For as long as we can remember, there have been rumors circulating around the internets that Apple was going to build a low cost iPhone for cost sensitive consumers. Later we found out that Apple’s strategy to reach more users was to simply keep on selling the older models, but at a significant discount. Take the iPhone 3GS for example. When it launched in the summer of 2009 it cost $599 if you were buying it unlocked. Now it can be yours for around $380 straight from Apple’s website. But let’s be honest with ourselves, the low cost market is defined as devices that can be purchased for less than 200 EUR, which is roughly $265. How exactly is Apple going to enter that space? According to the China Times, Apple is definitely going to make a cheap iPhone this year, and we a theory as to how it’s going to happen.
Let’s assume for a moment that the next iPhone is called the iPhone 5. It likely won’t be, but whatever. Anyway, the iPhone 5 will have a larger screen. That’s pretty much confirmed. How much larger? Some say 4 inches, some say 4.6 inches … it really isn’t important. What’s important is that Apple will deviate from the 3.5 inch form factor they’ve maintained since they first demoed the Jesus Phone in January 2007. But why not keep the 3.5 inch form factor around and simply call it the iPhone nano? Instead of making the iPhone 3GS until the end of time, why not simply shove modern guts inside, redesign it so it’s thinner and sexier, and boom, there’s your low cost option. The larger iPhone become “the new iPhone”, and that’s that.
What do you think? Is such a scenario likely to take place? Would you want to stay with the low cost iPhone just because it’s smaller or would you man up and get the bigger model because you need to have the best hardware specifications available?
[Via: Unwired View]