iPhone: What's next? Smaller, cheaper, multi-network?

[Darren Addy]

I think this rises a bit above "rumors" (if only a bit)
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-...-on-cheaper-more-versatile-iphone-models.html

One version would be cheaper and smaller than the most recent iPhone, said a person who has seen a prototype and asked not to be identified because the plans haven’t been made public. . . . Apple has considered selling the new iPhone for about $200, without obligating users to sign a two-year service contract, said the person who has seen it.

While it may not happen at all, the article mentions it may also happen as soon as the middle of the year. The move would not be unprecidented.

Apple has gone down-market before. In 2004, when sales of the original $299-plus iPod were still rising, the company introduced the $249 iPod Mini. In 2005, when the iPod Mini was still a bestseller, Jobs discontinued it in favor of the cheaper iPod Nano.

To help maintain margins, Apple would need lower component costs. The article adds:

Apple is able to get big discounts from suppliers because of the large volume of iPhone sales and by signing long- term contracts. The company said in January that it has executed long-term agreements totaling $3.9 billion in recent months.

 

[Kevin Almloff]

While I love my iphone and would love to be able to get a new one cheaper without a contract, I'm not sure I could live with a smaller screen.

 

[Matt Tottle]

It'll probably just add a few mundane features that it should've had from the beginning. Hell, it took them 3 generations just to get it to do video. It's nothing more than a scam to get rubes to keep shelling out money for them. Apple is notorious for that, and so are its customers.

 

[Jason Foster]

I saw a piece on the Motorola whateveritscalled that connected to a laptop of sorts. More than just a docking station I believe, I could certainly see that as being something to keep an eye on. I certainly would LOVE the idea of modular design centralized CPU style gadget that could connect to a laptop and other things. More integration with other devices and platforms would be ideal.

Imagine an iPhone that takes the bluetooth kinda of idea and furthers it. Like your car, you iPhone would have all the presets for your radio, seats, climate control, mirror position in addition to the various existing SYNC stuff Ford already offers. As you drive up to the house, your garage senses your GPS location getting close and auto opens the door. Once in the house, you drop the phone into your home station for charging and computing, but the phone has already transmitted your home, so the music is already on inside, and lights are automatically coming on.

The business presentation you worked on is automatically saved to the iphone and when you go to the coop business center for the meeting (because owning permanent real estate is silly at that point) you drop the phone into the presentation projector and the presentation is already up and running, waiting for you to begin.