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iThinkIt

macrumors regular
Mar 21, 2012
164
0
Florida, USA
I'd buy that for a dollar!

robocop-donate.jpg
 

jrswizzle

macrumors 603
Aug 23, 2012
6,107
129
McKinney, TX
This is exactly the kind of sh** you learn in business school never to do. Why release a brand new product that destroys the sales of your current products? There isn't room for keeping older phone models around at the same price point as this new thing - unless the plan is to never sell older models once the current one comes out and thus reduce inventory levels? It just seems plain silly to me.

That's exactly what they should do - makes for "quicker updates" (each phone in the line updated once a year) and gives Apple better control over its profit margin.

The cheaper iPhone will likely cost less to make than an old 4S or an old 5 - yet they'll likely still hit the $400 un-subsidized price point.

Plus its also a marketing ploy - forget that the cheaper iPhone will likely have the same internals as the iPod touch (a year behind), it will be "NEW" each year and will therefore garner more attention than "last-year's model".

I think this WILL happen - its only a matter of when.....this fall, or next year (with the larger iPhone).

-cheap iPhone (hits the free and $99 on contract price points - based on storage, around $400 off)
-iPhone (continuation of current line - 4", same prices, drop the numbering from the naming convention)
-larger iPhone (4.5-5", starts at $299 on contract, $100 more at each storage step than 4" iPhone - beefier chipset, perhaps more storage, higher profit margins)

This line is coming - or at least I think it should. If the iPad line is any indication, I think we'll see something similar to this soon.
 

Moonjumper

macrumors 68030
Jun 20, 2009
2,740
2,908
Lincoln, UK
I like that the back and sides are one continuous material. The iPhone 5 has the glass signal windows breaking up the metal back. And a self-coloured material is going to wear better than a coated material, such as the anodising on the iPhone 5.

Overall I'd still want my iPhone 5, but I'd be happy with one of these. Although none of the shades shown so far are to my taste.
 

Mattsasa

macrumors 68020
Apr 12, 2010
2,339
744
Minnesota
I don't know if these exact colors or rumors or true. But I do believe apple will be introducing a new budget iPhone to take the place of the 4s which would have costed $450($0 in US with contract). The new phone I imagine will cost $350-$400. (Free in US with contract)

The reasons for this are:

1. Better iOS 7 compatibility for cheaper market. And countries without ridiculous carrier subsidies. This will decrease fragmentation, and allow more consumers to have the latest iOS 7 features.

2. Have all current selling phones unified on a 4inch retina screen. Decrease fragmentation having same aspect ratio and resolution.

3. Have all current phones using the new lightning connector.

4. Using modern cheap hardware is more efficient and better for consumers than 2 year old premium hardware in the 4s

5. $350-$400 would be slightly cheaper than the otherwise $450 4S, for countries outside US. And off contract buyers.





If apple can make an LTE 16gb iPad mini at $460. In 2012

I think by now, they should be able to make a $350-$400 cheap plastic iPhone.

It will have 4inch retina display.
Probably LTE? What do you guys think.
Cheap cameras.
Not sure what Processor. Perhaps what is in current iPod touch? A5?
256-512mb ram?
8gb only.
 
Last edited:

alirz

macrumors regular
Sep 28, 2011
136
57
Montreal,Canada
something i realized and noticed yesterday was that the color scheme of IOS7 resembles that of the inside of a victoria's secret store... dont believe me, go see for yourself.
 

Moonjumper

macrumors 68030
Jun 20, 2009
2,740
2,908
Lincoln, UK
-cheap iPhone (hits the free and $99 on contract price points - based on storage, around $400 off)
-iPhone (continuation of current line - 4", same prices, drop the numbering from the naming convention)
-larger iPhone (4.5-5", $299 on contract - beefier chipset, perhaps more storage, higher profit margins)

I like the size of my iPhone 5. My only worry of a larger model coming out is if it is more powerful. I didn't chose 4" because I wanted a lower spec and cheaper model. I wanted the best phone at the right size. It is OK if the extra size is used for a bigger battery, but not more powerful.
 

blue22

macrumors 6502a
Oct 15, 2010
505
18
nice MR promo...

I like how in the initial image of this article you can see an App Icon for MacRumors; nice promotional plug. ;)

low_cost_iphone_render_white.jpg
 

donutbagel

macrumors 6502a
Jun 9, 2013
932
1
It's not silly when they want to move the lineup to a common screen size and lightning connector. Now they can drop the 4 and 4S, and still keep the three model plan... Colored iPhone, 5, and 5S.

It now makes more sense to me, but making the lowest-tier iPhone have lightning seems trivial compared to the cannibalization they're going to cause. They still need to do something about the iPod classic with its 30-pin connector.
 

