Analyst: Plastic iPhone without Retina is coming this year

According to a new client note by Amit Daryanani of RBC Capital Markets, Apple is preparing a low-end iPhone for release this year.

The iPhone will include the 4-inch screen seen in the iPhone 5, but will be plastic and not include a Retina display.

Apple will release at least two phone during the Summer period this year, says the analyst, including the expected iPhone 5S and the low-end device. "With a lower price point, Apple will be able to target a growing and important part of the smartphone market (sub-$400 price band)," reads the note.

This note is certainly not the first time an analyst or other reporter has claimed that Apple is working on a low-end iPhone, aimed at emerging markets. Just last month, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the supposed phone would include a "hybrid casing of fiberglass and plastic will make it lighter and slimmer than general plastic casing and easier to make in various colors."

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 24 Mar 2013 15:16

A5J4DX

meh

24.3.2013 16:45 #1

LightTrench

When it said plastic it kinda made it sound like a toy.
I would like a toy iPhone though.

25.3.2013 02:22 #2

ZeusAV

Could be successful if it's priced right.

25.3.2013 06:54 #3

megadunderhead

not a bad idea considering all the other iphones in the world have cracked screens because they where glass

25.3.2013 09:20 #4

aw2600

If these rumors prove to be true I wouldn't be surprised to see the reduced cost iPhone only offered in emerging markets. Apple will continue to only sell the existing, high margin iPhone in the more affluent countries. A low end iPhone will be used to compete against the cheap Android phones that are so popular in poorer nations.

25.3.2013 12:17 #5

KillerBug

I thought the iPhone was already a low-end phone...tiny screen, poor internet, slow processors, crack-happy cases and screens...they don't even have microSD card slots or removable batteries. A plastic case would be an upgrade, and I don't think they can actually save money by using a slower processor because they are already using about the slowest smartphone processors being made. I guess they could save a little by dropping the resolution, but apple doubles (at least) every cost...and they can't save $400 by reducing the quality of a screen that is only $30 to begin with.

Wouldn't it make more sense to keep selling the old phone alongside the new one, maybe with a few optimizations to save cost?

25.3.2013 17:00 #6

mukhis

Originally posted by KillerBug: I thought the iPhone was already a low-end phone...tiny screen, poor internet, slow processors, crack-happy cases and screens...they don't even have microSD card slots or removable batteries.
while i agree that iphone has smaller screen and no microSD slot or removable batteries (you didn't mention that iphone works only with crappy itunes) and slower processor but iphone is not slow, IMO. iphone is not slow because of the iOS architecture. honestly, in android phones, many processes tend to come back and run despite you kill them, and this makes the android phones sometimes slow despite having fast processor. android phones like galaxy are crack-happy as well.
i don't have iphone, so i may not be very sure but i find small screen phones are pocket-able, and presence of microSD slot may be disadvantage sometimes (any program running from microSD will be slower). i am not concerned with removable batteries that much since you can always have some external solutions now. above all, android is little less secure than iOS.
that being said, i still want a phablet and don't want any device with itunes. ^_^

26.3.2013 01:26 #7

plazma247

Haha but what about all the isheepz argument of we have the best build quality.. its funny since SJ departed for the great apple in the sky... standards appear to have slippeda bit... as for android security, is a very wide statement to make, are you refering to doggy apps.. maybe ur forgetting the ios lock screen bypass bugs, yeah ok samsung has had the same issue with jb devices to a lesser degree.

28.3.2013 18:30 #8

voyager

jaja this comes from older news saying that "Apple will launch a cheaper phone" and they deny the rumors,look now ...
Liars.

29.3.2013 16:28 #9

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