“Apple Inc is exploring launching iPhones with bigger screens, as well as cheaper models in a range of colors, over the next year, said four people with knowledge of the matter,” Clare Jim, Reiji Murai and Poornima Gupta report for Reuters.
“Apple is looking at introducing at least two bigger iPhones next year – one with a 4.7-inch screen and one with a 5.7-inch screen – said the sources, including those in the supply chain in Asia,” Jim, Murai, and Gupta report. “They said suppliers have been approached with plans for the larger screens, but noted it is still unclear whether Apple will actually launch its flagship product in the larger sizes. ‘They constantly change product specifications almost to the final moment, so you’re not really sure whether this is the final prototype,’ said one person with direct knowledge of the matter.”
“The current iPhone 5 has one of the smaller screens among the best-selling smartphones in the mobile market, where consumers spend more time browsing the web and streaming content,” Jim, Murai, and Gupta report. “Samsung’s Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 2 have 5-inch and 5.5-inch screens, respectively.”
MacDailyNews Take: The inference is wrong, based on the data: Apple’s iOS dominates with nearly 60% Web usage share versus Android’s 26% share.
“For this year, Apple is expected to launch two new models, widely referred to as the iPhone 5S, with new fingerprint technology, and a cheaper version in plastic casing, supply chain sources have said,” Jim, Murai, and Gupta report. “Apple plans to dress up the cheaper phone in a range of 5-6 colors to differentiate it from the more expensive model that has traditionally come only in black and white. The U.S. firm has discussed a price of $99 for the cheaper phone, the timing of which could slip to next year, one of the people said. It’s not yet clear what the final price would be.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
