The budget iPhone 5C is almost upon us, and as the experts, commentators and consumers continue to estimate the eventual retail price of the so-called low-cost device, it certainly won't be anywhere near as cheap as its Chinese clone. Yes, the knockoff-ers are back in force in time for the release of Apple's next range of handsets, and while the knockoff iPhone 5C won't run on iOS 7, it will only set you back a mere hundred bucks!
Apple may be expected to announce the iPhone 5S on September 10th, but at the rate things are being leaked it's very difficult to believe that there will be any surprises left once Tim Cook and Phil Schiller set about unveiling Apple's latest top of the range iPhone. As is becoming the norm on a yearly basis now, Apple's various part suppliers have done a less than stellar job of keeping the new iPhone under wraps, with photos of the production and prototyping process popping up all over the place.
Although most of Apple's products, barring the almighty new Mac Pro, are produced in China, the world's most populous nation usually has to wait many months before the Cupertino's products see an official release. According to China's First Financial Daily, this won't be changing any time soon, with the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C - both set to be announced on September 10th - apparently not arriving to the Chinese market until November 28th.
Although it seems, in lieu of an official confirmation from Apple, as though the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C will be announced on September 10th at a special event, the date from which consumers will be able to get their paws on the new handsets is a little less cut-and-dried. Some have suggested a two-week wait, while other sources have indicated delays pushing the retail date well into October. Today, Japanese publication Nikkei has claimed that the devices will launch in Japan on 20th September, a mere ten days after the anticipated announcement.
An interesting piece of near confirmation has just surfaced from WSJ pertaining the upcoming iPhone launch. It would appear that the speculation regarding a gold, or champagne color configuration of the next-gen Apple smartphone was on point, and the iPhone 5S will indeed arrive in three different shades as opposed to two. WSJ-owned AllThingsD cites "sources in position to know" with its report, and considering that the tech publication has an almost flawless record when it comes to these kinds of leaks, it would seem all-but certain that the gold iPhone is nigh. Furthermore, WSJ has also jumped into the scene citing its sources that the Cupertino company will indeed ship two different models of the iPhone this September.
As we continue to count down the days until September 10th's all-but confirmed unveiling of the new iPhone, an interesting tidbit has just surfaced courtesy of KGI Securities' resident Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Up until now, it was thought the iPhone 5S would retail alongside the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5C as Apple's three options available to prospective consumers. However Kuo believes that instead, Apple could ditch the iPhone 5 completely, rather opting to keep the iPhone 4S running momentarily as the third-in-command to the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C respectively.
Latest iPhone 5C Mockups Reveal iPod touch-like Packaging And Unofficial Announcement Shots [IMAGES]
With less than a month to go until the purported announcement of the next-gen iPhone, Apple fans far and wide are gearing themselves up for what is undoubtedly the key date in their annual tech calendars. Unlike previous years, however, it looks almost certain that Tim Cook's men will also introduce a cheaper, "iPhone 5C" to the fold, a device that will attempt to help increase market share in the West while also establishing a consumer base in developing areas such as India and China. Designer and developer Martin Hajek is certainly a well-recognized member of the Cupertino's sparse following, and amid the anticipation of the iPhone(s), has created some mock-ups not only of the packaging, but also the announcement itself.
As with any new Apple gadget, let alone the flagship iPhone, the rumors of the iPhone 5's successor have been at the fore ever since, well.. since the iPhone 5's first weekend sales figures were posted last fall. When it comes to modern technology, we cannot help but speculate on what might be packed into the next installment, and things got a little more real this weekend with the revelation that the device could be announced on September 10th. But while many consumers may have hoped this would mean they could upgrade their handsets next month, but according to a TechManiacs report, the world's most sought-after smartphone may not hit shelves until October 25th.
We're hitting that time of year in which talk and rumor of a new smartphone from a certain California-based company begins to gather steam. This year, however, we could be in for a double-whammy, with the consensus -- backed up by a boatload of leaks -- indicating that Apple could be releasing a low-cost "iPhone 5C" to accompany the flagship "iPhone 5S." Today, Vietnamese site Tinhte -- fairly astute when it comes to legitimate leaks of Apple products -- has its hands on mockups of both the iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S, and for the benefit of the tech world, has released a bunch of shots of the devices side-by-side.
We've been hearing a great deal over the past few months about Apple's supposed plans to bring forth a budget "iPhone 5C" and more recently, various leaks and sightings have put a face to the name. Today, even more, higher-resolution images of the device's shell have emerged, as well as something of an insight into just how "budget" the low-cost iPhone may eventually be when it hits the market.
