Apple Working On Polycarbonate 4.5-Inch iPhone For 2014 [Rumor]

By

3897100354_d07f26615e_z

Apple is working on a 4.5-inch iPhone with a polycarbonate body, according to a new report from Japanese publication MacotakaraThe device has reportedly been “postponed” for a 2014 release.

It’s unclear as to whether this report refers to the next iteration of the iPhone 5 or the entirely new iPhone lineup that has been previously rumored. Macotakara does note that the upcoming version of the iPhone 5 will likely feature a dual-LED flash for taking better pictures in low-light situations.

The report compares the polycarbonate build of the 4.5 iPhone to the material used in the 13-inch MacBook that was replaced a couple years ago by the entry-level MacBook Air.

Macotakara mentions a $330 price point for the device, which is coincidentally the price of the iPad mini. Rumors have been saying that Apple wants to introduce an iPhone that costs less to customers. $330 doesn’t seem cheaper, but such a device would assumedly be sold unsubsidized by the carriers. The unsubsidized price of the iPhone 5 is more than $600.

Other publications, like The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg, have said that Apple is planning to release a cheaper iPhone in late 2013 by the earliest. Apple has made it clear that it doesn’t care about hitting a certain price point to gain market share. Tim Cook recently said the following:

“For years, people asked, ‘Why don’t you have a Mac that’s less than $500 or $1000?’ And we worked on this, but we concluded we couldn’t do a great product at that price. But what did we do? We created iPad, which starts at $329.”

Source: Macotakara

Image: Flickr

Newsletters

Daily round-ups or a weekly refresher, straight from Cult of Mac to your inbox.

  • The Weekender

    The week's best Apple news, reviews and how-tos from Cult of Mac, every Saturday morning. Our readers say: "Thank you guys for always posting cool stuff" -- Vaughn Nevins. "Very informative" -- Kenly Xavier.