WSJ: Apple prepping less-expensive iPhone

“Apple Inc. is working on a lower-end iPhone, according to people briefed on the matter, a big shift in its corporate strategy as its supremacy in smartphones has slipped,” Jessica E. Lessin reports for The Wall Street Journal.

“The cheaper phone could resemble the standard iPhone, with a different, less-expensive body, one of the people said,” Lessin reports. “One possibility Apple has considered is lowering the cost of the device by using a different shell made of polycarbonate plastic; in contrast, the iPhone 5 currently has an aluminum housing. Many other parts could remain the same or be recycled from older iPhone models. Apple could decide not to move forward with the device.”

Lessin reports, “Apple has been considering a less-expensive iPhone since at least 2009 to grab market share and hook people on the brand, said people familiar with the efforts… Gene Munster, an analyst with Piper Jaffray, said that a less expensive iPhone won’t necessarily hurt Apple’s overall profit margin if it attracts buyers who haven’t bought iPhones before and not those who would have been willing to purchase the higher-end device.”

Read more in the full article here.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Jax44” for the heads up.]

Related articles:
Apple to launch low-cost iPhone with 5-inch display for emerging markets in 2H13, sources say – January 8, 2013
Barclays: Cheaper iPhone for emerging markets ‘key’ for Apple – December 4, 2012

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