1) It's unsubsidized, and it really isn't cheap -- I mean, unless they just toss some POS together (very un-Apple), it's still going to cost a lot, being unsubsidized.
2) Or, it's subsidized, in which case you're paying $2400 over the next two years anyhow. So what's the difference what you pay for the phone?
(1) It'll likely be sold most frequently as unsubsidized around most of the globe at a cost of under $400 (I'm thinking more like $299). This is eminently possible while still building a quality product. Just look at the latest iPod touch which costs $229 for a 16GB model. Introducing an 8GB iPhone Color would be both profitable and differentiated enough from both iPod touch and iPhone 5S to fill an unserved niche and not cannibalize much.
(2) If you get it on the subsidized model, it's just replacing what would be the next free phone (4S) and Apple likely feels that the 4-inch screen, lightning connector, and colors are a good enough trade-off to more than satisfy those who would otherwise be getting a 2-year old phone.
Today the no 1 reason holding people back from getting an iPhone's simply the Price. This could well be the solution for more adoption.
In the UK, the economy is kind of getting pressed and people go with Android phones coz they are more affordable to the common man.
If apple can bring there revolutionary platform at a more affordable price its an all win for apple.
Remember the device is just an entry point to there ecosystem.. Once someone get the Apple iOS feel be it in a cheaper device, they are going to be tempted to go for a more premium phone next year perhaps. I think the strategy just helps the ecosystem broaden.
Me too. The first images were, perhaps, an attempt to make the back shiny. These look more matte. I had a problem with what looked red in the first shots, but now, it is more pink.
So, being matte, looks like it matches the iPod family nicely. Depending on the quality of the internals, I can see these being super popular.
It all depends on the way they took the pictures. First ones we saw also had there protective plastic on. If they could manage to bring down the price to "free" with contract and $400 off contract, they have a winner indeed.
Its the high end phone that worries me. Hoping for a bigger screen. We had a leak this week about the ipad5, the one spec that got my attention is they said they reduced the number of backlight leds by 50%. I dont think there is any way to do that other than using IGZO, which is the biggest news we got so far regarding future product cycles. Maybe the next high end phone will use it too.
It looks to me they still have the protective plastic film on them, that's why they have that cheap shiny look.
Yep they definitely have protective film over the backs.
I'm not crazy about the idea of a plastic iPhone, but if they can price them right they probably would sell well in certain countries and with teens. But if they charge something like $450 off contract I think it has FAIL written all over it. Once you start playing In th low end space you can't expect to command the same margins. And IMO colored plastic (even if its really nice from a fit and finish standpoint) is the low end, not the premium space.
It all depends on the way they took the pictures. First ones we saw also had there protective plastic on. If they could manage to bring down the price to "free" with contract and $400 off contract, they have a winning indeed.
Its the high end phone that worries me. Hoping for a bigger screen.
You think people will pay $400 for a colored plastic phone?
The more I think about it, and I like the plastic iPhone concept, I think these look much too girlie. Girls will love these. Young males on the other hand may be turned off by them. iOS7, the pretty white iPhone 5 and now these? I now think Apple is setting themselves up for mockery as the girl phone.
I'd like a smaller high end iPhone. I simply detest phones are getting bigger rather than smaller, which seems to me counter to the whole point of a mobile device -- the smallest usable size possible. I miss my Motorola Razr sometimes.
I agree. If they would release all the goodies of the 5 in a 3.5" model I probably get that.
You think people will pay $400 for a colored plastic phone?
Last time I check pretty much all of the android phones are plastic. They sell a lot more of those than iphones. I dont think they can go lower if they keep the current iphone 5 internals. It would be better to be between $300 to $400, depends on internatls.
btw there are rumors those are actually the high end phone shells, you better pray they are not.
You think people will pay $400 for a colored plastic phone?
All the high end Galaxies are plastic. The S4 is $649 off contract. The Nokia 928 off contract is $449. The HTC OneX was plastic and $549 off contract.
