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

daneoni said:

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?

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1. This will be more durable... Able to take more knocks.
2. This will push all the pocket iOS devices to ONE screen size so Apple can make a new size for iPad mini.
3. It keeps the same guts as iPhone 5 which are twice as fast as 4s. But puts them in a cheaper wrapper that will make phone companies happier. Stamped metal or plastic backing removes the expensive machined aluminum, glass, and external antennas... The overly expensive fancy stuff distracting from iPhone just being a plain good phone... Like the 3GS was.

sbrhwkp3 said:

This is completely anti apple. A cheaper version of a product to attract the budget people. That's not what they do. They innovate and create an awesome product that makes the low budget people pinch pennies to afford it. And they always do!

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There always comes a point in the future revenue projections where the premium (priced) product-maker forecasts declining sales volumes because those that can buy their product have and those that will pinch pennies to also buy have too. Then the decision is to settle for that leveling off of growth that will follow or build something to expand the pond from which new buyers can be fished.

My guess, except via Ebay and black market imports, this product won't be sold here (in America). We're dumb enough to believe "Free*" is free and pay the premium (and then some) through a contract commitment.

I find this plausible, at least. Plastic is weaker than metal, especially on sharp corners. So they'd likely change the sharp back edges of the iPhone to rounded contours of some kind.

The iPhone 3G/3GS was a terrific plastic iPhone design (other than being too slippery!) and other brands have perfectly decent plastic shells too. It seems like a near certainty that Apple would be planning a low-cost non-subsidized iPhone, at least for some parts of the world, just in CASE they need it.

They may not even know yet whether it will truly become a part of their offerings or not. (Just like they didn't initially know that OSX on Intel would be needed.) Apple works on lots of things, and they don't all see the light.

I won't predict whether a bottom-end iPhone sees the light, but I do believe it exists in the labs. (The details on it? They sound good but might just be guesses.)

stuffradio said:

Who said contract free iPhone?

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thats the whole point of a low-cost phone...to target the those who do not want a contract/carrier subsidies.

coltman75 said:

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.

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We did have plastic MacBooks years ago... except they weren't $600!

hovscorpion12 said:

I have said this in countless threads, but it seams Wall street does not seem to get it. The iPhone 4 & the 4S are being sold for much cheaper then the price they were at launch. The iPhone 5S will be the same price as every iPhone that has been released. $199.00 and up. The only thing that disapoints me is still using a 4" screen. 4.5, 5" is perfect.

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Wall Street gets that the customer has the choice of a latest gen LTE android device at zero cost on contract or a year old Apple 3G device at zero cost on contract.

You can say there's no difference between the two, but obviously there's a case to be made that Apple's leaving money on the table.

Sooo....Apple, the company obsessed with aluminum and glass, obsessed with thin and light are going to make a thicker plastic iPhone? Not feeling it.

How much would the price of the iPod touch go up if they added cellular capabilities to it?

superman23 said:

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

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or replace it, which I would completely welcome.

HobeSoundDarryl said:

My guess, except via Ebay and black market imports, this product won't be sold here (in America). We're dumb enough to believe "Free*" is free and pay the premium (and then some) through a contract commitment.

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It may be sold as prepaid phone

No, it's just the same situation as we have seen with iPhone prototype rumors before.

This phone probably does exist, as a prototype, like the other ones we've seen, but never officially released.. (Like the teardrop 5).

Apple probably has dozens of different prototypes on the go.

But the releases and timelines are the final decisions, made by Cook, and we won't know what those will be until a few weeks before, when the pics from the assembly factories really get into gear.

coltman75 said:

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.

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Haha... We did.

Won't it just be an iPod touch + cellular? It's already much cheaper. Just add £50 on?

saturn88 said:

It may be sold as prepaid phone

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Maybe. I really think this rumored phone would be aimed at countries like India, China, etc... places where for what we American's will blow on a single night out on the town equals a month or two total salary for some hard worker. Here, I think we're too easily suckered (conditioned) into the subsidy and "as long as I can make the monthly payment" mentality to deliver a genuinely better deal for us consumers. The various players like it "as is" too much.

