High-Quality Video and Photos Reveal What Apple's Plastic iPhone Will Look Like

[Piggie]

They have had many budget devices in the Mac range... Mac Mini, Macbook etc.

Quite correct.

People here seem to forget or understand that the iMac itself is Apple's cheap budget computer for the masses.

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looks like ****

that what almost everyone here said about the iPhone 4 when it was 1st shown and they did not know it was actually a genuine Apple device.

If you spend the time you can still find the thread where almost everyone here was slagging it off for some cheap looking Chinese rip off that Apple would never release.

Funny really how it then suddenly became awesome

 

[nikaru]

They have had many budget devices in the Mac range... Mac Mini, Macbook etc.

They are no budget devices. For a home user who dont need a professional work station and dont want all in one like one iMac, the mac mini is the only posability. For a normal user who dont need super fast laptop there were normal macbooks. Pro stand for Professional and Apple always had a normal user line of products and professional user line of products. Some people who prefer the portability of the iPod suffle over the iPod nano, or who prefer the small screen for the iPad there is a product for them.

The iPhone is universal product. You cant cut the camera because many people dont use it, or reduce the CPU speed because some people dont need that much horse power. You just cant taking anything withou sacrifice the overall quality and funcionality of the product.

 

[SILen(e]

How does the service agreement look to all U people? What is a cheap iPhone? Is it the difference between 2200 and 1800?

This is not really a budget phone but just a replacement for the still-using-DockConnector iPhone 4S that Apple will probably get rid of as soon as possible.

But then again, there are many countries with different and often cheaper contracts or a well established pay-as-you-go system (and also contracts with monthly fees).

Lemme tell you about Germany for a moment:

There are two big mobile service providers and two smaller ones, the big ones are Deutsche Telekom and Vodafone, the smaller ones (not necessarily in number of customers, but more like they get only a B for effort but are also often cheaper) are O2 and E-Plus (which has many different and even cheaper brands).

With Deutsche Telekom and Vodafone, it's kinda like in the US, you pay 200-300 Euro for your higher end phone and 40-50 Euros per month (which would be about 65$ including taxes) - there's no such thing as a family plan or something like that.
Minutes are plenty or fully included, traffic - well, they often include 1GB at full speed and unlimited after that but only at very slow speed.

E-Plus and their most successful brand Base usually doesn't include a phone in your contract, but you can get one if you pay slightly higher monthly fees (which still often results in the phone being cheaper than buying it right off the spot from a different source).
With Base, you pay (I'm using the cheapest contract they offer than can be regarded as smartphone-worthy) 15 Euros per month for 100 minutes and 200MB at full speed - which is slower (no LTE and also just a ****** network coverage overall) and unlimited after that at slow speed.

O2 is somewhere in between, but also offers one of the most interesting contracts, Netzclub.
With Netzclub, you get a free contract and pay 9c per Minute but you also get unlimited internet for free, with 100MB full speed + unlimited at slow speed after that.

So if you're using your smartphone not that often, and don't call very often, you can have a contract for 5-10 Euros per month as a pay-as-you-go-scheme, there are also some other companies offering contracts with monthly fees of 10 Euros with similar features as Netzclub + 100 included minutes.


So here you can have an iPhone 5 16GB for 1200 Euro per 2 years with lots of traffic and plenty of minutes - or you can pick up an iPhone 4 (and soon the plastic case one) for 399 Euro and use Netzclub or Base and pay 650-750 Euros per 2 years.


So if you buy a phone off-contract, price really makes a difference.
But if you got an expensive contract, taking the cheaper phone often really doesn't make any sense, like if you want the cheapest smartphone-worthy contract from Deutsche Telekom, you pay 18 Euro per month and 449€ upfront for an iPhone 4S 16GB - or 499€ for an iPhone 5 16GB...

Who in his right mind would choose the 4S in this case?

 

[heikkipekka]

This does look like a knock off of the Nokia Lumia. Unoriginal and unattractive, IMO.

 

[spacemanspifff]

Hello again...

You know, this looks exactly like the prototype I saw last september just before the release of the iPhone 5 (https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=15623233#post15623233), except this one is white and the one I was shown was black...

I'm wondering if this is just an old prototype that Apple decided not to run with last time and as such is just a red herring or it could be that they are they now going to produce the one I saw before?

Either way, I personally don't think that they'll have a budget version - if this is the "New iPhone" then this will be the only one they do. Perhaps it's being called the "low cost" iPhone internally (because it costs Apple less to make it) and that's were these rumours are coming from but I wouldn't think they'll do a cheaper one to put into the market, I could be wrong of course but from a business perspective, it sound nuts to make a cheaper version of your best selling device and they usually just discount the out-going model don't they?

Anyway, as I said last year, the phone I saw looked very nice (even if it is/was plastic) so I wouldn't worry about the quality taking a dive.

I guess we just wait and see...

 

[Pierwalker]

You get what you pay for!

Not a real contender for a real iPhone, but then again there are many folk who will buy it because they can't afford the real thing!
Do you think they will be disappointed with this phone?

