markets... like certain high(er) MPG cars priced below near-US-model equivalents and only sold in certain markets where American pricing would never sell?

[bushido]

Originally Posted by stuffradio

Who said contract free iPhone?

well a iPhone 5 on contract is already 1€ here

---

a low cost smartphone to me is something like <199€ without a contract and u can buy it at the grocery store including a prepaid card. apple obviously isnt really the typ to do that

[Kolmogorov]

Originally Posted by spb3

will not believe it until i see it.
iphone 4/4s already does this.

This budget iPhone will be better than 4s, only losing the premium feel. People will definitely buy this one over 4s.

[DJJAZZYJET]

Pfffff, lower cost iPhone. keep dreaming

[goinskiing]

Originally Posted by carlos916

Keep it up apple and ur going to lose customers to the new blackberry phone

Highly unlikely...

[Noctilux.95]

It's plain stupid just to have one iPhone for all. Even Bugatti, about as premium brand as it gets, has plans to add a four door sedan to the $2 million dollar Veyron.
Within a year there will be a bigger and budget iPhone to go along with the current type.

[Waxhead138]

Welcome to the Iphone-Meh

[NOV]

Originally Posted by Wilson1313

I call BS. If they are still using the retina screen, A6 Processor, dual cameras, LTE, etc. then the cost savings for the outside shell are going to be negligible for a low cost version and will not be worth the R&D rather than just selling the previous model, which they have to get rid of anyway.

I didn't read anything about Retina, can't imagine they use that in that phone.

[SmileyBlast!]

Originally Posted by coltman75

I really, really doubt. Apple usually doesn't cater to low-end markets. If they did, we would have had a $600 plastic MacBook years ago.

Are you sure?
There is an iPod for every budget. Such a variety in fact that there is no "Safe Habour" for any other maker of MP3 devices maker.

It is time that Apple did the same for the iPhone. A low cost iPhone is needed in emerging markets like India, China and Brazil. People don't want or need 2 to 3 year contracts to subsidize the phone they purchase.

This is the right move. They really should have done it sooner.

[dotheDVDeed]

Maybe exclusive to the China (and maybe India) market?

edit: SmileyBlast has faster fingers!

[HangmanSwingset]

I could actually see this happening this time around. They moved to the Lightning connector and different screen dimensions. A redesign would make sense, since they probably don't want to keep producing two different types of cables. Also keeps developers happy, because of app dimensions and whatnot. Point being: If they put the iPod touch 5 into a phone packaging, it would eliminate the need for the 4S, in turn cutting the slight fragmentation that Apple has going on right now.

If you follow Apple's typical patterns, it wouldn't make any sense at all... But they haven't been following their typical routine, now have they?

[SmileyBlast!]

Originally Posted by NOV

I didn't read anything about Retina, can't imagine they use that in that phone.

Retina display Specs
4-inch (diagonal) widescreen Multi-Touch display
1136-by-640-pixel resolution at 326 ppi

That pixel density is Retina.

[Macist]

Originally Posted by daneoni

Am i the only one who thinks this is a waste of time? Isn't the 4S/4 more than sufficient for a low cost option?

No. They are dated designs. The 4 is quite sluggish, even for a 'budget' phone. If Apple bring out two phones a year - the premium and the value line - that's better than just using old models to cover the budget end of things.

Further, the iPhone 4 design is, again, a relatively expensive, finicky thing to make compared to a plastic competitor. Sounds like this rumoured phoned could be a kind of compromise between the best-of-the-best product design Apple is known for and something that's cheaper and easier to churn out in the Chinese sweatshops.

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Originally Posted by DJJAZZYJET

Pfffff, lower cost iPhone. keep dreaming

Pffff, lower cost iPad or smaller iPad. Keep dreaming.

And then... "Introducing iPad Mini"

And then... "shut up and take my money", "I'm already in line", "best iPad ever", etc

A lower cost iPhone that will run iPhone apps would sell like crazy. There's a huge market that just can't afford the "premium" iPhones as they've been offered (and no free* is not free for this crowd).

[aerok]

I atually prefer this design to the current, I hope the rumors are true.

[xraydoc]

No.

[ritmomundo]

Originally Posted by Razeus

I don't understand this low cost thing. Isn't that what selling the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S is for???

Exactly. I'd much rather buy a premium-build 4S or 4 rather than a crappy plastic version for the same price.

[Radio]

Every single time u guys say it won't come out

It comes out!!!!

Accept it!

[Carniphage]

In my view, in 2013 Apple will launch an iPod touch with 3G/4G.

It might well look like this.

The device is not a low cost phone. But a low cost internet connected device.
A voice app may be included. And it would of course support Skype and other VOIP applications.

Price will be about $350 - $399

The strategy has a number of advantages.
1) It will not significantly cannibalize the iPhone and it's premium.
2) It will sell without a contract in channels that other phone makers can't easily touch. In supermarkets and music outlets and electronics stores.
3) To teenagers, gamers, social networking enthusiasts - it will be a perfect device.
4) While Samsung has an advantage in carrier shops, this takes the battle elsewhere.