Even though we have yet to see some truly credible evidence to support the countless claims that Apple will release a cheaper iPhone sometime in 2013, that’s not stopping another analyst from jumping on the cheap-iPhone train.
Analyst Brian White, at Topeka Capital, released a report this morning claiming that his research supports the claim that Apple will sell a cheaper version of the iPhone in order to attract new growth opportunities in China and elsewhere around the world.
We’ve heard similar claims over the last couple weeks, so this really isn’t anything new, although it is interesting how many people are confident Apple will release a cheap iPhone, even though there has been no hardware leaks or software hints that point to the new device.
White says that he is confident a lower-priced iPhone will be launched in 2013, and that we could see it as soon as June. He also says that the name for the cheap iPhone could be “iPhone mini” or “iPhone Air” but those are just complete guesses. Other claims have suggested it will be made out of plastic and might have a larger display.
The cheap iPhone will cost somewhere between $250-$350 unsubsidized and, according to White, which is a lot lower than the $649 unsubsidized price for an unlocked 16GB iPhone 5.
“A $250-$300 price range would also be competitive with China-based Xiaomi that offers a high-end phone experience at a mid-range price of ~$320 in China. We believe a $250-to-$300 price point will allow Apple to significantly expand its reach in the smartphone market and better address developing markets such as China, while opening up more opportunities in Brazil, Russia, India and elsewhere.”
We don’t want to get our hopes up on a cheap iPhone with so little evidence to support it, but where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire, and the cheap iPhone has a lot of smoke around it right now.
Source: Forbes
