Rumor: Apple's low-cost iPhone to have 4" screen, mostly plastic body - Page 2

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gatorguy 

Marketing is marketing. I'm personally convinced a less-expensive plastic-encased iPhone is gonna happen. There's as much smoke rising from this rumor as there was for the iPad Mini, so there's a fire going IMO. But that doesn't make Cook and the rest of Apple management liars.

I personally don't get all this talk and obsession with a plastic case iPhone.  Is that really going to make much of a difference to price?  I mean, how much does the Aluminum case cost Apple anyway, maybe 10 bucks? The iSuppli teardown estimates it costs them about $200 per phone to make and most of the cost comes from the electronic components.  Going to a plastic case is going to save like what, 1% off the full price?  It doesn't make any sense for them to do this just to shave-off a couple of bucks.  More importantly it won't be significantly cheaper to the customer like everyone's expecting.

Looks like a rumored prototype to me. Not really newsworthy, unless Apple makes a "budget" iPhone like they made a "budget" tablet.

Note: they don't lie: iPad Mini is not a cheap iPad, it is a expensive not-so-good iPad.
 

Then again, everyone who reads my posts knows I find the Mini despicable (but can't wait for iPad, version 5).

I have said this elsewhere, but I I believe we will see a less expensive, well done entry level iPhone (iPhone 5E). It will be a thicker, plastic iPod touch-like device sharing the same iPod touch internals, display size and specs with the addition of a phone. It will come in multiple colors. The iPod touch sells for $299 for 32 GB, this is likely to be $329 for 16 GB (perhaps $299, but that would be pushing it). 

The contract line up would be:

iPhone 5S  $199 (fingerprint tech, faster, better camera)

iPhone 5    $ 99

iPhone 5E  $0 (multicolor)

All 4 inch displays, all LTE, all Siri, all iOS7

No, 4 or 4S.

All three phones a huge hit. Teenagers and developing countries wild for new multicolor iPhone 5E, businesses wild for fingerprint tech., older 4 users looking to upgrade happy with the 5 and the $99 price point.

Maybe it will e called "iM*ucked6 or iScratch

I agree with one of the previous posters:

If Apple makes a plastic version(LOL) they will have a bunch of class action lawsuits from lawyers arging that the case cracks/scatches/discolors/cancer induces etc etc unless Apple puts disclaimers out about these issues into new phone legal clause and share price will tank. Are there any class action suits currently on the iPhone 5? How quickly your attention span goes away, but thats to be expected mass ignorance in this space!!

If Apple doesn't make a phone they will get dragged thru the muck for not doing it.

You fools who think Apple is coming out with a cheaper model despite Apple's assertion they won't,  are smoking something! Apple is not SamTurd. Have you actually held one of the cheaper Android smart phones in you hands?  I have and I'm not impressed. And finally  for all you wise guys out there who think the Galaxy S3 /note is a better phone, it costs more than the iPhone and is made of plastic! All I see, is perhaps more screen sizes for us older folks who have bad eyesight and those clowns who try to use a phone  like a small tablet.

NEXT INSANITY PLEASE!!!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tallest Skil 

 

I'm sick of the idea of Apple giving people what they whine about.

Your view here is out of touch with reality. They're a corporation. Their management team will green light things that benefit the company in some way. It has nothing to do with with a few people talking about potential future products on here. If you're annoyed because it might appease someone, that is just spiteful.

Originally Posted by hmm 
Your view here is out of touch with reality.

Nah, remember the '90s? And even earlier, really. Design by committee doesn't work.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vaelian 

The iPhone 3GS would be sufficiently old yet sufficiently capable to accomplish that at this point, if they just stuck a front-facing camera in there to allow FaceTime to be used.

What price point were you thinking of ?   Similar lo-res screened devices are usually considered as low end, and sell for $100 to $150.

The Apple target is probably more the mid-range of $200 - $300, where there's a ton of competition from Huawei, ZTC, Samsung, Lenovo and others.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tallest Skil 

 

Nah, remember the '90s? And even earlier, really. Design by committee doesn't work.

