Latest alleged 'iPhone Lite' plastic backs show different color shades

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
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.

iPhone Lite


The picture was posted on Wednesday by Sonny Dickson, showing a plastic iPhone back in white, red, green, yellow and blue. The images only show the backs of the parts, not the sides where buttons or ports would be located.

The colors in the latest batch appear more subdued than the bright yellow, red and green plastic backs that appeared online a few weeks ago. Wednesday's latest alleged parts are also the first time a blue back panel has been pictured.

A highly suspect "iPhone Lite" case appeared over the weekend showing a plastic back panel lacking holes for the lock and volume buttons. Some manufacturers have been building cases that would take existing phones and make them look like the anticipated design of Apple's rumored low-cost iPhone.

Last month, AppleInsider obtained schematics that claimed to show the design of the "iPhone Lite." It was also first to share 3D renderings based on those designs, showcasing what the device is expected to look like.

Well-connected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities said in April that although the back panel of the new iPhone model is expected to be plastic, the casing will be slimmer than with most plastic smartphones. As a result, he said, Apple could face challenges in manufacturing the unique device.

Rumors have suggested that Apple will make a less expensive iPhone model, alongside a premium "iPhone 5S," available to consumers this fall. Market watchers believe such a device could allow Apple to tap into the fast-growing unsubsidized segment of the smartphone market.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 90
    smiles77smiles77 Posts: 668member
    Pretty sure these things are real by now.

    Also, visualizing someone holding any one of these in their hands, I think they look really good. They're very colorful, modern, and "light". Between this and iOS 7 I think we'll see blockbuster sales like no other year (which is funny since that's every year :)).

    It's definitely gonna be a lineup like no other iPhone set before.
  • Reply 2 of 90
    Looking forward to next year as well with a new iPhone refresh and hopefully larger screen option.
  • Reply 3 of 90
    chandra69chandra69 Posts: 638member


    Cant sustain of these all many many many articles - saying about iPhone colors.

  • Reply 4 of 90
    aaronjaaronj Posts: 1,595member


    Wow, those look really cheap to me.  Then again, I'm very opposed to plastic, and even more to colored plastic.  I have a very hard time imagining Apple producing something like this, frankly.  But maybe that's just me.


     


    I just don't get where this would fit into their line, what the economics of it would be, or how they would market it.


     


    Possibly, I just lack imagination.  But it all seems very "un-Apple."

  • Reply 5 of 90
    I don't believe they are real .
  • Reply 6 of 90
    starbird73starbird73 Posts: 538member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Smiles77 View Post



    Pretty sure these things are real by now.



    Also, visualizing someone holding any one of these in their hands, I think they look really good. They're very colorful, modern, and "light". Between this and iOS 7 I think we'll see blockbuster sales like no other year (which is funny since that's every year image).



    It's definitely gonna be a lineup like no other iPhone set before.


    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.


     


     


  • Reply 7 of 90
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    smiles77 wrote: »
    I think we'll see blockbuster sales like no other .
    That may well be true depending on how these are priced.

    There could be a huge influx of brand new customers to the platform unwilling to spend more on the 5 or 4S (surely this replaces the 4, which is set to expire on the intro of the next flagship model anyway, no?).

    With most current iPhone users locked into a contract for another year or two, Apple is safe to postpone a 5S introduction for months, and still make heaps of cash with this, without suffering too much canibalization (which Tim Cook says doesn't concern him anyway). And of course the later introduction of the top-of-the-line model whips up another buying frenzy, and further sets the two models apart, then bye bye 4S.
  • Reply 8 of 90
    I'd like a high end larger iPhone.
    Also believe a low end large iPhone would do extremely well.
  • Reply 9 of 90
    ifij775ifij775 Posts: 470member
    This looks like iphone meets ipod
  • Reply 10 of 90
    You cant really judge these colours properly as the camera white balance is all over the place... the actual colours will be very different if the white balance is corrected.
  • Reply 11 of 90
    matrix07matrix07 Posts: 1,993member


    I'm curious about how Apple will claim about environmental using plastic like this.

  • Reply 12 of 90
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    I'd like a high end larger iPhone.
    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.
  • Reply 13 of 90
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    matrix07 wrote: »
    I'm curious about how Apple will claim about environmental using plastic like this.
    Good point. It's one thing to still incorporate it in relatively small sellers like Apple TV, Airports and the like, but this phone will sell tens of millions, and will be obsolete in a year, destined for landfills across the world.
  • Reply 14 of 90
    smiles77smiles77 Posts: 668member
    ifij775 wrote: »
    This looks like iphone meets ipod

    I think that's exactly it. In the US, these will do really well with younger consumers who want to pay less anyway, while adults and businesspeople may choose the higher-end versions. Elsewhere in the world (especially in places such as China, Japan, and Europe) I can see just about anybody wanting these as an everyday phone with the modern, colorful styling. It's a very different color palette than companies such as Nokia and Samsung use.

    The real kicker for me in terms of ensuring this'll be introduced this year is that Apple has 1 current phone with a 4-inch screen and Lightning connector. With the new high-end 5S it'll have a $199 iPhone 5S and a $99 iPhone 5, but I don't think they want another year of selling a 3.5-inch phone with 30-pin dock connector as the highly popular free version. It would be much better to use this new low cost iPhone. It just makes sense.
  • Reply 15 of 90
    tundraboytundraboy Posts: 1,884member
    It looks to me they still have the protective plastic film on them, that's why they have that cheap shiny look.
  • Reply 16 of 90
    smiles77smiles77 Posts: 668member
    mac_128 wrote: »
    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.

    To be honest, I didn't upgrade to the iPhone 5 from my 4S because the 4-inch screen is too big for me. I have to stretch to reach the top-left corner where every back button is, and for any extended period of use I simply had to change the way that I held it entirely. While that's not necessarily the biggest deal in the world, it meant I was holding it a less securely (had to prop it up on my pinky instead of gripping it) and it just wasn't as comfortable. Fortunately, iOS 7 introduces the back swipe which allows me to keep my current hand position while using the larger screen. Best of both worlds. I understand the desire of people for a larger screen, and this additional gesture has enabled me to utilize it without compromising comfort. As such, I'll be buying the new high-end iPhone this fall.
  • Reply 17 of 90
    ifij775ifij775 Posts: 470member
    My guess is that this will be a data-only phone with VOIP and no cellular minutes
  • Reply 18 of 90
    aaronjaaronj Posts: 1,595member


    But you're still in one of two situations:


     


    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?

  • Reply 19 of 90
    larryalarrya Posts: 606member
    mac_128 wrote: »
    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.

    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.
  • Reply 20 of 90
    herbapouherbapou Posts: 2,228member


    The stock just went down the toilet, something must be happening?!?


     


    Update:  Apple guilty of fixing ebook pricing. Thats the news,

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