Rumor: Apple readying a cheaper, 8GB iPhone 4

Shawn Knight

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Staff member

Apple could very well be building a cheaper, 8GB version of the iPhone 4 to launch alongside the next-generation iPhone. The latest from the perpetual rumor mill suggests that both devices could arrive in late September, ahead of the commonly accepted October date most have settled on.

Reuters spoke with two people familiar with the matter who claim that an unnamed Korean company is providing the flash drive for a cheaper iPhone 4. Japan-based Toshiba and South Korean’s Samsung Electronics currently manufacture these components for Apple.

Some analysts believe that a cheaper iPhone 4 could help Apple gain ground in emerging markets and further compete with lower-priced Android devices.

"Apple may want to push into the emerging market segment where customers want to switch to low- to mid-end smartphones from high-end feature phones, which usually cost $150-200," said Yuanta Securities analyst Bonnie Chang.
"But I think for an 8GB iPhone 4 the price is hard to go below $200, so Apple will still need a completely new phone with low specifications for the emerging markets."

As for the iPhone 5, this latest rumor indicates a late-September launch which lines up with previous leaks. The Reuters source says the new iPhone will have a bigger screen, better antenna and an 8MP camera. The phone is rumored to be made by Hon Hai and Pegatron, the source added.

This isn’t the first time we have heard of such a rumor. A tip from April also suggested that the iPhone 5 would go into production in September and that Apple may be developing a cheaper iPhone model with lower specifications.

Particularly interesting is the thought of a cloud-based iPhone which could very well become a reality after Apple announced iCloud at WWDC in June. All we know for sure at this point is that a new iPhone will be lauching very soon as evident by daily rumors of its existance and arrival.

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I wonder how long Apple will ride the iPhone.

iPhone 10 maybe?...With the amount of money they're reeming from people, It wouldn't surprise me.
 
Benny26 said:
I wonder how long Apple will ride the iPhone.

iPhone 10 maybe?...With the amount of money they're reeming from people, It wouldn't surprise me.

I'm assuming as long as they are still making a profit we are going see a iPhone1,000,000,000 one day.
 
Still over priced, still fragile and STILL Apple... 3 strikes yer out. The i-phone phenomena made me a Cell phone luddite.
 
all that effort still won't make much difference when the wireless industry is so monopolized. lack of wireless plan choices forcing consumers to shell out hundreds dollars a month is by no means affordable or economical.
 
"Still over priced, still fragile and STILL Apple... 3 strikes yer out. The i-phone phenomena made me a Cell phone luddite."

Can you please explain how the iPhone is overpriced?

At $199, it's directly comparable to Android. You will get free text messaging with iMessage, saving you $20 a month. The iPhone and Android phones are the only viable alternatives on the market. Also, if you don't want to pay $200 for an iPhone, you will be able to get the iPhone 4 for $99 with a contract.

Secondly, it's a device that works really well for multimedia, whether it's videos, or music. This basically makes getting a separate dedicated mp3 player irrelevant. For many people living in large metropolitan centres who take public transit, the multimedia aspects are critical when you are on the train/subway for 30 min - 1 hour to work each way x 250 days a year.

Finally, with Amazon, you can tradein your iPhone for a gift card in 12-24 months, etc. recouping some of that $199 initial outlay.

Outside of Samsung Galaxy S2 and other top-of-the line Android smartphones, can you tell me of a better phone for $199 + 2 year contract because I'd love to know. And sorry a BlackBerry is a dinosaur.
 
Whatever its critics say, there's no denying that Apple is on a roll. I guess there is no such thing as selling too many iPhones.
 
Currently iPhone 4 is priced at USD 750, here in INDONESIA
Pricing is subjective to "Government" - Extreme Fatty Taxes.

Certainly, pricing is not the issue with some territories:

... "What is the Commerce Benefits ?"
... "Does Carriers of the regions provide bandwidth ?"
... "Are the Services for Users Trusted ?"

Smartphone is all about Service, Commerce, Benefits !
 
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