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Tuesday, August 23, 2011, 07:30 am
Apple's cheaper iPhone 4, new iPhone 5 with larger screen to debut in September
Apple's Far Eastern suppliers are currently manufacturing a cheaper version of the company's existing iPhone 4 in addition to an all new iPhone with a slightly larger display, both of which are slated for an introduction by the end of next month, Reuters is reporting.Citing two people with knowledge of the matter, the global news agency said it's heard that Apple's Asian suppliers have begun building "a lower-priced version of its hot-selling iPhone 4 with a smaller 8 gigabyte flash drive" that's "expected to launch within weeks."
It quoted an industry analyst who believes Apple may target the device, which will offer less storage than the 16GB and 32GB iPhone 4's that launched a little over a year ago, at boosting sales in emerging markets, where customers may be looking to trade in their high-end traditional cell phones for low- to mid-end smartphones, which typically cost $150-200.
In addition, Reuters said Apple is also targeting an end-September launch for the next-generation iPhone 5, which some of its sources have been calling "the iPhone 4S because of its largely identical appearance to the existing iPhone 4."
However, the handset will have a bigger touch screen, better antenna and an 8-megapixel camera, according to one of the people familiar with the matter.
Manufacturers Hon Hai and Pegatron have reportedly been asked to produce as many as 45 million units of the new fifth-generation iPhone for the remainder of the year, which would represent more than double the 20.34 million iPhones Apple sold during its second calendar quarter of 2011.
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Previous Comments View All
This sounds like pure disinformation.
This sounds like pure disinformation.
I agree. There's nothing here that sounds any more legitimate than the last batch of rumors, anyway.
Plus, am I the only one who would really be displeases with a larger screen? I've seen some of those huge Androids, and quite frankly, they look really impractical.
I'll be most disappointed if the screen is only slightly larger. I look upon giant Android screens with envy.
I agree. There's nothing here that sounds any more legitimate than the last batch of rumors, anyway.
Plus, am I the only one who would really be displeases with a larger screen? I've seen some of those huge Androids, and quite frankly, they look really impractical.
I'll be most disappointed if the screen is only slightly larger. I look upon giant Android screens with envy.
Can't please everyone. At least not with Apple's "one size fits all" philosophy. Apple will decide what's best for you!
Short of making multiple screen sizes, which I don't see Apple doing, if I had to choose I'd go with the current phone size, but try to make the screen a wee bit bigger within that form-factor. I think Apple would lose more customers with a bigger phone than they'd gain from it (again, assuming they only make one size).
If they wanted to make a mid-size iDevice, I think it'd more likely be the iPod touch.
I wondered if we would get am 8 gig version. Hopefully they keep the 16 as well when the new phone is released. My daughter is using my wife's heavily abused 3G right now and asks me 4-5 times a week when they will drop the price on the current phone so she can get one.
An iPhone 4 with just 8gb of memory would make sense as the cheaper handset, it's exactly what they did with the 3GS so would hardly be a surprise.
I'd imagine thay they would simply leave it's name be once again just like the 3GS.
When you consider how ancient the IP4 now is I'd be extremely surprised to see and iPhone 4S, it'll be an iPhone 5 plain and simple. 
I agree. There's nothing here that sounds any more legitimate than the last batch of rumors, anyway.
Plus, am I the only one who would really be displeases with a larger screen? I've seen some of those huge Androids, and quite frankly, they look really impractical.
I use one of them, and the larger display is great, and the marginally larger size of the phone isn't an issue when it's so thin. Quite unlike the large display bricks of the past.
Anyway, Apple have enough bezel on the current iPhone to increase the screen size without altering the footprint of the phone.
I've gone back and forth between ip4 and a range of the latest Android devices.
Apple had better release something great ( at least as notable as the ip4 when it was released- sans antennae issues) in September. Total redesign that eschews the metal frame - Thinner, larger screen with richer colors and deeper blacks, better battery, etc.
"4s" at this juncture does not cut it.
Not sure why they waited this long but I'm not convinced it was market strategy.
Well the savings won't come from using 8GB instead of 16GB, given the price of flash memory these days. The savings will come from using lower-end components. Plastic backs, cheaper displays, less DRAM, cheaper electronics (slower A5s that didn't make the grade, slower DRAMs, cheaper 3G circuits, etc.
Maybe Apple could consider a higher capacity for the top end iPhone 5 - charging $100 more for an extra 16GB of flash is getting a bit tired these days.
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I'm still not sure about the "4S" name.
If it's gonna have a bigger screen... I think iPhone 5 is more fitting.
3G to 3GS was an internal change. But if the next iPhone has different hardware... why use the same number?
After all... the iPhone 4 was the 4th iPhone.