14 DAY TRIAL // A new image is making the rounds today claiming to show Apple’s budget iPhone which many analysts have speculated for 2013. While the image looks pretty authentic, the details that accompany it seem improbable.
Tactus claims to have obtained the picture displayed above from the same sources who leaked him an iPad 5 mould.
Needless to point out, both leaks remain to be confirmed, as neither the budget iPhone nor the iPad 5 have been released.
The site’s author says the “cheap” iPhone’s case is made of plastic, and that Apple will fit an A5 chip inside the chassis, as well as a 3.5-inch Retina display.
The phone, however, seems to be larger than the all the iPhones fitted with 3.5-inch screens so far. It is highly improbable that Apple will release a larger iPhone with an under-specced screen.
However, given that many never thought Apple would release an iPad mini with a smaller, non-Retina display, anything is possible.
“I’ve also heard on the grapevine that the alleged budget iPhone will have an A5 processor like the iPad Mini with a 32nm diecast,” writes Tactus.
The author adds that the phone is “likely” to have a 5 megapixel camera, and that it will ship with multiple color options.
As noted above, the rumor seems a tad sketchy. Any accessory maker could have easily designed and cast this piece of plastic in under an hour. However, something tells us the photo has some truth to it.
It lines up well with all the rumors, and it exhibits a new design. It borrows the tapering from the iPad mini and the flat back of the latest iPhones.
Our guess would be that, if Apple does end up pursuing this design (along with the specifications dished out by Tactus), the company will at least throw in a 4-inch Retina display.
Our reasoning is simple. With the iPhone 5 already bashed for its too small 4-inch display, a new iPhone with an even smaller screen would be dead on arrival, regardless of its price.
For Apple’s sake, we hope this rumor is not fully accurate.