Well, somewhat....
Why not use the 4" form factor as a differentiating feature? Some people want a great phone that's not a phablet.
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New 4" iPhone With 12MP Camera Said to Cost $400-$500, iPhone 5s to Receive 50% Price Cut
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You do realize that ZTE, Huawei, etc will beat Apple in markets like China and India? That little phone will last maybe 8 hrs on battery.
Whats wrong of opening to new market of lower cost iPhones ? all the other companies doing so as well, the only difference they using old tech in cheep plastic phones in that price point while Apple keeping the 5s.
To all 5s owners, now its your last chance to get descent price in the used market for your iPhones, if they cutting the price down to $225 for new one, you’re doomed.
Apple has a brand to keep as well, so the 50% off price cut is extremely unlikely (unless it was meant 50% from original price years ago, so 50% off $650). Although I still think it's unlikely, it's the obvious price point if Apple were to keep the 5S, maybe at $350, $100 less than the current lowest price).
The 5S might be 3-years-old, but considering my iPhone 5 is still running iOS9 fine (the only issue is its tiny old battery), I would think the 5S is still doing okay in performance. And considering the phones at the $200 price points on Android are throwaways (meaning they are released but won't be supported at all), I think it's not such a bad idea. I have to think Apple's margin is good enough, considering that they can sell an A8 iPod Touch at $199.
I still think it's unlikely. Apple iPhone brand is a premium brand at this point. Going to lower cost won't be good for the brand.
In a 4-inch form factor? Go ahead, show me those "tons of phones". Based on the rumors, other than 3D Touch, better battery life, and more RAM I'm not sure what else you'd want in the 4-inch iPhone.
can they physically cram everything from a larger phone into a smaller one? they said the battery would be bigger than the 5S so there's that (addressing almost half iPhone complaints in one swoop).
personally my only gripe is the name (even though i'm not in the market for a 4" phone). just call it the iPhone S. what's the SE even stand for? second edition?? doesn't matter, it's more like the competition's naming structure.
I didn't say it was a bad move. As the poster pika2000 has pointed out Apple has positioned the iphone as a premium smartphone. The brand image is of that as well.
Actually, the mid-range Android phones at $200-$300 are very good nowadays. The only issue is support. OEMs will simply release the phone and that's it. Zero updates.
I don't think Apple will do this. However, if they did, they will have a huge advantage, since the 5S will probably be supported longer than the newest mid-range Android phone.
Apple knows how to make phones.Whether you are interested is the question.
Then why do the 6 and 6S have bad battery lives? Why did the 5S have bad battery life? Why are they moving to Amoled in 2018 rather than now? Where are the major features like quick charge or wireless charging? Outside the Plus line, it's hard to even consider the other iPhones. Heck the 6 and 6S don't have OIS. It took till 2015 to get 4K cameras. Furthermore, 16gb is still a standard. But that's still a good phone... right?
I agree and disagree here. We have a 5S in the house that runs iOS 9 and is working great, so it certainly is capable of good performance still. I agree that it's unlikely to see them drop the price 50%, but I don't think it would hurt the brand to simply do so on a 3 year old device. They are about selling iPhones and expanding their market. Yes, they are also about margins and ASPs, but with so many other higher priced, high powered options still being available, this would allow Apple to hit more levels in price points and extend their market.
Tiny screen! which phone are we talking about? I have an Xperia Z3 Compact 4.6" which I absolutely love - it really is a perfect size, much better than the awful phablets (whoever makes them). I suspect this new Apple phone will be in huge demand. I'm already interested.
Phablets are just so 'yesterday'.
Why should screen size matter? That rationale makes zero sense. It's like saying a Porsche 911 should be cheaper than a Chevy truck because it's smaller.
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I can't tell if you are joking or not.
Doesn't have to be exactly 4 inches, but the Moto G (1st gen), Lumia 635, Sony Z5 compact to name a few. Heck look at ZTE, Huawei, Alcatel for better value devices with similar or better specs. 4" is an outdated screen size for the most part. It's pathetic that the Apple fanboys will take this overpriced device and claim it's a godsend. Open your eyes and notice you're getting ripped off.
lets start with batter life, there is no way you know what my battery life is on my 6s. Lasts me the day. And throwing hardware to sell phones is not the way Apple ever operated? I don't know what to say about the rest of your post; the public has spoken but that doesn't mean everybody has to buy an iPhone. However thankfully for consumers there are alternatives.
The fact you engage in name calling just shows your posts are not to be taken seriously.
Yeah a $395 iPhone would be real nice. While I could use a bigger screen, that's a price point I can roll with.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has issued a research note to investors, a copy of which was obtained by MacRumors, in which he claims Apple's next-generation 4-inch iPhone will feature a 12-megapixel rear-facing camera, as opposed to an 8-megapixel sensor as previously rumored.
Kuo also reiterated that the new 4-inch iPhone will have other similar hardware specs as the iPhone 6s, including an A9 chip and NFC for Apple Pay. The device's form factor is expected to be similar to the iPhone 5s, although the display is said to have slightly curved 2.5D glass like the iPhone 6 and newer.
Apple's new 4-inch iPhone could also feature 16GB and 64GB storage capacities, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, Live Photos support, and a slightly larger 1,642 mAh battery compared to the iPhone 5s. 3D Touch will likely remain exclusive to the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus as a differentiating feature.
The well-informed analyst continues to believe the smartphone will cost between $400 and $500 in the United States. The lower price point should help Apple target the mid- to low-price segment and drive iPhone sales in emerging markets such as China and India. Comparatively, the larger iPhone 6s starts at $649.
KGI Securities expects total 4-inch iPhone shipments to grow 131% year-over-year to 37 million units in 2016, on the strength of the new 4-inch iPhone launch and a 50% price cut on the iPhone 5s. Apple currently sells the iPhone 5s for $450 at full retail price, so the smartphone may soon be discounted to $225.
The research firm has lowered its new 4-inch iPhone shipments forecast to 12 million units from 18-20 million units because it believes customers that favor a small-size iPhone may purchase the cheaper iPhone 5s instead. KGI expects iPhone 5s shipments to "surge" following the half-off discount.
Kuo said Apple's upcoming 4-inch iPhone is "generally dubbed iPhone 5se," but the much-rumored smartphone may actually be called the "iPhone SE." The purported iPhone 5s successor has been given many other names in recent months, including "iPhone 6c," "iPhone 5e," and "iPhone 5s Mark II" internally.
Apple is expected to announce the new 4-inch iPhone, alongside a new 9.7-inch iPad Pro and minor Apple Watch updates, at its rumored March 15 media event. Barring any last minute changes, the smartphone could reportedly go on sale as early as March 18. Apple is unlikely to offer pre-orders for the device.
The research note also clarified that Apple will offer both single and dual camera versions of the iPhone 7 Plus.
Article Link: New 4" iPhone With 12MP Camera Said to Cost $400-$500, iPhone 5s to Receive 50% Price Cut
Thieves now have the ability to take money off contactless cards. Will this NFC silliness be proof against this or will the phone have to be kept in a foil wallet or can NFC be switched off ?
I'd suggest you to have your iPhone checked then, because according with every good review, the iPhone 5S isn't the best phone , battery life wise, but still performing very well...
2GB ram and I may be in
Don't really need 2GB of ram, 1GB is more than enough IMO, I have never had any problems with my iPhone 6