Apple Building Cheaper 8GB iPhone 4, End of September Launch alongside iPhone 5

[AppleInLVX]

no bigger screen no sell to me. the iphone looks like a baby next to all the new smartphones

And thank god for that. I want it to remain pocketable and easy to carry. These 4"+ displays are truly unruly and really don't add much to the experience. In fact, I'd say anything they DO add is taken away by the extra battery power they suck.

 

[St. Germain]

8GB iPhone? These days that is about as useful as a three legged horse. Seriously, I don't get why people are dying to save $100-200 bucks on the initial "investment" even as they contract to spend $60+ a month x 24 on phone service. Maybe if it was an unlocked pay go phone it would make sense but as a contract phone it confounds me people would want it -- but they will.

My mom has an iPhone. She'll never come close to using 8GB of space. Same thing with my father in law. I would be willing to bet that there are A LOT of non-techie users out there who are in the same boat. In fact, there are probably more users who are just fine with a cheaper 8GB version than there are users who need 64GB.

 

[number9]

And thank god for that. I want it to remain pocketable and easy to carry. These 4"+ displays are truly unruly and really don't add much to the experience. In fact, I'd say anything they DO add is taken away by the extra battery power they suck.

I agree. If the screen gets bigger, I'd like the overall hardware envelope to stay roughly the same. I know a few people who have Droid Xs and they are kind of tired of it's giant size. Screen real estate is great, but it's a mobile phone, not a tablet.

 

[Mulyahnto]

Release these new phones already! I just dropped my 3yo iPhone and my screen is 70% cracked (but it still works!).

 

[GorgonPhone]

I agree. If the screen gets bigger, I'd like the overall hardware envelope to stay roghly the same. I know a few people who have Droid Xs and they are kind of tired of it's giant size. Screen real estate is great, but it's a mobile phone, not a tablet.

yes some are too big.. but iphone is just too small 4" will be perfect..

 

[AppleInLVX]

Screen real estate is great, but it's a mobile phone, not a tablet.

Why does no one else GET this? Thank you. I was beginning to think I was alone out here in the "it's got to be bigger to be better" wilderness.

 

[daveathall]

Why does no one else GET this? Thank you. I was beginning to think I was alone out here in the "it's got to be bigger to be better" wilderness.

If it was just a mobile phone your answer would be quite correct, but it is so much more than that, so for some people, a larger screen size would be better.

 

[aeaglex07]

i really would love a 4" screen

 

[Anthony T]

I will be pissed if it looks identical to the iPhone 4...it's been over a year since the iPhone 4 came out, and they couldn't redesign it? That's ridiculous.

 

[devinci99]

i dont claim to know what apple is doing but there is a very good chance Apple is developing new iphones and ipod lineup simultaneously for lunch in September/October time from.

ipod are due for a refresh as well, and ipod touch shared many of the same characteristics of the iphone. Good chance the ipod touch refresh will also sport a a5, etc. -- basically the same iphone 5 specs; without the GSM/CDMA part.

I'm looking forward to the iphone 5, but I am equally looking forward for new ipods! My nano needs to be replaced! and I want to get a touch to use as my desk/bedside clock/alarm clock + calendar.

 

[AppleInLVX]

If it was just a mobile phone your answer would be quite correct, but it is so much more than that, so for some people, a larger screen size would be better.

I appreciate that different people use devices in different ways, and that the iPhone has many more capabilities than a standard dummy phone. The thing I can't wrap my head around is why would you sacrifice portability for .5 inches?

iPhone has always been targeted at the smartphone market, for all it does loads of other things. The main things are email, phone, and music player. These things have been accomplished well on devices with half the screen of the current iPhone. Web surfing on the iPhone was always excellent, and there's loads of apps that'll get you information on that size screen just fine. It's even a decent gaming machine. Again, the screen on iPhone already bests what Game Boy used to be. If you want to kill time, there's no worries with a screen like this.

Honestly, if you want to write a novel, update a spreadsheet, process pictures or movies or whatnot, you ought to be on a larger device like a computer or at least a tablet.

Up to now, Apple's been extremely smart with this. Better screen, not bigger. I honestly think the consumers have gotten taken up with the multitude of Android screens which seem to get bigger and bigger but still can't hold a candle to the Retina screen. Heck even the SGS2, with that supposed killer screen. Hold your iPhone next to it. It's not even a contest.

To quote Jeff Goldblum's character in Jurassic Park, "You were so preoccupied with whether or not you could, you didn't stop to think if you should."

I would not be sorry at all if iPhone 5 had exactly the same screen. Anyway, off my soap box.