I never said anything about design by committee. That's a totally different topic. I'm saying that it's unlikely that Apple's decisions are influenced by "whiners". Apple might have thousands of failed concepts that have been considered to one degree or another. If they're making a lower cost iphone, it would be likely to address a number of things. In the US prepaid seems to be growing in spite of complaints with the service. I'm not sure how you get appeasing the whiners from rumors over business decisions.

Originally Posted by hmm 
I never said anything about design by committee. That's a totally different topic.

Picture a committee without a table and teleconferencing equipment. Picture a committee for designing products without any experience designing any products whatsoever. Picture a committee that has money.

It's the same thing. Take a survey and ask what people want, put it all together, sell it, and they'll hate it. Exactly the same as getting a committee together, except it's the raw data instead of "well, I heard that [group] wants [feature], so let's put that in".

What stops them from just lowering the price of their existing models? Why does that make less sense than spending millions on a brand new design for old hardware? 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vaelian 


The iPhone 3GS would be sufficiently old yet sufficiently capable to accomplish that at this point, if they just stuck a front-facing camera in there to allow FaceTime to be used.

But as I stated they aren't currently selling a non-retina phone. That ship has sailed. Why would they spin those lines up again for non-retina 3.5" screens?

With the mini it works as they currently sell the iPad 2 with a non-retina screen so all apps work without problems and look made for the device. Most if not all iPhone apps are retina-only. Those developers would have to all of a sudden recode for non-retina after they've moved to retina. I don't see that happening.

Quote:

Originally Posted by allenbf 

I prefer my aluminum iphone 5 but I would consider this for my kids. And I am not saying this is a great idea by Apple but they will sell millions and it will cannibalize the iPhone 5s/whatever sales to some degree.

What I want for my kids is an iPhone with no data plan...an iPod touch that just does calls and iMessage via 3G cell service at a dumb phone or messaging phone monthly rate.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tallest Skil 

 

What stops them from just lowering the price of their existing models? Why does that make less sense than spending millions on a brand new design for old hardware? 

I haven't compared Apple's hardware from two or more cycles ago to the cheaper phones on the market today, and I don't know how much it costs for them to build something like an iphone 4 today. These are just areas where I won't comment. Regarding design by committee, I use the word "they" a lot, because Jonathan Ive isn't the sole member of Apple's design team. I prefer to recognize that it is more than one individual. This doesn't mean I was suggesting the practice you just described. I'm aware of the pitfalls that arise from a lack of direction.

Originally Posted by hmm 
Regarding design by committee, I use the word "they" a lot, because Jonathan Ive isn't the sole member of Apple's design team. I prefer to recognize that it is more than one individual. This doesn't mean I was suggesting the practice you just described. I'm aware of the pitfalls that arise from a lack of direction.

I don't mean design design, I mean functionality. Combined in a way such that design itself (and by extension usability) suffers.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nht 

What I want for my kids is an iPhone with no data plan...an iPod touch that just does calls and iMessage via 3G cell service at a dumb phone or messaging phone monthly rate.

You and me both, but you'd probably have to leave out the 3G since data messaging would cost too much.

One of the things I really miss from back before Apple came along and upset the ... uh... smartphone cart... was that we used to be able to activate a smartphone on US carriers without being required to also sign up for a data plan.

Back then you could add a kid on your family plan with a smartphone as an extra line for only $10, and restrict them to WiFi for data.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tallest Skil 

 

I don't mean design design, I mean functionality. Combined in a way such that design itself (and by extension usability) suffers.

I just looked up Virgin Mobile pricing. An 8GB 4 is $349 or a 16GB 4s is $449. They don't mention a contract on the pages I visited. The competing items are mostly older models from other brands. I still do not buy into the idea that they are pulling a WebOS with this one. Even in the case of HP they may have started with a plan that was lost during management changes.

Yep, that's what I want.  Let them have the ability to play games, use apps, whatever and make calls without either carrying two devices (one or both of which they will lose) or paying for a data.

What are they waiting for?

There's zero doubt in my mind that Apple will be aggressively addressing the underperformance of the I phone in developing nations due to COST.

When Android users have 65% of the market compared to 17% by Apple; somethings wrong.

