No need to dole out $649 for a contract-free latest generation iPhone or $199 for a carrier-subsidized version. Apple is reportedly readying a low-cost iPhone in addition to the iPhone 6.
Citing anonymous supply chain sources, DigiTimes reports Apple would debut an affordable version of the iPhone for developing markets in the second half of the year. Apple's new low-end iPhone will sport a brand new exterior design and a larger display. Apple is reportedly unveiling the high-end successor to the iPhone 5 in June and then the cheaper iPhone in the fall.
What Else You Need To Know
- Canaccord Genuity analyst T. Michael Walkley expects that the tech giant will bump up the release of the iPhone 6 to the summer instead of the fall.
- The iPhone 5, which was rele ased in September 2012, features a high-resolution, 4-inch screen, LTE support, and an A6 processor that offers twice the performance, and is 20% lighter than its predecessors. Five million units were sold in the first three days.
- Since 2007, Apple has been releasing only one new iPhone model every year. Apple did begin selling multiple tablet models in 2012.
Other sources
Growing sales of the iPad mini, particularly in China and other emerging markets, may have served as an impetus for Apple to roll out a low-cost iPhone to repeat its success gained on the sale of the iPad mini, the sources commented.- Usman, iPhone In Canada Blog
Considering that a larger display would make more sense in a higher-end product, it's possible that the sources are plain wrong -- a scenario that often times plays out with Digitimes' unnamed sources.- Don Reisinger, CNET
- GottaBeMobile
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iPhone 6 Release Date Again Pegged for Summer
Something to keep in mind is that notes from analysts aren’t always accurate and often, they are flat out wrong. However, what’s interesting is that many of them, so far, seem to think that Apple will be introducing a new iPhone in the middle of 2013 rather than in the latter half of the year.
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- Digital Trends
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- iPhone Alley
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- iPhone Hacks
- Analyst: Apple Will Launch New ‘Higher-End’ iPhone In June, Followed By ‘Lower-End’ Model
- BGR
- Apple’s next iPhone to reportedly feature larger screen and ‘brand new exterior design’
- Apple Insider
- Rumor: Apple planning low-cost iPhone with larger display for late 2013
- Dialed In
- Low-cost iPhone heading to emerging markets this year -- report
- iPhone Download Blog
- Rumor: larger, inexpensive iPhones heading to emerging markets in late-2013
- iPhone Hacks
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