Several photos have surfaced online, pointing to the much-rumoured cheaper iPhone. As shown on French website Nowhereelse.fr, the mysterious green shell appear to be highly similar to the iPhone 5, albeit made of plastic.
The leaked shell multiple attachment points for internal components like the motherboard and lightning port connector, with more or less the same positioning as with the iPhone 5.
Appleinsider also recently posted design drawings from a case maker showing dimensions and profiles of both the cheap iPhone (called “iPhone Light”) and iPhone 5S. The entry-level iPhone will have slightly larger dimensions compared to the metal unibody structure of the iPhone 5S.
Both the iPhone 5S and the lower-cost iPhone are expected to debut later this year, with September being the most likely timeframe.
The rise of Android has seemingly changed Apple’s product strategy with the iPhone. The meteoric rise of Google’s mobile OS can be attributed to the phenomenal growth of the value and mass market. While being a premium brand company not focused on price wars, the value market and specifically emerging markets like China, India and South America are key growth markets for Apple. And ones that cannot be ignored.