If people are buying the S4 off contract then the answer is yes.
A new collection of photos claiming to be back panels for Apple's low-cost iPhone again show an array of colors, but this time with slightly different shades.
...
Regardless of real or not real, it's pretty obvious that the colours in this picture are completely off. The background which is presumably the same and presumably colourless (because it is colourless in some of them) changes colours dramatically depending on which colour of phone is being photographed. It's also clearly "auto-toned" overall.
Therefore, pretty much nothing for certain can be said about what these colours actually are at all. They may represent different colours, they may not.
However, if you put them in photoshop and try to adjust the whitepoint for the varying shades of background, they actually come out basically the exact same colours as the other ones we've already seen. If you add to that the fact that like the others, we can't see the sides, there is no reason to think these are from a different source than the first two sets, no reason to think they are "new" colours, and some reason to believe they are entirely fake.
Today the no 1 reason holding people back from getting an iPhone's simply the Price.
This could well be the solution for more adoption.
In the UK, the economy is kind of getting pressed and people go with Android phones coz they are more affordable to the common man.
If apple can bring there revolutionary platform at a more affordable price its an all win for apple.
Remember the device is just an entry point to there ecosystem.. Once someone get the Apple iOS feel be it in a cheaper device, they are going to be tempted to go for a more premium phone next year perhaps. I think the strategy just helps the ecosystem broaden.
From the Q1 2013 report:
Quote:
The Company sold a record 47.8 million iPhones in the quarter, compared to 37 million in the year-ago quarter.
Who is being "held back" from buying iPhones? See, this is what I don't get. Apple sold nearly 50 MILLION of these things in the first quarter of fiscal 2013. In fiscal 2012 they sold 125M iPhones alone.
You do not want to get smaller than 3.5". I had a 3.2" Windows Mobile phone and the touch keyboard was unusable. We big phone fans are just looking for another half inch. I'm using 5 now and I have a lot of unintended key presses since it's been jammed into a phone with a too small bezel. 4.5 or 4.75 seems ideal and would be easily pocketable, but so much more readable and usable.
Indeed. I have the 4s and I cant really type on it in portrait mode. I must use landscape to type something.
Comments
(1) It'll likely be sold most frequently as unsubsidized around most of the globe at a cost of under $400 (I'm thinking more like $299). This is eminently possible while still building a quality product. Just look at the latest iPod touch which costs $229 for a 16GB model. Introducing an 8GB iPhone Color would be both profitable and differentiated enough from both iPod touch and iPhone 5S to fill an unserved niche and not cannibalize much.
(2) If you get it on the subsidized model, it's just replacing what would be the next free phone (4S) and Apple likely feels that the 4-inch screen, lightning connector, and colors are a good enough trade-off to more than satisfy those who would otherwise be getting a 2-year old phone.
The matte aluminium backs used in the current iPod lineup is what I hope to see (if any colours are used at all).
This could well be the solution for more adoption.
In the UK, the economy is kind of getting pressed and people go with Android phones coz they are more affordable to the common man.
If apple can bring there revolutionary platform at a more affordable price its an all win for apple.
Remember the device is just an entry point to there ecosystem.. Once someone get the Apple iOS feel be it in a cheaper device, they are going to be tempted to go for a more premium phone next year perhaps. I think the strategy just helps the ecosystem broaden.
Quote:
Originally Posted by starbird73
Me too. The first images were, perhaps, an attempt to make the back shiny. These look more matte. I had a problem with what looked red in the first shots, but now, it is more pink.
So, being matte, looks like it matches the iPod family nicely. Depending on the quality of the internals, I can see these being super popular.
It all depends on the way they took the pictures. First ones we saw also had there protective plastic on. If they could manage to bring down the price to "free" with contract and $400 off contract, they have a winner indeed.
