US Operator Lists iPhone 5 Priced at $640 Pay-As-You-Go

Cincinnati Bell posted and subsequently removed references to an iPhone 5 priced at $639.99 (around 470 EUR) and an iPhone 4S priced at $99 (around 72 EUR) on its official web site, fueling speculation that Apple will be releasing new phones not only to major carriers, but also to regional operators.

Screenshots captured by a user browsing the i-Wireless prepaid cell phone section of the Cincinnati Bell website show a placeholder for an iPhone 5 with no image and an option to “Add to basket”.

The carrier appears to be geared towards selling the unannounced handset for $639.99 (or just above €470). The offer is for pay-as-you-go, meaning no contract, but not necessarily an unlocked phone.

What’s more interesting is that said placeholder also includes a bunch of hardware specifications pertaining to the fifth-generation Apple iPhone.

Going by the imagery provided by a TUAW reader, the revision includes a four-inch screen, the rumored 8 megapixel camera, and ‘4G data speeds’. Cincinnati Bell is known to use HSPA+ as its better wireless standard.

A second screenshot provided by another person shows an iPhone 4S placeholder. The same recipe is applied for the lesser specced iPhone which, according to the image, will be sold for $99 (or just above 70€).

This iPhone model would offer only a 5MP camera, the same 3.5-inch screen as the one used in the iPhone 4, and the A5 processor used by Apple in the iPad 2. The iPhone 5 should also pack the A5 SoC (system on a chip).

There shouldn’t be any reason to dismiss these screenshots as not being accurate, since they align well with most rumors about Apple’s next-generation phones.

However, it is still unclear what plans Apple has for tomorrow’s iPhone event. While it is reasonable to assume there will be an iPhone 5 announcement, there are much more indications pointing towards the less-exciting revision - the iPhone 4S. Hopefully they will be both announced.