Apple has been long rumored to be working on a low-cost iPhone to compete in the mid-priced segment of the smartphone market. There have been various reports that suggest that iPhone 5C will feature a plastic body and will come is different colors.

Now, SonnyDickson has posted a high resolution video of yellow color back housing of “iPhone 5C”. The increasing number of parts leaks and images of the purported new hardware could suggest that the low-cost iPhone is indeed in the works.

We recently highlighted a report that predicts Apple’s upcoming iPhone event will be held on September 10th. The company is expected to unveil the next-gen iPhone 5S. The new iPhone could feature fingerprint sensor, new camera, dual-led flash and a faster processor.

Apple has always offered the previous gen iPhone at a low cost with the regular carrier contracts. However, the carrier unlocked iPhones price is still quite high. New low-cost iPhone 5C would offer a great opportunity to offer the same iOS ecosystem to more customers at a lower price point even when the phone is bought without a contract.

A lower price point would expose Apple to larger adoption in Asian countries too which has become an important strategy for Apple’s future expansion plans. Apple’s popular integration of hardware and software at a low cost could boost the sales volumes and thus expose new customers to Apple’s ecosystem.

Late last month, T-Mobile announced that they would officially be carrying the iPhone, with the company also releasing a software update for users of unlocked iPhones, which added LTE and Visual Voicemail. Upon announcing that the company would carry the iPhone, the company also stated a release date of April 12th.

On Friday, T-Mobile released the iPhone 5 across the country, and the iPhone 4S and 4 in certain areas that support the technology. T-Mobile released the iPhone with its new “Uncarrier” plans, which start at $50/month with no contract. T-Mobile set up the plans differently than other carriers, separating the subsidized prices and included them into a 24 month payment plan.

Alongside the official launch, T-Mobile also released an ad highlighting the availability of the iPhone.

It’s the phone that’s revolutionizing phones. Make sure it’s running on the carrier that’s revolutionizing wireless. Introducing iPhone 5 on T-Mobile. With our advanced nationwide 4G network, and no more restrictive annual contracts required, only T-Mobile lets your iPhone 5 be as great as an iPhone 5.

Verizon’s CEO Lowell C. McAdam has talked of Verizon having the potential to unveil contract free plans, although it is unclear if the company will do so in the near future.

{Via MacRumors}

On Friday, T-Mobile USA released a carrier update, bringing LTE and visual voicemail to the unlocked iPhone 5. Customers who have an unlocked iPhone 5 will now be able to obtain these feature via the software update. The reason for T-Mobile releasing this update is because the carrier is officially carrying the iPhone 5, which uses the company’s LTE network. T-Mobile has also reportedly updated its support forums with information about T-Mobile users, who will now be able to get all of the new features.

iPhone 5 users with a T-Mobile SIM card will receive visual voicemail, the Commercial Mobile Alert System, as well as LTE on the company’s AWS spectrum. With the company officially set to carry the iPhone and fully support unlocked iPhones, T-Mobile will now be able to compete directly with the nation’s other leading carriers, AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint.

The carrier update will also add other features such as HD Voice and even improvements in battery life by reworking the network. T-Mobile has over two million unlocked iPhones on its network and is reportedly adding over 100,000 more each month. With the company dedicated to improving its network, and with the large number of users on the network with unlocked devices, T-Mobile is sure ot find success with the iPhone on its network.

{Via AppleInsider — Image Credit: Engadget}

According to a report from O Globo, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has reduced the price of the iPhone in Brazil by a substantial amount, lowering them down to over 25%. The Cupertino company lowered the price of the 8 GB iPhone 4 to R$ 1099 (US$544) from R$ 1499 (US$741) and also dropped the 16 GB iPhone 4S from R$ 1999 (US$989) to R$ 1699 (US$840).

In Brazil, AAPL does give customers the option for 12 month financing, however, if a customer pays up front, they will be awarded a bonus 10% discount, lowering the price of the iPhone even more. After bringing some of Foxconn’s operations to Brazil, and lowering the company’s overall costs, the price of the iPhone is likely reflecting the change. It is unclear however, if the the new price reduction will affect the iPhone 5 as it is not sold in Brazil’s online store.

In the US, the 8GB iPhone 4 is available unsubsidized for $450 before taxes, which could easily bring it up to over $500. Even so, it appears that with the 15% discounts, Brazilians are still paying a higher amount for unlocked iPhones, as opposed to their US counterparts. Apple has begun hiring for employees at its retail locations in Brazil, ensuring that customers in the country recieve the same experience as all others do around the world. It remains unclear if the price reductions will reflect in other markets around the world.

{Via MacRumors}

According to a report from Telecoms.com, Apple is testing LTE network quality on carrier’s that sell the iPhone. Apple is doing this to ensure that its customers are given the data speeds that they are promised when they buy an iPhone with LTE connectivity. Carriers that pass Apple’s quality test, will have the feature enabled on the iPhone 5 for that specific network. This means that, users may have to wait quite some time in certain areas as their carriers are tested or if their carrier does not pass the quality test and does not get LTE enabled right away.