Its the high end phone that worries me. Hoping for a bigger screen. We had a leak this week about the ipad5, the one spec that got my attention is they said they reduced the number of backlight leds by 50%. I dont think there is any way to do that other than using IGZO, which is the biggest news we got so far regarding future product cycles. Maybe the next high end phone will use it too.
Yep they definitely have protective film over the backs.
I'm not crazy about the idea of a plastic iPhone, but if they can price them right they probably would sell well in certain countries and with teens. But if they charge something like $450 off contract I think it has FAIL written all over it. Once you start playing In th low end space you can't expect to command the same margins. And IMO colored plastic (even if its really nice from a fit and finish standpoint) is the low end, not the premium space.
Quote:
Originally Posted by matrix07
I'm curious about how Apple will claim about environmental using plastic like this.
It's likely polycarbonate and Apple has a recycling program.
Aluminium I recycle more religiously than plastic given how energy (and water) intensive it is to produce.
Quote:
Originally Posted by iSteelers
Those colors are hideous and scream cheap. No way those will be part of any iPhone.
Good news imo, because otherwise the high end phone wont sell. At least people who freak out about the shell will have something to buy.
Possibly. But what about their mantra 'it just works'?
Bio degradable? Then it would be gone in 12 years time, way after its lifespan.
I agree. If they would release all the goodies of the 5 in a 3.5" model I probably get that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rogifan
You think people will pay $400 for a colored plastic phone?
Last time I check pretty much all of the android phones are plastic. They sell a lot more of those than iphones. I dont think they can go lower if they keep the current iphone 5 internals. It would be better to be between $300 to $400, depends on internatls.
btw there are rumors those are actually the high end phone shells, you better pray they are not.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rogifan
You think people will pay $400 for a colored plastic phone?
All the high end Galaxies are plastic. The S4 is $649 off contract. The Nokia 928 off contract is $449. The HTC OneX was plastic and $549 off contract.
If people are buying the S4 off contract then the answer is yes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider
A new collection of photos claiming to be back panels for Apple's low-cost iPhone again show an array of colors, but this time with slightly different shades.
...
Regardless of real or not real, it's pretty obvious that the colours in this picture are completely off. The background which is presumably the same and presumably colourless (because it is colourless in some of them) changes colours dramatically depending on which colour of phone is being photographed. It's also clearly "auto-toned" overall.
Therefore, pretty much nothing for certain can be said about what these colours actually are at all. They may represent different colours, they may not.
However, if you put them in photoshop and try to adjust the whitepoint for the varying shades of background, they actually come out basically the exact same colours as the other ones we've already seen. If you add to that the fact that like the others, we can't see the sides, there is no reason to think these are from a different source than the first two sets, no reason to think they are "new" colours, and some reason to believe they are entirely fake.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nikilok
Today the no 1 reason holding people back from getting an iPhone's simply the Price.
This could well be the solution for more adoption.
In the UK, the economy is kind of getting pressed and people go with Android phones coz they are more affordable to the common man.
If apple can bring there revolutionary platform at a more affordable price its an all win for apple.
Remember the device is just an entry point to there ecosystem.. Once someone get the Apple iOS feel be it in a cheaper device, they are going to be tempted to go for a more premium phone next year perhaps. I think the strategy just helps the ecosystem broaden.
From the Q1 2013 report:
Quote:
The Company sold a record 47.8 million iPhones in the quarter, compared to 37 million in the year-ago quarter.
Who is being "held back" from buying iPhones? See, this is what I don't get. Apple sold nearly 50 MILLION of these things in the first quarter of fiscal 2013. In fiscal 2012 they sold 125M iPhones alone.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LarryA
You do not want to get smaller than 3.5". I had a 3.2" Windows Mobile phone and the touch keyboard was unusable. We big phone fans are just looking for another half inch. I'm using 5 now and I have a lot of unintended key presses since it's been jammed into a phone with a too small bezel. 4.5 or 4.75 seems ideal and would be easily pocketable, but so much more readable and usable.
Indeed. I have the 4s and I cant really type on it in portrait mode. I must use landscape to type something.