The iPhone is Apple Inc.’s blockbuster phone gadget released last month to accolades, sell-out performances in AT&T and Apple Stores, and crowds of eager customers who were willing to wait in line for over two days. An Internet-enabled quad-band GSM EDGE-supported phone, the iPhone by Apple can do so many different things that it has literally wowed critics: e-mail, Wi-Fi Internet, music (it has a built in iPod), “real” web browsing using the Safari Internet browser, and e-mail/text-messaging are just some of the features that have reviewers raving.
Unfortunately, the iPhone is priced far above the budget of many of the people who want this technology. Starting at $499 for a 4 gigabyte iPhone, or $599 for an 8 gigabyte iPhone, Apple Inc.’s handheld-computer (which is, really, what it is) is not cheap. Combined with a required contract with AT&T (formerly known as Cingular), you will end up paying over $3000 over a two-year time period. Most people cannot financially afford such a luxury.
But never fear! If you crave the Apple iPhone but don’t have the cash to buy it right now, you’ll be happy to about a cheaper alternative to the iPhone.
It’s not by Sony. It’s not by Dell. It’s not by Microsoft.
It’s by Apple.
That’s right, Apple is rumored to be preparing for the launch of a cheaper, smaller iPhone.
According to anonymous industry insiders and a review of patents filed with the U.S. government by Apple, the computer designer has a second iPhone model that it will release toward the end of this year. It will look like an iPod Nano, but it will be oh-so-much-better than the MP3 player.
Is it true?
Financial analysts from financial giant JPMorgan Chase in Taiwan and New York assert that yes – it is true and the computer manufacturer from California is about to release a cheaper iPhone with a touchscreen click-wheel just like the iPod, as well as other new features. The touch sensitive click-wheel will sense what number you are dialing by the areas on its surface that you touch. This idea is revolutionary in the same way that the original iPhoen’s virtual touchpad causes technological waves in the cell phone industry.
While this will still be an iPhone, this cheaper iPhone model will not have e-mail and Internet capabilities, which will still be available only on the more expensive iPhone. Apple probably designed the new cell phone this way to keep the cheaper model from cannibalizing sales of its more expensive counterpart. Think iPod Nano with the ability to make phone calls. Nothing too fancy, but definitely cooler than any other cheap MP3 player and cell phone combination currently offered by Motorola and other cell phone companies.
How much the new iPhone “Nano” will cost is still unknown, although it will definitely be cheaper than the current iPhone. It will also be smaller, although you’ll be trading cheap prices and smaller form for less computer-like capabilities. The regular iPhone is a literal computer in your pocket. The new iPhone will be an iPod that’s able to call your mom.
Whether the new iPhone will be successful is yet to be seen. If people react like they did when the more expensive iPhone was launched, Apple will sell out of the new and cheaper iPhone faster than you can say “sucks to be Microsoft!” No word yet on whether that PC nemesis of Apple will be launching its own cell phone line. Perhaps a Microsoft Zune that can make phone calls? You can hear the negative reviews already rolling in.
