Budget iPhone

Analyst: iPad 5/iPhone 5S/budget model in September, no Retina iPad mini in 2013

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 22, 2013

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is fast becoming the de facto most reliable Apple watcher. Expanding on his April note which advised investors to brace themselves for a delayed iDevice roll-out over manufacturing "challenges," his just-updated shipments timetable now offers more in way of detail.

Long story short, the analyst is expecting the iPhone 5S in late-September, but in limited quantity, with the oft-rumored plastic iPhone (he's calling it an 'iPhone Lite') becoming available even sooner than the iPhone 5S in early-September because its chassis is easier to make than the two-tone iPhone 5S design.

Early September will also bring us an updated iPad 5, he said, but there will be no iPad mini successor this year due to engineering issues. As for the Mac family, Kuo sees a mid-September launch of a Haswell-enabled Retina MacBook Pro, with a Haswell-driven iMac up for a late-August introduction. The full breakdown is right after the break...

Hires closeups indicate plastic iPhone may borrow logic board design from iPhone 5

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 19, 2013

The sheer amount of would-be budget iPhone shells and supposed parts coming out from Asia has gotten out of hand.

Case in point: a small electronics company Techdy just recently posted several photographs that purportedly picture the chassis of Apple’s long rumored less-pricey iPhone.

These shots made rounds on the web until someone exposed them for what they are: a publicity stunt. Indeed, all of a sudden Techdy started selling an Android handset that looks like Apple's rumored budget iPhone. This is precisely why iDB passes on dozens of tips we receive on a daily basis and instead selectively tells you about the most interesting "leaks".

Today's nugget fits that description perfectly. Not only does a new set of photos reveal what appears to be some sort of an iPhone shell next to the iPhone 5, they do so in intricate detail unlike most prior leaks. We have high-resolution closeups just after the break...

Photos picture plastic iPhone shell next to iPhone 5

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

With both big media, Chinese blogs and everyone and their mother in between seemingly betting on the arrival of Apple's polycarbonate-made mid-range handset later this year, small wonder purported spyshots of the device's casing have been leaking out from Far East.

iOS developer Sonny Dickson, who has previously proven himself a reliable source of information about unreleased Apple products, has been on a roll these days tweeting out a number of purported plastic iPhone images. The newest series of authentic-looking images depict several colorized plastic iPhone shells, including one comparing the current iPhone 5 to the purported less-pricey model...

AllThingsD confirms July iPhone 5S production, new mid-tier iPhone variant

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 16, 2013

The-not-so-reliable analyst Peter Misek made rounds last week convincing clients that mass production of the iPhone 5S was about to start later in the month, in time for a late-September or early-October launch.

Misek's mixed track record and another surprising claim of his - that Apple has already begun production of a rumored lower-cost iPhone - led us to file the report under the 'Unlikely' drawer.

But the story unexpectedly grew more legs today as AllThingsD, the respectable blog owned by the credulous Wall Street Journal, independently confirmed that this is indeed the case...

Analyst says mass production of iPhone 5S to start this month

Cody Lee ∙ July 15, 2013

According to Peter Misek, Apple will begin mass production of its next flagship smartphone, believed to be the iPhone 5S, later this month. The Jefferies analyst issued a note to investors this morning saying that the handset will launch in late September or early October.

Misek's report comes hot on the heels of a story from Chinese Business News claiming that Foxconn has restarted mass-hiring assembly line workers in the Chinese mainland to prepare for 5S production. It too said Apple was preparing for an early to mid-fall introduction...

More photos of alleged plastic iPhone shells surface

Cody Lee ∙ July 11, 2013

Continuing the recent flurry of alleged 'budget iPhone' shell leaks, a new set of high resolution photos of the purported part have surfaced online this morning. There's several photos actually, showing various different plastic iPhone casings in newer iPod-like colors.

For those who haven't been following the storyline, there have been a number of reports over the past several months that Apple's long-rumored, low-end iPhone is finally going to materialize this year. And the theory seems to be corroborated by several recent part leaks...

Company selling Android handsets based on budget iPhone design

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Over the weekend, a small electronics company named Techdy posted several photos and high quality video of, what is believed to be, the shell of Apple's long rumored budget iPhone. Similar to previous reports, it described the device as a cross between the iPhone 5 and first-gen iPod touch.

Interestingly enough, folks who want to see what the phone looks like for themselves can actually order it. Techdy has announced that it is now selling an Android smartphone, the 'Basic Bear,' for $199 that has a 4-inch Retina display and features a hardware design based on the the budget iPhone...

Alleged plastic iPhone shot pictures a blue variant

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 3, 2013

Last week, a usually reliable French blog found a pair of images said to depict the polycarbonate shell of Apple’s purported lower-cost iPhone. The Cupertino company has long been said to be working on a lower-cost handset to make inroads into emerging markets like China and India. If these shots are anything to go by, the budget iPhone will come in some vivid colors, like yellow, red and green.

The same blog on Wednesday re-posted another photograph that pictures a blue variant of the device, bringing the number of supposed color choices to four. More tidbits right after the break...

Rumor: Foxconn has started shipping budget iPhone for Fall release

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 1, 2013

Leaks and sketchy pieces of information concerning Apple's rumored less expensive iPhone continue to trickle in. This past Saturday, for example, a credible blog has brought us images of a purported budget iPhone rear panel, a solid indication that Apple might be well beyond the research phase for the alleged product.

Today, a Chinese tech blog writes that Apple's favorite manufacturer Foxconn has started shipping first units as Apple shoots for a Fall release...

Photos of alleged budget iPhone shell surface [updated]

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 16, 2018

A pair of photos have surfaced this morning, allegedly showing the plastic shell of Apple's rumored budget iPhone. The Cupertino company has long been said to be working on a lower-cost handset to help it make inroads into emerging markets like China and India.

The two images come from Nowhereelse.fr, who has shared accurate photos of leaked Apple components in the past. And while the site acknowledges that it's possible the part could simply belong to a Chinese clone, it does match up with several previous reports...

Pegatron CEO says Apple’s budget iPhone won’t be ‘cheap’

Cody Lee ∙ June 20, 2013

Speaking at his company's shareholders meeting on Thursday, Pegatron CEO T.H. Tung made some interesting comments on Apple's often rumored 'budget iPhone.' He said don't expect the handset to be inexpensive, as the "price [on it] is still high."

For those unfamiliar with Pegatron, it's a manufacturing company and one of Foxconn's biggest rivals. The CEO's comments seem to confirm earlier reports that Apple has chosen the company, over Foxconn, as its primary budget iPhone maker...

Report claims iPhone 5S coming in multiple colors this summer

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 11, 2018

The next-generation iPhone, believed to be the iPhone 5S, is widely expected to land sometime this summer. This, despite the fact that the iPhone 5 just came out in September of last year, and Apple typically waits at least 12 months to update its handset.

And another report is out today in support of that theory. This one comes from the Japanese blog Macotakara, who cites sources familiar with Apple's plans, in claims that both the iPhone 5S and rumored budget iPhone are going to be announced in July...