14 DAY TRIAL // The Taiwan-based supply chain is teeming with news about Apple’s upcoming devices today, and the latest chatter is focused on the company’s rumored low-cost iPhone said to be shipping this summer.
DigiTimes, a hit-and-miss source of details regarding Apple’s future releases, claims to have heard from the Taiwan-based supply chain that “Pegatron has landed orders for an inexpensive iPhone with plastic chassis and next-generation iPad mini from Apple.”
Shipments of both devices are slated for August, according to these sources.
The components will start moving in July, “and players such as chassis supplier Casetek are expected to strongly benefit from the orders,” the report adds.
The same publication previously reported that Catcher Technology, a case manufacturer for Apple devices (as well as for devices from other OEMs), will also see its profits soar thanks to orders from big players in the tech industry.
These orders include cases for the iPad mini 2, which means Apple has at least two enclosure suppliers for the next generation of its diminutive tablet computers.
The plastic iPhone is said to be a “budget” device for Apple, which hopes to steal away some attention from the Android/Samsung install-base.
Although both the late Steve Jobs and current CEO Tim Cook have maintained that Apple doesn’t compromise on quality, the latest rumors suggest the company has had a change of heart as of late.
Such rumors picked up Steam around the time Apple introduced its iPad mini (in late 2012), a scaled down version of the company’s immensely popular tablet computer which proved not only feasible in the long run, but extremely attractive to the masses.
However, it remains to be seen whether the same success can be replicated on the iPhone front.