Rumor has it that Apple is developing a new iPhone. Not the next generation iPhone, but a smaller, cheaper device that might be more appealing to a more diverse customer base and that might work on multiple carriers.
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 also is developing technology that makes it easier to use the iPhone on multiple wireless networks, two people said.
You currently have to pay to play if you want to be an Apple customer, but this barrier of entry has many customers choosing other devices. A less costly alternative iPhone might be better able to compete against the onslaught of Android devices.
There is also talk of a dual-mode device that could work on both a CDMA network (ie. Verizon, Sprint) or a GSM network (T-Mobile, AT&T).
With Nokia and Microsoft also joining forces, this puts even more pressure on Apple to diversify their devices and go after a larger customer base. “Instead of targeting 25 percent of the global mobile- phone market, Apple would be going after 100 percent,” said Charlie Wolf, an analyst at Needham & Co. in New York.
via Bloomberg