M-O

macrumors 6502a
Mar 15, 2011
502
0
i hope they all don't have white faces... they should match the back.

if they do have to be the same, i think black would look better.
 

jrswizzle

macrumors 603
Aug 23, 2012
6,107
129
McKinney, TX
I like the size of my iPhone 5. My only worry of a larger model coming out is if it is more powerful. I didn't chose 4" because I wanted a lower spec and cheaper model. I wanted the best phone at the right size. It is OK if the extra size is used for a bigger battery, but not more powerful.

I don't think *power* will be different, though to make the larger iPhone retina and keep the resolutions in check without adding too much additional work for devs, I'd imagine the doubling of the current iPhone display for the larger iPhone which might mean an A#X chip - same CPU power, more GPU.

This would also serve as the basis for the price increase between the two. If you continue with the 4", you'll continue to have the latest chip. Essentially I see the larger iPhone internals as a hybrid between the iPad/iPad mini and the iPhone - which is essentially what these phablets are.

This is also why I think the larger iPhone will not come until later next year - the size of the "x" version chips is too large I'd think. They get one into the retina mini this fall, they should be able to size it down for the larger iPhone next fall.

*Disclaimer* I'm not an engineer nor do I claim to know exactly how these things work. I'm speaking purely from logic and speculation as well as my own thoughts on how Apple should proceed with its iPhone line. It would be HIGHLY interesting to see how Android's marketshare copes with actual competition in both the "budget" and larger phone markets.
 

Redbeard25

macrumors regular
Oct 4, 2003
155
17
I think this is right.

It's not silly when they want to move the lineup to a common screen size and lightning connector. Now they can drop the 4 and 4S, and still keep the three model plan... Colored iPhone, 5, and 5S.

100% agree.

My prediction:
iPhone 4/4s discontinued.

iPhone (the plastic color version... whatever it's named...)
- A6 chip, 16MB only, HSPA+ only, VGA front cam - Free w/contract or $299
iPhone 5
- A6 chip, 16MB only, LTE, HD front cam - $99 w/contract or $499
iPhone 5s
- A6+ chip, better camera, 32MB/64MB, LTE, HD front cam, 802.11ac, double microphone, HD audio for calls - $299/$399 w/contract or $649/$749

----------

It now makes more sense to me, but making the lowest-tier iPhone have lightning seems trivial compared to the cannibalization they're going to cause. They still need to do something about the iPod classic with its 30-pin connector.

Like discontinue it?
 

Kohkane

macrumors 6502a
Jun 10, 2008
577
14
I actually really enjoy the look of these. It doesn't look "cheap", as long as it feels good in your hands, looks nice (the colors are a nice bonus), people won't care. Plus I feel like a colorful iPhone would look nice with iOS7.
 

M-O

macrumors 6502a
Mar 15, 2011
502
0
It was actually funny reading through that thread and seeing "Not gonna happen", "Ugly renderings", etc and they were pretty spot on. Will be funny to reread this thread after the "5s" is released and see how true they were.:D

no they weren't... the renderings were basically a smaller iPad 2/3 design. the actual iPad mini is pretty different.
 

slicecom

macrumors 68020
Aug 29, 2003
2,065
98
Toronto, Canada

omenatarhuri

macrumors 6502a
Feb 9, 2010
902
844
I actually really like the 'lower-cost' iPhone. It seems to have all the key features people want, but with the same old iPhone 3GS-like design.

I love it. And I am an iPhone 5 owner.
Same here, iPhone 5 owner.

Aluminum is not always superior. I preferred the plastic iMacs over the aluminum ones.
 

flottenheimer

macrumors 68000
Jan 8, 2008
1,530
651
Up north
Looks nice. Especially the all-white one.
If it doesn't feel too bulky in hand and if priced right, this design could sell a lot of iPhones.

It will be interesting to see how close this mockup will be to the real thing.
 

blue22

macrumors 6502a
Oct 15, 2010
505
18
Close...

100% agree.

My prediction:
iPhone 4/4s discontinued.

iPhone (the plastic color version... whatever it's named...)
- A6 chip, 16MB only, HSPA+ only, VGA front cam - Free w/contract or $299
iPhone 5
- A6 chip, 16MB only, LTE, HD front cam - $99 w/contract or $499
iPhone 5s
- A6+ chip, better camera, 32MB/64MB, LTE, HD front cam, 802.11ac, double microphone, HD audio for calls - $299/$399 w/contract or $749/$849


Correction, based on their current "handset only" pricing of the 32GB/64GB iPhone5 models they sell. :)
 
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