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Lower-Cost iPhone's Plastic Rear Shell Reportedly Surfaces
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It will be the latest. And for those that have never been able to buy an iPhone - it will be the greatest. It's not a step back because it's a new product for a new market. There's no previous generation. This isn't the iPhone 5S or 6
Aluminum NEVER feels cheap? Ok
Nope. That is why high-end kitchen appliances and counters use that luxurious aluminum instead of the cheap-feeling granite and stainless steel.
Oh! Here's another example. Tiffany uses aluminum for their high-end jewelry instead of that cheap-feeling gold. And Rolex? Aluminum is used exclusively in their watch cases for the same reason. Same with Hugo Boss - the buttons are all made of aluminum on their $3000 suits due to the luxurious feel of the material. Go to any fine restaurant, and your wine will be served in an aluminum wine glass, and all the flatware will be made of aluminum. Aluminum NEVER feels cheap.
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Doesn't look bad at all.
I'll probably be buying the flagship iPhone, not this one, but I'll be curious to see if this sells well.
They'll have to call it the iPhone Nano or iPhone Mini or something... and I think making it 3.5" is important to make sure that customers will feel that the flagship iPhone is really worth its higher price tag.
I'll probably be buying the flagship iPhone, not this one, but I'll be curious to see if this sells well.
They'll have to call it the iPhone Nano or iPhone Mini or something... and I think making it 3.5" is important to make sure that customers will feel that the flagship iPhone is really worth its higher price tag.
iphone 3g white with retina, A6, and new 12mp camera and im sold. i realy would buy, its the best fitting phone in hand ever
sure is fugly
the last thing people want is cheap plastic
Hawaiian's will be fishing these out of the Pacific Gyre 10-15 yrs from now...
Yeah, that's why so few people bought 3G and 3GS.
If you need aluminium and glass, you can find some in any DIY shop.
Glass can be found at about 1$ per square feet, and aluminium bars at 1 per feet length: see how incredibly precious your iPhone is !
THIS! I said the same thing to myself! I hope it goes into production and will have decent specs.
Come down from your pedestal already
Some comments in this thread are just plain wrong elitism.
Off-contract phones cost way more than some people can afford and the monthly fees with contracts are just plain insane. Your "99$ iPhone" doesn't really cost you 99$.
If you think a low-cost iPhone is a bad idea, I guess you also think the Mac mini and the iPod shuffle are bad ideas and crappy hardware? I've used Mac minis since they came out and my 2nd generation iPod shuffle is still working fine, except for the battery which I'll need to replace soon.
If you still want to feel superior to others, do it through your actions, not the stuff you own.
And if you're not human enough to do that, take comfort that your iPhone 5 is superior to a "cheap plastic iPhone". The next iPhone will render your superior iPhone 5 to the rank of "not the best" soon enough.
Some comments in this thread are just plain wrong elitism.
Off-contract phones cost way more than some people can afford and the monthly fees with contracts are just plain insane. Your "99$ iPhone" doesn't really cost you 99$.
If you think a low-cost iPhone is a bad idea, I guess you also think the Mac mini and the iPod shuffle are bad ideas and crappy hardware? I've used Mac minis since they came out and my 2nd generation iPod shuffle is still working fine, except for the battery which I'll need to replace soon.
If you still want to feel superior to others, do it through your actions, not the stuff you own.
And if you're not human enough to do that, take comfort that your iPhone 5 is superior to a "cheap plastic iPhone". The next iPhone will render your superior iPhone 5 to the rank of "not the best" soon enough.
I really like it, not as much as the iP5, but I'm sure they'd sell a shedload at the £229-249 price point.
Amen. Again, EVERYONE who has credit/debit cards will lose them in favor of smartphones with passport type capability. Apple will build high quality, lower cost plastic case phones to meet this growing global demand. Physical wallets will soon be things of the past.
I actually like the look of the Mac mini, never fancied a shuffle, think there was one kicking around here somewhere a while ago though.........
yes...in fact i just made one in my basement because i have ALL the materials and necessary equipment to do so...
This brings up a very good point when you mention the Mac mini and iPod Shuffle - both of those products have a different feature set compared to the premium version in each product family, and yet all we hear about this new phone is that it'll be made with cheaper materials (and perhaps not the latest technology), but that's not what they did with the mini and shuffle - they made very different products which happened to cost less and appeal to a different market. I think this new phone will be the same, but all most people can see and understand is "cheaper" and they think that's the defining feature of this potential new product.
I own a Shuffle (my second one) and I've owned a Nano alongside my original iPod and iPod Touch (gen 1) - I didn't buy the cheaper ones because they were cheaper, I bought them because they were different and better fit various use cases of mine. For example, the Shuffle is so small, it's great to take to the gym while working out (clipped to my t-shirt), rather than haul along either an iPhone or larger iPod into the gym just to listen to an audiobook or some music while working out. This new phone may not appeal to someone who already owns an iPhone, but I'd be very surprised if the only thing that differentiates it from the existing iPhone is cheaper materials and technology and cheaper price, but otherwise exactly the same functionality. This new phone, if it exists, will be different enough from the current iPhone to warrant a new product from Apple (they'll be very cautious about launching something that may eat away at their big revenue stream, so don't expect a lower price point iPhone).
I know being supported by iOS6 is irrelevant to the physical design, but that shows how willing users are to hold on to it, and how willing Apple was to keep a cheap (these days) plastic iPhone around. Apparently there was something good about it.
I agree. The curved back and chrome bezel looked sleek. This just looks like, well, a cheap iPhone 5.
Mission accomplished, I guess!