 

[benjs]

^^^very true but its a bad marketing move to say here is the iphone 5 with bigger screen and lower resolution.. critics will immediately start finding evidence of iphone 4 screen looking cleaner due to higher pixel density..lol

no spec can be lower than the iphone 4 if its going to be called iphone 5.. a 4s model would let then get away with compromises in some areas though..

The thing about marketing is that Apple are pros at it. If the screen is larger, the resolution will be buried in the tech specs. In the press announcement, they will tout a 'resolution larger than that magical 300 dpi that makes a retina screen a retina screen', and in addition, give the consumer an extra .3" diagonal.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Use iCloud. You don't need 64GB.

64GB SD is very expensive.

So you want to give that added expense to AT&T or Verizon in tier overages because you're streaming everything from iCloud? Personally, I'd rather pay the extra to have more of my media in my pocket and use iCloud only for occasional or "emergency" access rather than cheap out up front to further enrich AT&T or Verizon.

Bandwidth caps and iCloud "stream everything" dreams are almost incompatible concepts. Clinging to the latter doesn't magically change the realities of the former. If anything, I would guess that much success with the latter (more than expected use of iCloud streaming) will result in the former tightening the tiers and/or raising the overage fees "to try to better manage the 'small percentage' of users that consume too much 3G data".

The full dream of the iCloud only arrives if Apple gets in the mobile bandwidth business or invents some entirely new way to help us directly connect to the iCloud without working through the likes of AT&T, Verizon, etc. Otherwise, it's an "open your wallet" proposition all the way.

 

[wolfpackfan]

8GB? The cost of the memory can't really be that much for apple when making it by the million units.

Who really wants a cut price iPhone anyway. It just cheapens the brand.m Apple's becoming the McDonnalds of the decade.

My wife. She has an iPhone 8GB 3G right now and only uses about a fourth the memory. The only reason we're looking to upgrade is to move to Verizon plus to get a faster processor. I'm thinking we'll get the iPhone 4S for my wife and I'll get the iPhone 5 for myself.

 

[jmpnop]

Or they could increase the resolution, have you not considered that?

The resolution is already insane and it was increased in the last revision. Highly unlikely the'd change so soon.

Apple has always found usability more important than numbers. That is why they are sensible enough to understand that a bigger screen with slightly smaller dpi is better. Even required at this time. Therefore it wouldn't be a downgrade, but a significant upgrade.

The dpi is already way over what is required for a smooth experience.

True but technically they're downgrading which I don't think Apple would.

By making it bigger to 3.7 inch they would still be over 300 dpi thus maintaining "retina" terminology.

And realistically 960 x 640 for a 3.7 display is still great and i doubt someone would go "oh the display sucks now".

Did you even read my post? Didn't I clearly say its not noticeable?

 

[Keebler]

Does this mean no 64Gb iPhone 5 I wonder?

I don't know! I've seriously begun to wonder that the introduction of the cloud will forego additional onboard storage. I wouldn't agree with it - more is better imho, but i wonder if apple will just cap it as is?

won't be long until we know

 

[Sedrick]

Seriously, why would there be 64GB storage for your iPhone when you have iCloud which enables you to stream music and other content? Makes no sense to me, especially when you consider how tight the Flash-Storage market is. And as we all know, apple does not care about those who cannot or simply do not want to use iCloud, so they won't get the benefit of more storage.

Long story short: there won't be a 64GB iPhone 5, 4S or whatever it will be called.

For cryin' out loud, please point to any report anywhere that says you'll be able to stream your music from the cloud.

..mainly because we ALREADY KNOW that for testing purposes the 5's hardware has been shoved in the 4's case.

Link please. Didn't think so. If the iPhone 5 is prancing around looking like an iPhone 4 it's because it IS going to look like the iPhone 4.

Use iCloud. You don't need 64GB.

64GB SD is very expensive.

You have a very poor understanding of what "iCloud" actually is or provides and are certainly oblivious to the fact that all carriers are going to capped data plans so you'll have a helluva time getting all your data up/down unless you pay through the nose for it.

^^^very true but its a bad marketing move to say here is the iphone 5 with bigger screen and lower resolution.. critics will immediately start finding evidence of iphone 4 screen looking cleaner due to higher pixel density..lol

no spec can be lower than the iphone 4 if its going to be called iphone 5.. a 4s model would let then get away with compromises in some areas though..

You actually have a very good point there. Noticeable or not, a lower PPI will surely draw criticism when compared to the existing iPhone 4. Apple has a problem here. Like it or not, they really painted themselves in a corner with the ridiculously over dense PPI of the iPhone 4.

 

[Ryth]

So it looks like Apple will do the pre gen thing with the iCloud phone.

New iPhone 5 at full price. Old iPhone 4 for iCloud..generation back.

Then iPhone 6 comes out, and iCloud gets iPhone5 cloud version from previous year...etc.