 

[I WAS the one]

So Apple is doing this seriously.... Why? I really don't know. BUT people will now know where to pin point where the cheap people are. LOL

Girl 1: "He's kind of cute"
Girl 2: "but he's holding the cheap iPhone, tho"
Girl 1: "****"

 

[Giuly]

This phone will do well in the largest countries in the world. Europe, China, India, Southeast Asia, and South America. In the U.S. it will be under every xmas tree of every middle class teenager. Its going to be the biggest seller apple has ever produced. It will destroy the iPod touch though.

The problem is that most part of the people in China, India, Southeast Asia and South America don't have iPod Touches to begin with.

Here's a study from Nokia about the User Experience in Latin America, there's also a study about the state of the broadband internet in Brazil which doesn't look better, either. It's too expensive to download 15MB apps via mobile internet, and fixed internet is mainly 56k. South America is mostly a Firefox OS resp. Nokia Asha market (<$100 off-contract), and so is Southeast Asia. "Free on a $99/mo contract" with a monthly wage of around $400 isn't happening, even $399 off-contract will have a hard time there.

If you look at the Play Store numbers, China, India and Russia dominate free apps, while Japan, South Korea and the USA account for 70% of the paid apps. Japan can be excluded here, because NTT DoCoMo prefers to sell Sony Xperias for one reason or another. It's unlikely that you get a foot into the South Korean door, either, unless you send troops. China, India and Russia are candidates for this iPhone, along with every cat and dog in 'murica, Europe, Canada and Australia.

Of all those markets, I see the Europe doing best, for the fact that the iPhone does well in countries where contracts are prevalent (the UK, Germany are among the Top 5 of the paid category on the App Store), but not so much in the rest of Europe where mobile means prepaid - that's mid-range Android and Windows Phone territory, as iPhone 5 starts at $875 off-contract in Europe.

Why would you drop nearly $900 on a 16GB iPhone when you can pick up a 16GB iPad plus a Nokia Lumia 920 for the same amount of money? $499/€399 or less for this iPhone on the other hand is a completely different figure, and that would still be more expensive than the Nokia flagship phone while being intended to compete for the Lumia 720/820 (and whatever their Android equivalents are) market, which are $320/€250.

 

[WilliamLondon]

So Apple is doing this seriously.... Why? I really don't know. BUT people will now know where to pin point where the cheap people are. LOL

Girl 1: "He's kind of cute"
Girl 2: "but he's holding the cheap iPhone, tho"
Girl 1: "****"

Really, I think it would be the other way around, where they look at the idiot that paid twice as much (or whatever the difference is) for the expensive iPhone that is more fragile, doesn't come in colours and doesn't offer any additional functionality over the cheaper version. Now that would be pretentious.

Then what was the iPod Shuffle.

The iPod Shuffle is a tiny and lightweight mp3 player that can clip onto your collar, it doesn't sport a screen and the battery life is great. You can describe each of Apple's products in this way without ever using cost or price as a major or minor differentiator - product positioning and product differentiation 101. No one would suggest the iMac is the budget Mac Pro. Apple doesn't do cheap products, they create products with very different feature sets and sell them at different prices and they're all still quality products that command a premium (for their segment) price. It's a matter of perspective. Ask one team to build a cheaper iPad, ask another team to build a smaller iPad - how different will those two tablets be when they come off the assembly line?

 

[mr.bee]

so they are promoting ios7 that clearly loves a white bezel.

But they seem to aim for a black bezel on the cheap iphone?

 

[Canubis]

Plain simple: fits the ugliness of iOS 7.

 

[bruinsrme]

Wow, I want a glass back so I can purchase an overpriced plastic case to protect it.

 

[KdParker]

Bravo to Apple for making a cheaper phone still look high quality and desirable.

The big question is, how big are the margins and will how much will it eat in to iPhone 5 / 5S sales.

Looks good like a good alternative for the kids phone if it is durable.

 

[kilcher]

Most of you still don't seem to get it. At some point, if it hasn't already, the smartphone market in the US is going to stabilize and decline. This phone is meant to tap into the billions of people outside of the US who A) don't already own a smartphone, B) aren't on carrier subsidized phone plans, and/or C) who can't afford to shell out $600+ for a phone. Apple would be stupid not to go after that market before Android, Blackberry, etc. get a stronghold on it.

 

[pmz]

I wish this was the design for the 5S.

Instead it will be a product that lands spec-wise around the 5.

Such a shame. This is a far more practical design for an every-day phone.

As beautiful as the 4/4S/5/5S are, they are simply the most impractical designs you could possibly come up with for a hand-held device that gets constant use.

I want to be able to NOT use a case with my iPhone, and pick it up put it down pocket it unpocket it without fear of constant scratches, scuffs, and otherwise breaking it.

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Most of you still don't seem to get it. At some point, if it hasn't already, the smartphone market in the US is going to stabilize and decline. This phone is meant to tap into the billions of people outside of the US who A) don't already own a smartphone, B) aren't on carrier subsidized phone plans, and/or C) who can't afford to shell out $600+ for a phone. Apple would be stupid not to go after that market before Android, Blackberry, etc. get a stronghold on it.

