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Apple's Polycarbonate iPhone with 4.5-Inch Display Arriving for $330 in 2014?

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Apr 12, 2001
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Japanese blog Mac Otakara reports (via AppleInsider) that Apple's plans for a lower-cost iPhone have now been pushed back to 2014, with the company reportedly planning to use a polycarbonate body similar to that seen on the discontinued white plastic MacBook. Apple is said to be targeting a price of $330 for unsubsidized models, significantly lowering the cost of entry in markets where carrier subsidies are uncommon.

The lower-cost iPhone is also said to include a 4.5-inch display, larger than the 4-inch display that debuted last September with the iPhone 5. Apple has been rumored to be developing both larger and cheaper iPhone models, although most observers have expected the lower-cost iPhone to adopt a screen size in line with either the iPhone 4S or perhaps the iPhone 5 in order to help Apple save on costs. Digitimes last month was the first source to claim that the lower-cost iPhone would carry a larger screen with a launch later this year, but it later backtracked from those claims in noting that a larger iPhone would not launch this year.

Mac Otakara suggests that the plastic iPhone will measure somewhat thicker than the iPhone 5 given the thicker material being used for the casing, but that the device will otherwise be very similar to the current design.

Finally, the report claims that the iPhone 5S to be launched later this year will adopt a dual-LED flash system for the rear camera. iLounge had previously claimed that the iPhone 5S will include an improved flash, along with an enhanced rear camera sensor and a processor bump.

Mac Otakara has offered accurate information on Apple's plans in the past, including details on the iPod nano and iPod touch redesigns launched last year, but it has had some misses including a rumor that the iPod nano would add Wi-Fi capabilities to support iTunes in the Cloud.

Article Link: Apple's Polycarbonate iPhone with 4.5-Inch Display Arriving for $330 in 2014?
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2013/02/28/apples-polycarbonate-iphone-with-4-5-inch-display-arriving-for-330-in-2014/
Dwalls90

Dwalls90

macrumors 603
Feb 5, 2009
5,427
4,399
Apple seems to be moving away from plastic.

I don't think Apple would sell a device at an odd price point of $329, then again there is the iPad mini ...

And why would a budget phone have a bigger screen?
 
kilcher

kilcher

macrumors 65816
Jul 3, 2011
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I don't doubt Apple is working on a "cheaper" iPhone for "emerging markets" but I do find it hard to believe it will have a larger screen compared to the regular iPhone, assuming the "cheaper" iPhone is also going to be for sale in the US.

It just doesn't feel right that Apple (in the US) would make someone who wants to go with a larger screen buy a "cheaper" product to do so. I just don't buy Apple would want their customers to feel that way.

So this story is either completely BS (which I'm inclined to believe) or there's much more to it.

I don't buy $330 either. As we've seen from analysts price predictions on other Apple products, Apple will probably price it $50-100 more. :)
 
A

appleisgod

macrumors regular
Jun 21, 2008
121
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Tankmaze said:
$330 !! that can compete with cheap android.
Click to expand...

$330 for Unsubsidized is about half price of the unsubsidized iPhone today. Most androids are subsidized by the carriers, so this could theoretically compete very well with them.
 
kilcher

kilcher

macrumors 65816
Jul 3, 2011
1,269
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Some people still have trouble grasping the concept of unsubsidized phones. This phone is NOT primarily for the US. It's for countries where people have to pay for their phones up front, they don't have the cost of the phone spread out over 2 years like we do. It's also for countries who can't afford to drop $800 on a phone.

So you can "plastic, yuck" as much as you want but this is a smart move by Apple. This phone is not being made for you. It's being made for the billions of people in the world, including China, who can't afford the up-front cost of a $600+ phone. In the long run Apple would be STUPID to not go after that market now.
 
Last edited:
iGrip

iGrip

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Jul 1, 2010
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MacRumors said:
Apple's plans for a lower-cost iPhone have now been pushed back to 2014,

...

The lower-cost iPhone is also said to include a 4.5-inch display, larger than the 4-inch display that debuted last September with the iPhone 5.
Click to expand...

I wonder what the most sought after screen size will be in 2014. Anybody think it will be 3.5"?
 
iGrip

iGrip

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Jul 1, 2010
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kilcher said:
I don't doubt Apple is working on a "cheaper" iPhone for "emerging markets" but I do find it hard to believe it will have a larger screen compared to the regular iPhone, assuming the "cheaper" iPhone is also going to be for sale in the US.
Click to expand...


That one won't hit the market until 2014. In the meantime, the iPhone will likely start using a regular-sized screen for its top of the line phone. So the new 4.5 inch one will look small in comparison.

The screen on the new midline iPhone matches the size on many midline models now available. It looks like Apple is thinking that mid-tier/popular priced phones will continue to have 4.5ish screens for a while - long enough to give Apple a chance to get the thing to market, and long enough after that to make some money off of it.
 
nepalisherpa

nepalisherpa

macrumors 68020
Aug 15, 2011
2,258
1,330
USA
How's $330 a cheaper price when you can have a brand new iPhone 5 for $199?

EDIT: (to people who keep quoting me and explaining me)
I missed the "unsubsidized" part in the article.
 
Last edited:
Blakjack

Blakjack

macrumors 68000
Jun 23, 2009
1,805
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Apple won't make a phone with a larger screen just for emerging markets. If it has a larger screen inChina, it will have a larger screen in the U.S. even for the higher end phone.

America loves big screens to. It's not jus china. We just love our iPhones, so we sacrifice the bigger screen for the apple product.
 
bushido

bushido

Suspended
Mar 26, 2008
8,070
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Germany
lol at $330 for a unsubsidized "Low Budget Phone", especially if its targeted towards the "3rd world countries". a "low budget smartphone" is something like 99€ which u can buy at the grocery store.

may as well get a iPhone 5S for 1€ on a plan. it'll be cheaper in the long run

low budget - prepaid unsubsidized:
300€ + 24 x 25€ = 930€

high end - contract subsidized:
1€ + 24 x 30€ = 721€
 
I

iisdan

macrumors 6502
Feb 19, 2010
319
331
nope.

It doesn't make sense, why not buy a high quality older gen for the same price?
 
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