Swisscom launched its LTE network this week although the iPhone 5 was not available as an LTE device at launch. “Apple will provide a software update in due course,” the firm said in a press release.

Carriers normally run tests to make sure that the device would operate on theri network, however, phone manufacturers typically don’t conduct such tests. This shows Apple’s control over the carrier’s and their dedication to making sure customers are satisfied. Due to this quality test, unlocked iPhone 5’s will not operate on networks that are not approved by Apple.

Users with unlocked iPhone 4/4S’ are able to connect to other networks that do not sell the iPhone such as T-Mobile. However, with this new test, Apple has gained complete control over which carriers will be allowed LTE access on the iPhone 5.

{Via iMore}

Both generations of the iPhone are available on Apple’s online store with advertising that boasts they “will work with the wireless carrier of your choice.” Although, Apple reminds customers that the devices only work with GSM networks, and will require a micro-SIM.

Prices for unlocked iPhones in Germany start at €519 for the iPhone 3GS, while the iPhone 4 will cost €629 and €739 for the 16GB and 32GB devices. German Mac site, Macerkopf.de is reporting that the devices can also be picked up from one of Apple’s four retails stores in the country.

Although T-Mobile will still continue to offer the iPhone in Germany, the devices are now also available through O2 and Vodafone with a variety of contracts, some with subsidized iPhone prices as low as €1.

In January of this year, Apple officials revealed that they will go with multiple carriers in countries where they believe it’s appropriate, however, they denied that this was inevitable in every market. Apple exec, Tim Cook, said, “I don’t want to imply that would happen in every market or that we are headed that way in every market.”

The day has finally arrived. At 10AM PST Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) chief Steve Jobs will go on stage in San Francisco to officially introduce us all to the new iPhone 4G / HD. Months of endless speculation, rumors, gadget blog wars, and police raids have led to this moment. While much of what we expect out of Moscone Center today is a known factor, some of it is not. Let’s quickly examine then what are sure things and what are long shots out of the accumulated rumors:

iPhone 4G / HD – If Las Vegas was laying odds on the WWDC announcement (and they probably are somewhere on the Strip), this would be the safest bet in the house. We will see a new iPhone 4G / HD today, it will have a front facing camera, and it will look like the much leaked form factor we’ve seen since April. It would take an epic amount of chutzpah for the outcome to be any different. But then again, if Steve Jobs is known for anything, it’s epic amounts of chutzpah.

Verizon iPhone 4G – This isn’t the biggest long shot of the day but I think it may be a close second. There’s an outside chance Verizon might get an iPad data plan to call their own but the iPhone stays firmly in AT&T’s grasp. For now at least. I think when the day comes for AT&T and Apple to part, Apple will chose the nuclear option and start selling an unlocked iPhone direct to market. Bold words I know but bookmark this article and come back in two years when the exclusivity contract comes up. Apple is in the hardware business, not the carrier business. They signed with AT&T just to get the product in the market. Now that the iPhone is the preeminent smartphone, Apple would like nothing better than to see it proliferate everywhere.

iTunes.com/iTunes in the Cloud – This probably has the best chance of happening today outside of the iPhone announcement. With pressure to innovate from Google and LaLa’s technology in their back pocket, Apple is ready to make the leap to cloud-based content. There are probably a lot of unhappy content companies out there this morning but I think Steve has probably convinced them it’s better to get 10 cents for a thousand plays than a dollar for a hundred. Streaming has a whole other set of issues around piracy and content but it makes the ones the movie and music industry are currently worried about go away. The consumer gets lower prices, the ability to buy a personal copy at a slightly higher price, and Apple and the content companies retain control. If they don’t do it today, it’s coming. Soon.

Steaming Apple TV – Don’t take that bet, it’s a long shot. Apple will want to get the bugs worked out of the streaming service first before they start offering dedicated hardware. Look for this around Christmas or in January when the next iteration of the iPad gets announced. Yes I said that. Apple seems to be slipping into a two announcement per year cycle; new hardware and gadgets in January, iPhones in June. Look for streaming Apple TV and new iPads then, not today.

Upgraded Mac Minis – In case you missed the memo, this WWDC is about mobile. Mac Minis with HDMI ports may be a stealth upgrade between now and Christmas; probably right after I buy mine next month with my luck.

Free MobileMe – This is a small but interesting possibility. I could see Apple offering a new MobileMe in a freemium model as a supporting add-on to the new iPhone. Most iPhone users who aren’t currently using MobileMe are avoiding it based on price. Google offers almost everything MobileMe does for free. I think this is an easy thing for Apple to do to win back some eyes for their platform and convince those who might otherwise not even look at it to pay for full service.

Like all Apple predictions, some of these are bound to fail. I fully expect that. But the great thing about reading the Apple tea leaves is that even when you miss a prediction, you still win when they bring out some other great product instead.

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