Prob don't want to cut into iPhone 5 sales but I wish that the iCloud version was the same model just with less storage.

I'd want a iCloud version with the bigger screen and camera. Sucks if you have to get the full one.

 

[daveathall]

I appreciate that different people use devices in different ways, and that the iPhone has many more capabilities than a standard dummy phone. The thing I can't wrap my head around is why would you sacrifice portability for .5 inches?

iPhone has always been targeted at the smartphone market, for all it does loads of other things. The main things are email, phone, and music player. These things have been accomplished well on devices with half the screen of the current iPhone. Web surfing on the iPhone was always excellent, and there's loads of apps that'll get you information on that size screen just fine. It's even a decent gaming machine. Again, the screen on iPhone already bests what Game Boy used to be. If you want to kill time, there's no worries with a screen like this.

Honestly, if you want to write a novel, update a spreadsheet, process pictures or movies or whatnot, you ought to be on a larger device like a computer or at least a tablet.

Up to now, Apple's been extremely smart with this. Better screen, not bigger. I honestly think the consumers have gotten taken up with the multitude of Android screens which seem to get bigger and bigger but still can't hold a candle to the Retina screen. Heck even the SGS2, with that supposed killer screen. Hold your iPhone next to it. It's not even a contest.

To quote Jeff Goldblum's character in Jurassic Park, "You were so preoccupied with whether or not you could, you didn't stop to think if you should."

I would not be sorry at all if iPhone 5 had exactly the same screen. Anyway, off my soap box.

I think that is an excellent answer.

 

[ArchaicRevival]

You make me embarrassed to want this phone. Real human beings want this phone because of how they will use it, not what people will think of them.

Whoever said he was human? lol

 

[EiriasEmrys]

iPhone...or iPod?

Anyone think that the "iPhone 5" we've been seeing could simply be an iPod, of which we've seen almost nothing?

 

[accessoriesguy]

Oh I hate this dumbing down and cheapening of the iphone!...what next the $25 iphone for poor people in Africa to find out where the next grain drop will be or where's best to hide from murderous Hutu rebels?

I want exclusivity and the "wow I'm jealous factor".....not a "oh everyone has an iphone" thing.

~sigh, searches for Grain App~

you reminded me of those people who would use
"people get macs for the bragging rights"
as their argument to why macs suck.

It's a bit ironic that people who believe apple products display social status or any sort of bragging are the same people who take those things into consideration.

 

[Sedrick]

I appreciate that different people use devices in different ways, and that the iPhone has many more capabilities than a standard dummy phone. The thing I can't wrap my head around is why would you sacrifice portability for .5 inches?

iPhone has always been targeted at the smartphone market, for all it does loads of other things. The main things are email, phone, and music player. These things have been accomplished well on devices with half the screen of the current iPhone. Web surfing on the iPhone was always excellent, and there's loads of apps that'll get you information on that size screen just fine. It's even a decent gaming machine. Again, the screen on iPhone already bests what Game Boy used to be. If you want to kill time, there's no worries with a screen like this.

Honestly, if you want to write a novel, update a spreadsheet, process pictures or movies or whatnot, you ought to be on a larger device like a computer or at least a tablet.

Up to now, Apple's been extremely smart with this. Better screen, not bigger. I honestly think the consumers have gotten taken up with the multitude of Android screens which seem to get bigger and bigger but still can't hold a candle to the Retina screen. Heck even the SGS2, with that supposed killer screen. Hold your iPhone next to it. It's not even a contest.

To quote Jeff Goldblum's character in Jurassic Park, "You were so preoccupied with whether or not you could, you didn't stop to think if you should."

I would not be sorry at all if iPhone 5 had exactly the same screen. Anyway, off my soap box.

Well, not everyone has the eyes they had when they were 20, so a larger screen is desired by most (look at any poll). I find 'surfing', as an example, on 3.5" pathetic. 4", though, is a good limit without getting ridiculous.

But hey, if Apple wants to continue to be the smallest (serious) smartphone on the market, that's just what they'll do.

 

[AppleMad98004]

iCloud

I see a number of you say you don't need a 64GB phone because you can stream from the iClould from anywhere.

Where in the world are you getting this information??? There is NO mention anywhere of streaming from the cloud via the wireless networks. Nothing.

 

[pacmacman]

Oh I hate this dumbing down and cheapening of the iphone!...what next the $25 iphone for poor people in Africa to find out where the next grain drop will be or where's best to hide from murderous Hutu rebels?

I want exclusivity and the "wow I'm jealous factor".....not a "oh everyone has an iphone" thing.

~sigh, searches for Grain App~

Haha...kinda late on that one. We've been well into the "oh everyone has an iPhone" phase for about two years now.