Documents claim Apple's 'iPhone Lite' will pack 1GB RAM, is already in mass production
A set of leaked documents appears to show that Apple will be releasing multiple models of its bestselling smartphone this year, with one aimed at the traditional iPhone audience and the other aiming possibly for the low-cost segment, though both devices are claimed to feature a full gigabyte of RAM.
Friday brought yet another rumor on the low-cost iPhone front, this time in the form of slides purporting to lay out the specifics of multiple versions of the device. According to the slides, Apple's next iPhone could come in at least two distinct flavors. The images were discovered early on Friday by Phone Arena, which pointed to a Chinese forum as a source.
The documents give two different code names for the devices: Zenvo and Zagato/Bertone. Zenvo is said to have an H5P dual-core processor built by Samsung, clocked at 1.23 gigahertz. It would also pack one gigabyte of RAM and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity.
Meanwhile, the Zagato/Bertone model would have a presumably more advanced H6P processor, as well as support for TDD 4G LTE. Observers note that this model would likely be the more expensive model of the two.
Both the Zenvo H5P chip and Zagato/Bertone H6P processor are shown to feature the same DDR part for RAM, giving both CPUs one gigabyte of memory. The clock speed or number of processing cores for the Zagato/Bertone H6P CPU was not included in the documents.
The supposedly leaked presentation also arrived alongside new images that appear to show plastic rear casings for low-cost iPhone models. These images are largely in keeping with previous views of a plastic iPhone.
It is virtually impossible to completely ascertain the veracity of either the documents or the images, but a source tells AppleInsider that these could very well be legitimate documents related to real Apple products.
"I think these docs are real," this person said after examining them. "The terms make sense, what we can see here makes sense."
The documents could be describing as many as three models of iPhone. One, according to the slides, is already in mass-production or is very close to mass production. That would be the Zenvo model described in the presentation. The documents are said to indicate that that model is going through electronic verification testing, in which the manufacturer ensures that all of the parts in the device are behaving correctly.
The Zagato/Bertone models, though, are still in the prototyping stages, according to the slides. There is apparently very little difference between Zagato and Bertone, so they could be models built for specific markets.
A low-cost iPhone has been rumored for some time, but over the past few years Apple has stuck to introducing one new model per year and making the older models more affordable. In the United States and other markets, this has proved successful, as Apple's lower-cost offerings often outsell flagships from other manufacturers.
The high end of the smartphone market, though, is thought to have become largely saturated over the past couple of years, and upgrades are slowing in many markets. The fastest growing markets are currently in developing economies, where consumers typically don't have the purchasing power to afford the premium price Apple charges for its handsets. A lower-cost model could help the Cupertino company address those markets without sacrificing much of the margin that investors have come to expect.
Friday brought yet another rumor on the low-cost iPhone front, this time in the form of slides purporting to lay out the specifics of multiple versions of the device. According to the slides, Apple's next iPhone could come in at least two distinct flavors. The images were discovered early on Friday by Phone Arena, which pointed to a Chinese forum as a source.
The documents give two different code names for the devices: Zenvo and Zagato/Bertone. Zenvo is said to have an H5P dual-core processor built by Samsung, clocked at 1.23 gigahertz. It would also pack one gigabyte of RAM and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity.
Meanwhile, the Zagato/Bertone model would have a presumably more advanced H6P processor, as well as support for TDD 4G LTE. Observers note that this model would likely be the more expensive model of the two.
Both the Zenvo H5P chip and Zagato/Bertone H6P processor are shown to feature the same DDR part for RAM, giving both CPUs one gigabyte of memory. The clock speed or number of processing cores for the Zagato/Bertone H6P CPU was not included in the documents.
The supposedly leaked presentation also arrived alongside new images that appear to show plastic rear casings for low-cost iPhone models. These images are largely in keeping with previous views of a plastic iPhone.
It is virtually impossible to completely ascertain the veracity of either the documents or the images, but a source tells AppleInsider that these could very well be legitimate documents related to real Apple products.
"I think these docs are real," this person said after examining them. "The terms make sense, what we can see here makes sense."
The documents could be describing as many as three models of iPhone. One, according to the slides, is already in mass-production or is very close to mass production. That would be the Zenvo model described in the presentation. The documents are said to indicate that that model is going through electronic verification testing, in which the manufacturer ensures that all of the parts in the device are behaving correctly.
The Zagato/Bertone models, though, are still in the prototyping stages, according to the slides. There is apparently very little difference between Zagato and Bertone, so they could be models built for specific markets.
A low-cost iPhone has been rumored for some time, but over the past few years Apple has stuck to introducing one new model per year and making the older models more affordable. In the United States and other markets, this has proved successful, as Apple's lower-cost offerings often outsell flagships from other manufacturers.