Uh, no. It isn't. The smartphone market is no where near what you describe, and Apple doesn't give a flying duck about "emerging markets".

This product is meant to replace the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 for 2013 in the $0/$99 w/ contract price points. They will be approximately $399 and $449 off contract.

 

[j.applewood]

This point has been made already several times ... But it really just needs to be repeated as much as possible for all the idiots who don't like the plastic look. Who actually carries their phones around without a cheapazz plastic case? Like 2% of everyone who owns one? I carry my 4S & 5 around withOUT a case and can understand how plastic might feel different, but seriously, most of you probably carry your beautifully designed iPhone around in some $10-$40 plastic/rubber POS. So, great job ruining everything always.

 

[MH01]

First of all, this is ugly. Second, its never going to happen. There will be no cheap-version iPhone. Mark my words.

Well this better be the cheap model, cause if its the new Iphone 5S.... we got bigger issues!!!

 

[StoneJack]

Upon thinking about the prototype for few days, my take is:

• Apple is going to sell a budget phone and had some prototypes
• This one on the photo is not a real iphone and maybe not even a prototype
• Its an advertisement campaign for the no-name android knock-off which as the company assures looks like the budget phone. But it is too convenient that they have already started production of Android clone.
• Therefore, the primary goal - an attempt to advertise the Android clone. The attempt is masked under the claim that there is some Apple iphone on which design presumably the clone is based on. However, this is what the company claims and without any proof.

Therefore, there is high probability that the bugdet iPhone when released will look completely different.

 

[Tiger8]

Apple won't last much longer if they actually come out with this piece of crap. Which is why I say it is not going to happen. Apple has stated a million times that they will never release a budget device ever.

Show me the receipts! When did Apple state a million times they will never release a budget device?

iPod mini, iPod Nano, iPad mini, heck, even iPod touch is a scaled down iPhone.

 

[peterdevries]

limited view? only stupid people will think that this device IS not STUPID!. when people criticize s4 for using plastic, do you think they will go for this thing. s4 could not meet analysts' expectations, samsung's shares has hit a nine month low and you think that this plasticy device is great, wow!

So, can you please show us obviously ignorant people where it says that:

• The S4 is unsuccessful?
• This is due to the fact that it has a plastic shell?
• The iPhone is due to fail also because of a plastic shell?
• Samsung´s share price is determined to such a large extent by S4 sales (what about other activities that they are in?)
• And where did I say that it is great?

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Really, I think it would be the other way around, where they look at the idiot that paid twice as much (or whatever the difference is) for the expensive iPhone that is more fragile, doesn't come in colours and doesn't offer any additional functionality over the cheaper version. Now that would be pretentious.

History would suggest, if this is real, that Apple would "dumb" it down or "cripple" it in some way to created feature space between the flagship iPhone and the lower cost one. We don't know the intended market for this phone. It could very well have an A4 chip & no LTE, just 3G, low end cameras, etc.

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Laughable ... I remember a time recently when you were calling my S4 for having a plastic back ... But of course Apple now having one is completely acceptable, isn't it! Bah

Not sure I said it in the context you are presenting. IIRC it was the feel of the Galaxy phone in general, not that it was plastic, but that it felt plasticky. There is a difference. If I'm wrong please post my quote & I'll say a mea culpa.

 

[Dokter_Mac]

High-Quality Photos....?? Must be fake...

You're quite right! Absolutely fake

Where are the volume buttons for instance?
What with the little holes on both sides?
One for the sim okay, but the other two? A second and a third sim
Etc. Etc. Etc...

I just can't believe people are thinking that this is real
This ugly thing can't be considered as an Apple product!
I can't imagine that the, well known, CEO from Apple Design approved this 'ready for production' Serious guys

 

[jonnysods]

I actually prefer the seamlessness of this phone.

 

[WilliamLondon]

History would suggest, if this is real, that Apple would "dumb" it down or "cripple" it in some way to created feature space between the flagship iPhone and the lower cost one. We don't know the intended market for this phone. It could very well have an A4 chip & no LTE, just 3G, low end cameras, etc.

Yep, that's exactly what I think, though most keep suggesting it's only going to be cheaper build materials and a slower processor, I'm with you in that it'll be a different feature set, perhaps somewhere in between an iPod Touch and iPhone in features and functionality.

I can't wait for the unveiling to see if there is indeed a new phone coming and what features it'll have and how it'll be different from the flagship iPhone.

 

[powers74]

shakeup

Unlikely scenario, I know, but consider that this could be the 5S. No "more expensive version", just making the iPhone cheaper. Probably not happening, but it is a possibility. I guess probably they'll just discontinue the iPod Touch.

EDIT: another thought - I just find it very interesting that they're making this thing (or so it seems) while they at the same time are moving all of their consumer electronics over to aluminum. What gives? No more plastic laptops, iPods, Macs, iPads or iPhones yet, now a plastic iPhone? It just doesn't add up for me. The things you hold & touch (and the MacPro) are metal, the accessories & things you do not touch are plastic. Seems like a very smart design & marketing philosophy. Why break it?