My question is: when will they produce a competitively priced phone, or is it going to be something else entirely?

WHAT ARE THEY WAITING FOR?????

Android and IiPhones smartphones are replacing older feature phones that ran symbian. Why don't people understand this?  Its not really about Apple vs Android. They are both taking an bigger share of the phone market. The iPhone went from 0 to about 20% of the market since the launch 5-6 years ago. Android powered phones are at about 60% or so  I think. There are arguably many reason why Android phones are having better penetation than iPhones I won't go into these because they are well discussed already and only create more arguments.

The only thing I will say is that the phone market has price points that are well below the prices of the high end phones like the Galaxy s3 and Iphone, so its obvious why cheaper smart phones are gaining market share. its not a reflection on Apple's phone quality,  its pure economics. Apple doesn't sell to that price point but the fact that it can get 20% share is quite impressive given that! The simple fact is there is more profit to be made on high end smart phones  and the cheapar models don't make much money.

The only Android OS  phone making much of a profit for its manufacturer is the range offered by Samsung, which imho are okay but getting better knock offs of the iPhone. The rest of the market is having a hard time making much money and caters to the low end running older non upgradable versions of Android drastically discounted to try to entice buyers.  For the most part any android phone is not practically upgradeable for the majority of people who buy them. Essentially they upgrade by getting a new phone at the end of their 2 year contract (in the USA) or once it wears out or is lost.  In the rest of the world phones are mainly purchased up front. In the USA most smart phones actually cost about the same somewhere in the the 500 to 800 price range depending on what you want. The cheapest Galaxy S 3  I have seen it is about $600 on ebay unlocked - though who knows what kind of warranty is included.  At Verizon its sells the Galaxy S3 16GB  for $644.99, The 16GB iPhone 5 retails for 649.99 at verizon. Essentially the same.

They are both good phones and are selling well, and Samsung is making a lot of profit just like Apple does,  though the iPhone has just had a tremendous qtr since its release, which is normal. I assume apple will contunue its path of upgrading to higher perfomance processorsa and add newer features every 6 months / yearly and discount the previous year's phone as was done with previous models.

Android and IiPhones smartphones are replacing older feature phones that ran symbian. Why don't people understand this?  Its not really about Apple vs Android. They are both taking an bigger share of the phone market. The iPhone went from 0 to about 20% of the market since the launch 5-6 years ago. Android powered phones are at about 60% or so  I think. There are arguably many reason why Android phones are having better penetation than iPhones I won't go into these because they are well discussed already and only create more arguments.

The only thing I will say is that the phone market has price points that are well below the prices of the high end phones like the Galaxy s3 and Iphone, so its obvious why cheaper smart phones are gaining market share. its not a reflection on Apple's phone quality,  its pure economics. Apple doesn't sell to that price point but the fact that it can get 20% share is quite impressive given that! The simple fact is there is more profit to be made on high end smart phones  and the cheapar models don't make much money.

The only Android OS  phone making much of a profit for its manufacturer is the range offered by Samsung, which imho are okay but getting better knock offs of the iPhone. The rest of the market is having a hard time making much money and caters to the low end running older non upgradable versions of Android drastically discounted to try to entice buyers.  For the most part any android phone is not practically upgradeable for the majority of people who buy them. Essentially they upgrade by getting a new phone at the end of their 2 year contract (in the USA) or once it wears out or is lost.  In the rest of the world phones are mainly purchased up front. In the USA most smart phones actually cost about the same somewhere in the the 500 to 800 price range depending on what you want. The cheapest Galaxy S 3  I have seen it is about $600 on ebay unlocked - though who knows what kind of warranty is included.  At Verizon its sells the Galaxy S3 16GB  for $644.99, The 16GB iPhone 5 retails for 649.99 at verizon. Essentially the same.

They are both good phones and are selling well, and Samsung is making a lot of profit just like Apple does,  though the iPhone has just had a tremendous qtr since its release, which is normal. I assume apple will contunue its path of upgrading to higher perfomance processorsa and add newer features every 6 months / yearly and discount the previous year's phone as was done with previous models.