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[numble]

apple sells it for around what the 5 would have been after the 5S is out, but by putting a plastic back on it they probably keep a similar margin to before. And they can offer different colours for those that care

(hugs red lumia 920)

You should consider all hardware models introduced to be engineered for lower cost to produce over time. The iPhone 5 is a failure of a design if it is unable to reduce adequately in costs over the course of the year. The CNC machines are bought and programmed for, and every component is over 1 year into economies of scale that should have adequately reduced costs (remember that components are also used in iPods, iPads, and Macbooks, so they further increase the scale that brings down the cost of components).

I think the plastic iPhone is not to maintain margins on the high end, but to maintain margins on a lower-end product. They can produce aluminum 4" iPods for $299 with dual cameras, including a 5 MP camera. They can add cellular antennas, increase battery size, and still maintain as high a margin as the iPods (possibly higher) if they substitute plastic for aluminum and sell at $299-$399.

 

[Burger]

God these are so fake, that anyone would believe this nonsense is amazing.

This one in particular is hilarious:

Mmmmm iOS 6
Mmmmm AM 6:43
Mmmmm Uneven bezel with hairs sticking out.
Mmmmm Looks like a Chinese dummy that case manufacturers use (notice how the screen looks printed? Guess what, it's paper)

Seriously, these are Dummies from China. Basically, if you make cases you buy some dummy iPhone/iPads so you can do moulding, stitch testing etc on a non expensive (but accurately shaped) product. You smuggle a few moulds or specs and you can hit the market first for case manufacturers.

Someone decided, hey I'll photograph these crappy things like Apple and get some bullshit free hits/ad clicks from it.

See: http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trk...ne+dummy&_nkw=iphone+dummy&_sacat=0&_from=R40

 

[kharma45]

Hopefully they look better in the flesh.

 

[jon bones]

They really should just skip to the 6 with a larger screen....they're going to fuck this up with just an incremental spec bump, lol.

NO

the iphone is the last smartphone with a reasonable sized screen. last thing we need is more giant half tablets like the android phones.

someone needs to make an htc one lite so i can jump ship from apple

 

[Noema]

Assuming this is actually going to happen and not a hoax (I still have my doubts):

$500 does seem like a tad too much, considering the 4S currently sells for $550 off contract, and that's likely what the 5 would go for if it becomes the new middle-of-road model after the next iPhone is released.

If I had to choose between a $500 iPhone 5C and a $550 iPhone 5, I'd pick the 5 in a heartbeat. So if the point is to penetrate the pre-paid market in places like China with this, I don't get how it's gonna work. But then again, Apple has always been about margins, not market place so if they can get better profit from this than from selling 4Ss and 5s then it could work. And if this iPhone 5C does materialize they are going to sell a shit-ton of them, anyway, likely for much better margins while getting rid of all the Pre-lightning devices in the process.


I guess $400 off contract would be closer to a magic number for many people. It'd still be $100 pricier than the 5th Gen iPod Touch, but affordable enough to buy off contract.

We'll see.

NO

the iphone is the last smartphone with a reasonable sized screen. last thing we need is more giant half tablets like the android phones.

someone needs to make an htc one lite so i can jump ship from apple

What about the Moto X? It's a Flagship device with a 4.7" 720p display.

http://anandtech.com/show/7197/a-quick-look-at-the-moto-x-motorolas-new-flagship

 

[Burger]

Actually you can already buy what you see in the OP from China.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/IPHONE-5C-1...Cell_Phone_PDA_Cases&var=&hash=item3384ce2105

Minus the photoshopped iOS 7 obviously.

 

[numble]

Assuming this is actually going to happen and not a hoax (I still have my doubts):

$500 does seem like a tad too much, considering the 4S currently sells for $550 off contract, and that's likely what the 5 would go for if it becomes the new middle-of-road model after the next iPhone is released.

If I had to choose between a $500 iPhone 5C and a $550 iPhone 5, I'd pick the 5 in a heartbeat. So if the point is to penetrate the pre-paid market in places like China with this, I don't get how it's gonna work. But then again, Apple has always been about margins, not market place so if they can get better profit from this than from selling 4Ss and 5s then it could work. And if this iPhone 5C does materialize they are going to sell a shit-ton of them, anyway, likely for much better margins while getting rid of all the Pre-lightning devices in the process.


I guess $400 off contract would be closer to a magic number for many people. It'd still be $100 pricier than the 5th Gen iPod Touch, but affordable enough to buy off contract.

We'll see.



What about the Moto X? It's a Flagship device with a 4.7" 720p display.

http://anandtech.com/show/7197/a-quick-look-at-the-moto-x-motorolas-new-flagship

I think your point about the $550 iPhone 5 is a good one. Even if they choose to discontinue it, the inventories are still going to be there that retailers need to unload at a discount, especially since the iPhone roll-out usually takes a couple of months before going to all territories.

Finally, there is a continual need to maintain an iPhone 5 supply chain, to service replacement service for those that buy the AppleCare+ and related insurance packages. Every Apple Store needs to have enough inventory to replace all the iPhone 5s that come in for repair, for instance.