The high end of the smartphone market, though, is thought to have become largely saturated over the past couple of years, and upgrades are slowing in many markets. The fastest growing markets are currently in developing economies, where consumers typically don't have the purchasing power to afford the premium price Apple charges for its handsets. A lower-cost model could help the Cupertino company address those markets without sacrificing much of the margin that investors have come to expect.
Comments
Actually, no. These documents make no sense at all.
After a multi-year process of moving to it's own processor design and further moving to manufacture it's own processors, Apple is going to use an off the shelf Samsung processor? This doesn't seem likely at all IMO.
Also, this same picture is being touted as a picture of [B]"completely assembled iPhone lite's"[/B] almost everywhere else it's posted, when it's clearly just another shot of the very same plastic backs that we've already seen, and that are in fact, highly suspicious. We still haven't seen a picture of a working or fully assembled phone, and the CAD drawings for these backs have been floating around for half a year or more. Apple might indeed be making a cheap iPhone and it may indeed look similar to this, but this latest leak is both nothing new, and proves nothing at all.
Also, a child could see that the first diagram of "Zagato" is completely off. It's a mislabelled representation of an iPhone 5, but with the aspect ratio of an iPhone 4. I mean WTF? How could that ever be a real document that relates to an "iPhone lite"?
Can't really see iPhone like that. Those stupid colors and a black Apple logo.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gazoobee
Apple might indeed be making a cheap iPhone and it may indeed look similar to this, but this latest leak is both nothing new, and proves nothing at all.
+1
And this was a terribly written article as well. It was hard to understand what was trying to be said, and the diagrams were just.... painful.
If I were a smart company, I would make damn sure I had something else to sell by then. Thus, this continual mention of 'Apple only releases one model' is totally out of date. Apple needs a cheap model that does not infringe Samsung's patents, and if they are smart (they are), they will move mountains to get there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by montefuego
These articles on what is upcoming continually ignore a huge 'elephant in the room.' Apple is possibly going to be prohibited from selling those 'cheap older models' on August 5th by the trade commission.
If I were a smart company, I would make damn sure I had something else to sell by then. Thus, this continual mention of 'Apple only releases one model' is totally out of date. Apple needs a cheap model that does not infringe Samsung's patents, and if they are smart (they are), they will move mountains to get there.
Huh? Only older models were found to infringe, not any of the newer models. And that's only in the US. These phones are more for the international markets where more and more people choose pre-pay plans.
The so-called "lite" model will be the new iPhone. The other model will be the iPhone Pro.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gazoobee
After a multi-year process of moving to it's own processor design and further moving to manufacture it's own processors, Apple is going to use an off the shelf Samsung processor? This doesn't seem likely at all IMO.
There are so many red flags with this article that it is not even funny. There is little-to-no evidence the iPhone Lite even exists aside from photos of a highly suspect case. I will chock the iPhone Lite into the same category as the fabled iPhone Mini.
Quote:
Originally Posted by xclntgig
I wouldn't be surprised at all if, as part of Tim Cook's doubling-down on secrecy, if Apple had a department of disinformation. They are tasked to creating and perpetuating false tips about future products. It would keep Apple in the news, and promotes interest in Apple by keeping people guessing. And it would actually be a FUN JOB TO HAVE!
That would be great. "Tell everyone they are plastic and send these mock up pictures" then they come out in colored aluminum like the iPod Touches and surprise everyone for the better.
I really don't care about these "lites" one way or the other as a consumer because I won't be buying one. Give me the full version please.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mjtomlin
Huh? Only older models were found to infringe, not any of the newer models. And that's only in the US. These phones are more for the international markets where more and more people choose pre-pay plans.
The older models are the iphone 4 and 4S, which are half the phones that Apple is currently selling in the U.S. Losing the ability to sell these phones either here or internationallly is a catastrophe. They need a substitute by Aug 5.
Quote:
Originally Posted by montefuego
The older models are the iphone 4 and 4S, which are half the phones that Apple is currently selling in the U.S. Losing the ability to sell these phones either here or internationallly is a catastrophe. They need a substitute by Aug 5.
Not only that but I think Apple would like to standardize the dock connector, ios7 compatibility and screen size of its lineup as soon as they possibly can.
Quote:
Originally Posted by montefuego
The older models that infringe include the iPhone 4 and 4S, which even in the U.S. may represent half of Apple's sales. They need a replacement by Aug 5, or risk catastrophic loss of sales.
No, the older models found to infringe were only the AT&T model 3GS and 4. Basically by later this year they won't be selling the 4 anymore anyway. Hardly some catastrophic loss as you claim. Get your facts right before spreading FUD.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/04/uk-apple-samsung-patent-idUKBRE9531AJ20130604
The U.S. International Trade Commission, an independent federal agency, issued a limited order stopping all imports and sales for AT&T models of the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPad 3G and iPad 2 3G. The versions targeted are more than a year old but are still solid sellers.