I really don't care about the subsidy price (99, 199, 299, etc...) That is how you lose money to a carrier. I am hoping that the 5s will start at 32 GB @ $650 like the current 16 GB, doing away with 16 for the 5s, and leaving it for the low cost iPhone.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple to Discontinue iPhone 5 Alongside Launch of 5S and Plastic Models?
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Good news! Apple sells a 64GB iPhone!
But you're gonna pay extra for it.
Don't expect 64GB in the entry-level or "free on contract" iPhone
It is not enough room, every friend I have with an 8GB phone run out of room after a few months.
[/COLOR]
Few months? Try weeks or days. Install a Satnav, some other big apps like Ironman and you are already pretty tight on space.
Few months? Try weeks or days. Install a Satnav, some other big apps like Ironman and you are already pretty tight on space.
Supposed iPhone 5S Logic Board Appears in New Images http://www.technobuffalo.com/2013/07/25/iphone-5s-logic-board-images/
Only way to do that is to make it obsolete before its released. Playing with iOS 7 any new phone is gonna need to be similar spec'd as the 5 if not it will be a poor experience to begin with and never see iOS 8 a mere year later. Very unlike Apple.
So compared to a 4S it will likely have and as rumors point. A more expensive 4" screen, more expensive CPU, more expensive GPU, more ram, similar camera and a cheaper housing. AND sell for LESS then the 4S currently does?
How's that gonna work?
Another problem I see is I personally was dead set on the 5S. But I'm pretty rough on my phones. Now I'm considering this cheap iPhone. Apple effectively marketed to me to give them less money.
All I'm saying is I think there is more going on then we think. Maybe this cheap iPhone will replace the 5 and then 6 (or whatever it would be called) is gonna come out just brimming with new tech (bigger screen, NFC, larger internal storage, etc) therefore making the cheap iPhone a more reasonable solution to those that just want a basic smartphone. Just tossing out ideas.
Less? No, more.
In september, the 4 would vanish from their lineup, and the 4S will drop to a mere $0 w/contract.
The new phone is guessed to replace the 4S's $0 mark, and be be $0 and $99 for different storage options.
It could use the same CPU/SOC/RAM. Nothing is over taxing the A5 cpu. The newer A5r2 die shrunk like in iPad Mini would be perfect. Let it get.a new network chip for AirDrop though. So basically iPad Mini hardware.
I don't think that would make any business sense at all.
The expensive part of producing any product is in the design and initial tooling. Once you have a production line, production costs flatline with economies of scale. And the longer the production line runs for, the better return you get on your initial design and tooling costs. Apple's suppliers are already tooled up and experienced in producing the iPhone 5. To stop producing it in September would be to stop it before it's most profitable timeframe came into play.
I suspect the 4 and maybe also the 4S will be pulled. Their production lines have run for the longest. All the profit they can produce, has been produced. They have the oldest technology which will compete least favourably with competitors products. Apple will then (ipod Classic aside) exclusively produce lightning only products, with the 4-inch screen as the only iphone screen size developers need to address.
I also suspect that the cheaper plastic iPhone we are all anticipating will have a minimalist spec and capacity. It may well be based on the current 4S, but with a 4inch screen. I fear that most post-ers here are far too optimistic about what Apple will actually put in its "bargain basement" product.
The expensive part of producing any product is in the design and initial tooling. Once you have a production line, production costs flatline with economies of scale. And the longer the production line runs for, the better return you get on your initial design and tooling costs. Apple's suppliers are already tooled up and experienced in producing the iPhone 5. To stop producing it in September would be to stop it before it's most profitable timeframe came into play.
I suspect the 4 and maybe also the 4S will be pulled. Their production lines have run for the longest. All the profit they can produce, has been produced. They have the oldest technology which will compete least favourably with competitors products. Apple will then (ipod Classic aside) exclusively produce lightning only products, with the 4-inch screen as the only iphone screen size developers need to address.
I also suspect that the cheaper plastic iPhone we are all anticipating will have a minimalist spec and capacity. It may well be based on the current 4S, but with a 4inch screen. I fear that most post-ers here are far too optimistic about what Apple will actually put in its "bargain basement" product.
