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

Frenchjay said:
Why don't they just release a great phone and take a hit on profits? Don't tell me Apple couldn't do this. They can make an amazing phone with out any sacrifices and sell it for less. This will benefit Apple and the people buying devices. If Apple are losing customers to cheaper Androids, don't stoop to their level, release an amazing phone for cheap and blow everyone out of the water.
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Becuase they have shareholders.
 
I would NOT be at all interested in such an animal. What are they thinking? This is a dreadful idea!

I prefer the current design! I don't want an oversized crap plastic phone!!!!
 
Then Apple are just stupid to wait this long to release a competitive large screen iPhone! they have lost the race already... They think Samsung have overtaken them, a year from now Apple will be a minority!
 
How much does an aluminum body add to the production cost? $5 per iphone? I'd rather pay $335 than $330 and get a quality feel.

Then again, maybe they're using plastic as a way of differentiating it from the deluxe iphone.

I wonder if they'll even release it in the US...
 
Who is the mensa member who writes these headlines or rehashes garbage? This type of 'journalism' is what lowers the bar for what people feel is real information.

'Obama to become leader of Cuba!" says a reporter who overheard a crazy person locked up in cell 9b at Bellvue.

'Gold to drop to $1 an ounce!' says a source working for Boones Farm in the tasting division.
 
baller1308 said:
They were very comfortable to hold though :rolleyes:
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The iPhone 4 was definitely a step back in "ergonomics" :)confused:) compared to the iPhone 3G/3GS IMO. The iPhone 5 is on par if not better.

The iPhone 5S rumors sound about right. I doubt the rear camera is going to be much better. "Better rear camera" is to new iPhone features list as "Smoother scrolling" is to Android new features list.

I'm less incline to believe the cheap iPhone 4.5" rumor. If it does come out it could be that the 4.5" display is the same resolution as the iPhone 4/4S display just stretched out.

I'd rather hear good news about Apple LOWERING iPhone cost, than making a cheaper iPhone to sell along side a pro model. If Apple would lower the price of their lowest storage model to ~$500 that would be awesome.

I think that the pre-paid market is slowly taking over. One guy switched to StraightTalk at work a few years ago. I did about 8 months ago and another guy at work is about to leave Verizon for StraightTalk and is totally considering buying a full price Note 2. People are doing the math and seeing that the subsidized model in the USA is a ripoff.
 
kilcher said:
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.
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The premise of this article is preposterous. While you make a good point that it is a good idea & would be awesome for Apple to be able to sell a device at that price point in those countries... It is simply IMPOSSIBLE. I challenge anybody to show me the cost breakdown of an iPhone 5 showing that $320 of the $650 cost is spent making the case out of metal instead of plastic. Lol! I feel like I'm on crazy pills that ANYBODY here believes this!!! For serious? Especially with the 4.5" screen rumor attached. The screen is likely one of the most expensive components. If anything, since the iPhone 4 retails off contract for $450.. they'd have to use that same slow-ass processor, smaller screen, and STILL shave $120 off the production cost. (psst... hey, switching the casing wouldn't save that much).
 
I most likely think this isn't true because it's WAY too much detail for WAY far in advance. Most rumors a week in advance don't have this much to say (and if they do, they're rarely right).

Gary
 
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kilcher said:
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.
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That I understand. What confuses me is why we need another cheap iPhone when the unlocked iP4 is already available for around the same price.
 
If anything this tells me the Iphone 6 will be 4.5 in size and the economic version will follow that size, think iphone 6/ipod touch ( economic version)
The 5s will just be a speed bump and maybe a better flash that has been rumored.
 
ECUpirate44 said:
Plastic... yuck.
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Personally, I do not really care if my phone is plastic or glass or metal.

Actually, I do care (a little), I'd prefer that it's not made out of a frictionless shiny material just so that it's "pretty" and then I have to cover it with a case so that it does slide off of anything I set it on (or out of my hand). The only part that needs to be pretty is the display.

I've paid more for my original Motorola StarTac, Samsung Palm OS or Treo Palm OS smart phone and never really felt then need to keep them in a case (unless it was some kind of belt clip for transport).

Actually, I loved the rubberized-like case on the Sprint Palm Treo phones. I owned a few of those and it felt good in my hand and wasn't particularly worried about dropping it.

Gary
 
topper24hours said:
If anything, since the iPhone 4 retails off contract for $450.. they'd have to use that same slow-ass processor, smaller screen, and STILL shave $120 off the production cost. (psst... hey, switching the casing wouldn't save that much).
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iPhone 4 has build cost right around $200. The gross margins on that thing are massive. And it'll be closer to $150 come year end.

There is no question Apple can build a quality phone to sell at in the $300 range.
 
Go to virginmobileusa.com and you will see plenty of $39 androids OFF contract, there is no way Apple can win a price war. Apple needs to make sure that when you ask the question, "what is the best phone money can buy?", the iPhone must be the unanimous answer.
 
I cannot see Apple going for a larger size iPhone - after all their main point with the iPhone 5 is its "just right" size.

A cheaper model could appear when the 4S get phased out. With a line up of iPhone 5 - 5S - 6 ,all having 4" displays, there could be room for an even cheaper model with a 3.5" screen (think about all the apps that would be ready for this device).
 
Just my $0.02 here, if Apple makes a US$330 off contract phone I will probably buy it regardless of size or features. I would rather put my money into an iPad mini tablet to carry with me when outside the home and a full size tablet for when I'm at home. However, I still want a phone that is compatible with my tablet.
 
KieranDotW said:
That I understand. What confuses me is why we need another cheap iPhone when the unlocked iP4 is already available for around the same price.
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And only 2.5 years young in an industry were 3 months is considered 'long ago'
 
kilcher said:
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.
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agree.. but why should the cheap one have 4.5 inch screen and expensive one 4 inch screen?
 
topper24hours said:
The premise of this article is preposterous. While you make a good point that it is a good idea & would be awesome for Apple to be able to sell a device at that price point in those countries... It is simply IMPOSSIBLE. I challenge anybody to show me the cost breakdown of an iPhone 5 showing that $320 of the $650 cost is spent making the case out of metal instead of plastic. Lol! I feel like I'm on crazy pills that ANYBODY here believes this!!! For serious? Especially with the 4.5" screen rumor attached. The screen is likely one of the most expensive components. If anything, since the iPhone 4 retails off contract for $450.. they'd have to use that same slow-ass processor, smaller screen, and STILL shave $120 off the production cost. (psst... hey, switching the casing wouldn't save that much).
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Hate to burst your bubble, the iphone does not cost $650, I think macrumors posted breakdown of then new 4s and it was $180
 
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