Skip to main content

Apple may be making a less expensive version of the iPhone

While Apple may not be at CES 2013, the Cupertino company has managed to steal some of the show’s spotlight. According to a tweet from the Wall Street Journal earlier today, Apple has made clear its intention of making a less expensive model of its iPhone.

Historically, Apple has dealt with the issue of pricing like so: Put out a new phone, knock the price of last year’s model, and call that the budget version. Effective as that may have been, Apple appears to have realized the need for a handset with a price as friendly as its user interface. It is believed that Apple will accomplish this by using less expensive material like plastic, as opposed to the current aluminum casing that gives the iPhone its signature sleek style.

Little else is known in the way of details for the cheaper iPhone model, though it is expected to be available some time this year. In the mean time, we’ve got plenty of time to speculate on how Apple plans to knock the price down.

Editors' Recommendations

AJ Dellinger
AJ Dellinger is a freelance reporter from Madison, Wisconsin with an affinity for all things tech. He has been published by…
I lost my iPhone on a dream vacation — and it wasn’t a nightmare
Photo of Spain.

Our trip to Spain and Morocco, which my wife, Julie, had meticulously planned for 15 months, started off rather inauspiciously on June 25. After arriving in Chicago from Portland, Oregon, we learned that our connecting flight to Newark, New Jersey, had been canceled due to weather concerns. As we waited in line for two-and-a-half hours to talk to a United Airlines agent, we were told via text by a customer service rep that we might be stuck in the Windy City for two days.

A 30-year Spanish teacher, Julie was on the verge of fulfilling a lifelong dream of visiting Spain. Now, several activities were in danger of being erased from her bucket list as her worst fears about the trip were being realized. When we finally made it to the service desk, our hope was all but snuffed out. We explained the situation to the agent, who spent several minutes looking at his computer wordlessly. He eventually looked up and said: "I can you get out on a flight tonight."

Read more
How to fast charge your iPhone
iPhone 12 Mini with charger

While they may not be some of the longest-lasting smartphones on the market, modern iPhones boast more than respectable battery life that should be able to get you through an entire day's use without breaking too much of a sweat. Of course, that assumes a lot of things — including a battery that's still relatively new and in good health, plus a usage pattern that doesn't include all-day streaming or gaming.

If you fall into either (or both) of these categories, then overnight charging isn't going to cut it, and you'll want to get your battery topped up again as quickly as you can so you can get back on the road. Thankfully, every iPhone released in the past six years supports much faster charging, but the downside is that with very few exceptions, Apple has never supplied you with the right adapter to get the best possible charging speeds from your iPhone.

Read more
These are the only 2 reasons I’m excited for the iPhone 15 Pro
The App Library on the iPhone 14 Pro.

It’s peak summer right now, though fall is just around the corner with back-to-school season on the horizon. With that also comes Apple’s annual iPhone event.

This year, we are definitely expecting the iPhone 15 lineup, as well as Apple Watch Series 9, and maybe a new Apple Watch Ultra. The rumors for the iPhone 15 series have been going strong for months, though there has also been a lot of back-and-forth too, mostly relating to the iPhone 15 Pro models.

Read more