But I'll hope with you... if for nothing else, the market of those here who will never pay the $2000+ for an iPhone + service "as is". That's a big market in and of itself.

Jarrodbcall said:

This actually makes total sense to me. By replacing the 4s with the budget phone, Apple is able to make a complete transition if screen size. All phones being sold will be 4", which will let them utilize the space in the upcoming ios update. Maybe they will incorporate the taller app switcher that has been floating around?

Also, it would complete the change to the new charger/synch cable. The consistency may be worth any extra RD costs.

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Exactly! It's just filling in the generation gap.

I wonder if this will be a one off item then as the 5 becomes the more affordable option.

My only take is that it's funny they might be making a low(er) budget iPhone and yet keeping the high cost/proprietary custom cable.

daneoni said:

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?

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Apple might want everyone on their new display size, it might feature necessary tech for other regions that isn't in the 4, Apple might want more people using their new port/cable, more future proof for the next iOS, etc.

mabhatter said:

2. This will push all the pocket iOS devices to ONE screen size so Apple can make a new size for iPad mini.

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The ipad mini will not have a new size. ipads will continue to be 4:3.

TBH - depending on the unlocked price, this might make for a great backup phone.....

I know if I break my iPhone, I can pay the $250 (and I can't see this cheap iPhone being THAT cheap unsubsidized), but if I were to ever lose or have my phone stolen, I would be stuck paying a huge amount for a new one.

That would free me up to sell my current phone for the new one every year, instead of holding on to it like I currently do for backup purposes.

Not just third world countries targeted here!

Biggest question is (as others have pointed out): wouldn't this cannibalize the iPod touch? Depending on price that is...

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samcraig said:

My only take is that it's funny they might be making a low(er) budget iPhone and yet keeping the high cost/proprietary custom cable.

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If they give you one, who cares? The moaning about the cable is honestly one of the dumbest reasons to complain about the iPhone I've heard....

And now you know, given they just created a new (more durable I might add) cable/connector, that the cable they provide will work for the next decade +.

Wish it had the 4S form factor.

8281 said:

I don't understand this complaint. Cars are offered with different options. GM doesn't tell you to buy a $100,000 Corvette if you only want to spend $50,000, thus they offer various models.

Maybe people don't want to buy a year (or years) old phone when whey could spend the money on something newer.

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Wow. Comparing apples to oranges on that one.

I don't see how this is "low cost" as it's not really thicker than the iPhone 5, it will probably look great and has the same specs. So why is it low cost?

jrswizzle said:

If they give you one, who cares? The moaning about the cable is honestly one of the dumbest reasons to complain about the iPhone I've heard....

And now you know, given they just created a new (more durable I might add) cable/connector, that the cable they provide will work for the next decade +.

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I see you didn't get your daily dose of irony...

sbrhwkp3 said:

This is completely anti apple. A cheaper version of a product to attract the budget people. That's not what they do. They innovate and create an awesome product that makes the low budget people pinch pennies to afford it. And they always do!

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Mac Minis, Mac Classics, LC series, Performa series, iBooks, Macbooks.

If Apple can make money on a $299 5th gen iPod Touch... certainly they can make a similar spec device with phone components, sell it for a good deal less than $650, and still be making a tidy margin on the device. There's no need for it to be "world's thinnest", "fastest" or "best camera" or anything else. It can still be a luxury / up to Apple's quality standards-- just not the flagship model.

WTF???? SERIOUSLY??? FOR REAL????








Why?

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InuNacho said:

Mac Minis, Mac Classics, LC series, Performa series, iBooks, Macbooks.

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Mac Classics, LC Series, Performa series... (Macs that Steve Jobs himself throw on a trash can when he returned to Apple)

iBooks, MacBooks (ARENT CHEAP)

U R Totally wrong