 

[Lonely1]

So, instead of lowering the price of the 5, they will release a lesser model? Somewhat disappointed.

 

[subrock]

A non shitty resized picture.

A1429 eh? that's the model id of some current iPhone 5s.

 

[Dany]

the C stands for color. The 5C looks gorgeous, just give me a red or orange.

 

[Fou-Lu]

Not impressed at all... Looks cheap, really cheap. Same reason I didn't get an S4.

 

[Tunesmith]

A1429 eh? that's the model id of some current iPhone 5s.

Yeah thats the CMDA/International GSM iPhone 5 model..

 

[JordanLMiller]

I guess I must be the only one on the planet that likes plastic phones more. They're far more durable from what I've experienced.

But the only way this phone should even be considered is if it has the same internal specs as the 5S, which we all know it won't...

 

[reKon]

NO

the iphone is the last smartphone with a reasonable sized screen. last thing we need is more giant half tablets like the android phones.

someone needs to make an htc one lite so i can jump ship from apple

You should do more phone research my friend.

http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_one_mini-5505.php

 

[Timbuktu]

The C stands for China.

 

[The Faceless Master]

NO

the iphone is the last smartphone with a reasonable sized screen. last thing we need is more giant half tablets like the android phones.

someone needs to make an htc one lite so i can jump ship from apple

you mean like the HTC One Mini?

 

[CrankyJay]

NO

the iphone is the last smartphone with a reasonable sized screen. last thing we need is more giant half tablets like the android phones.

someone needs to make an htc one lite so i can jump ship from apple

Buy the 5C then, bruh.

 

[JudgeN]

I don't understand why this exist, who are they trying to sell it to? Everyone buying iphones at the current price so why? Hella confused right now.

 

[The Real Abed]

If this is real:

I would consider a C if it wasn't too cheap looking. I'm a prepaid customer and I paid $650 for my 4S. That's a hefty chunk of change just to have an off-contract cell phone. But at $500 I'd rather add the extra $150 for the normal iPhone model. No matter what cool color it comes in. Unless it's not as cheap looking as it looks. An all plastic model must be no more than the iPad mini. ($300 at most) The mini which comes in an aluminum case with glass screen and higher technology than what this C will probably have. There's no reason for it to be $500 when they're aiming for the prepaid market, unless they want it to fail purposefully.

If it's fake:

Then I hope the presenter comes on screen and says something along the lines of "What, did you people think we'd dumb this thing down with a cheap plastic case?" or something like that like when the 4 was originally leaked and Steve joked about how people might have seen it somewhere.

Either way, I'm excited for (supposedly) September 10th. And October after it for any Retina Pro releases that might hopefully come along.

 

[Ovid]

So it's $150 cheaper. At least it something right guys?

 

[Miles Quaritch]

iPhone budget model = 500 bucks.

what the hell. How on Earth do they intend to compete with other similarly specced phones that don't cost nearly as much?

 

[Alchemy]

Damn it, I want the full fledged iPhone to be in fucking color. So tired of white and black electronics.

 

[Jigolo]

We need $399 for 16 GB

 

[Husker86]

I need an iPhone for app development purposes. I wonder if the C would be a safer bet than the 5. It'll be newer and I wonder if any features will be held back from the 5 compared to the C.

 

[Vyer]

I mean its certainly possible, but where is the $500 figure coming from? Just this article?

 

[The Real Abed]

Damn it, I want the full fledged iPhone to be in fucking color. So tired of white and black electronics.

Well, there's the rumored gold iPhone. That's a color?

Seriously though, if they put out a red one using the same method as the lucky red iPod touch I would buy one. I want red, dammit! I had a red Play it Loud Game Boy way back. I want a red iPhone! And I don't want to have to buy a cheaper model to get it. I never understood why all their consumer iDevices come in awesome color choices, but the iPhone and iPads all get the black or white shaft. They sell enough that they could make it an "order online only" feature. Then they wouldn't need to make thousands that might not sell. Just gimmie a red iPhone!

And a red iPad mini please.

Also, a red 13" MacBook Pro Retina please.

That's all.

 

[Zombie James]

$500... "budget model"... "affordable"...

 

[MrHicks]

$500... "budget model"... "affordable"...

this
what a joke

 

[jon bones]

You should do more phone research my friend.

http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_one_mini-5505.php

you mean like the HTC One Mini?

lol who has time for "phone research"

but this is great news, thanks!

edit: at&t only, no verizon womp womp

Buy the 5C then, bruh.

i dont want plastic either

What about the Moto X? It's a Flagship device with a 4.7" 720p display.

http://anandtech.com/show/7197/a-quick-look-at-the-moto-x-motorolas-new-flagship

4.7 still sounds kinda big

 

[Azih]

Are you implying that the iPhone is considered a failing product right now or something?

