Katie MarsalCiting 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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43 Comments
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.
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.