Will Apple release an 8GB iPhone next to the iPhone 5?

Speculation on the web about an heir to the iPhone 4’s throne have been wild, and the latest whispers seem to suggest that Apple may release a less powerful, cheaper iPhone model along with the iPhone 5, potentially naming it the iPhone 4S. The rumor emerges from Reuters’ recent article speculating on what Apple has up its sleeve:

Asian suppliers have begun making a lower-cost version of the hot-selling smartphone with a smaller 8-gigabyte flash drive that will arrive around the same time Apple unveils its much-anticipated iPhone 5, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

Apple is generally known for targeting the higher-end price range and fully-featured products and expecting the consumer base to come to them rather than the other way around. A product such as the so-called iPhone 4s may be a new direction in which Apple responds to the market presence of cheap or even free (with a carrier plan) Android phones, which have taken a gigantic bite out of the smartphone market. Bear in mind, as always, that citing “sources knowledgable on the matter” is not at all the same as those three little words which transform hope into reality: “Confirmed by Apple”.

p.s. Yes, we know that’s an iPhone 4 in the photo you see with this article and not an iPhone 5. Why not a photo of the iPhone 5? Because it hasn’t been released yet. Settle down, Beavis.

Source: Reuters
Via: TheNextWeb

Corey has been been a tech journalist with a focus on Apple since 1998 and has written for The Loop, MacHome magazine, and as games contributor for The Mac Bible, and co-hosts the iGame Radio Podcast. He works as a… Full Bio