Not at all, just that Apple basically creates a market and then gets undercut by competitors that make competing products that are maybe not as good but are cheaper and 'good enough' for the mass market. Apple eventually gets locked in as a smaller market share premium player in an industry that they pioneered. That's not a great position to be in for computing hardware. These are not cars as computers rely on exciting software for their value. Exciting software goes to hardware devices that have a lot of users willing to pay for the software i.e the mass market devices.

The iPod shuffle is the only time that they managed to strangle the lower priced competition and dominate the market from top to bottom.

 

[tino]

$500... "budget model"... "affordable"...

Hey Apple is just copying Moto X.

 

[Redford]

I've always wondered why Apple doesn't make the  light up on iPhones. It's such an iconic aesthetic detail on their laptops and I think it'd make for a really striking image in low-light/dark conditions.

The components separate the LCD and the emblem, unlike Macbooks which simply have the backlighting pass through the translucent apple, they probably wouldn't bother to insert a dedicated led due to space concerns.

 

[CronoShot]

This is replacing the 5? I thought it was just replacing the 4 and 4S.

 

[Ken Masters]

These things look like cheap toys

Steve Jobs is rolling in his grave right now

 

[The Real Abed]

This is replacing the 5? I thought it was just replacing the 4 and 4S.

That's what I thought. Since the 4 models are the only ones left with the older 3:2 displays.

 

[Ken Masters]

This is replacing the 5? I thought it was just replacing the 4 and 4S.

This is in addition to the upcoming iPhone 5S, this is the cheap alternative

 

[Lebron]

$500?


Not enough LOLs in me

 

[LCfiner]

$500... "budget model"... "affordable"...

it won’t be $500.

The whole point is to have something that costs around as much - hopefully less - than the current iPhone 4 that sells for $450.

my money is on $350 but I could see $400.

Not at all, just that Apple basically creates a market and then gets undercut by competitors that make competing products that are maybe not as good but are cheaper and 'good enough' for the mass market. Apple eventually gets locked in as a smaller market share premium player in an industry that they pioneered. That's not a great position to be in for computing hardware. These are not cars as computers rely on exciting software for their value. Exciting software goes to hardware devices that have a lot of users willing to pay for the software i.e the mass market devices.

The iPod shuffle is the only time that they managed to strangle the lower priced competition and dominate the market from top to bottom.

The funny thing about this is that iOS is where people spend money, the Mac is one of the few computing lines making money and only Apple and Samsung are making money off phones. Apple is in a way better place than all of their competition by choosing to focus on higher end products,

 

[DieH@rd]

500$ is not a budget price.

hercules-dissapointed.gif

 

[Ken Masters]

This is really $500? holy shit Apple has no shame

 

[Jill Sandwich]

This is really $500? holy shit Apple has no shame

No because the price hasn't been announced yet. Or the phone introduced.

 

[Guess Who]

God these are so fake, that anyone would believe this nonsense is amazing.

This one in particular is hilarious:

Mmmmm iOS 6
Mmmmm AM 6:43
Mmmmm Uneven bezel with hairs sticking out.
Mmmmm Looks like a Chinese dummy that case manufacturers use (notice how the screen looks printed? Guess what, it's paper)

Not to mention that hilariously huge earpiece.

There is only one shot in that entire gallery in the OP's link that's even slightly believable and that's the first one.

 

[reKon]

lol who has time for "phone research"

but this is great news, thanks!

edit: at&t only, no verizon womp womp


i dont want plastic either



4.7 still sounds kinda big

It's not really that hard though because all the information is there on the web. You go to a tech site like Engadget or GSMArena for example (or maybe a couple of other techsites) read their reviews.

Also, you better make time for at least reading up a little considering the fact that you're signing your freedom away for the next two years and a phone is something that can be incredibly useful... c'mon now.


I would focus on the screen size too much. The Moto X has a smaller physical size than other phones with a 4.7 screen. You gotta look at the dimensions and comparison pictures to understand it's true size. Motorola is doing what Apple SHOULD be doing - the screen taking up most of the phone and not wasting space:

 

[Winterfang]

 

[Days like these...]

NO

the iphone is the last smartphone with a reasonable sized screen. last thing we need is more giant half tablets like the android phones.

someone needs to make an htc one lite so i can jump ship from apple

Would you settle for an HTC one mini? 4.3 inch screen launching august 23 on AT&T

 

[NotBacon]

Misstep after misstep Apple

 

[Stat Flow]

$299 off Contract. $49 or free on contract. Sell gangbusters.

At $500, there's no reason to get it over the iPhone 5 or iPhone 5S unlocked.

 

[Romez]

$299 off Contract. $49 or free on contract. Sell gangbusters.

At $500, there's no reason to get it over the iPhone 5 or iPhone 5S unlocked.

It will do that regardless.

People spouting the same shit as when the iPad Mini came out 'how do they expect to compete with blah blah at this price' it will sell shit loads.

 

[Floex]

I don't get the reason of the 5C if it isn't at a budget price :/

 

[The Real Abed]

LOL at all the people taking rumor as fact in this thread.

I wish it was September 10th-ish right now.