According to a report by Bloomberg this week, Apple is working on a cheaper and smaller version of iPhone that will be sold for $200 off contract.
A mini version of the iPhone is in rumors since the release of the original iPhone. Apple has never commented, or showed interest in the smaller version of its widely popular phone. Actually Apple never needed a smaller or cheaper version of its device ever before because sales have been high all the time.
But now things are changing, manufacturers using Android OS are releasing devices of every size and price. You can get a high-end Android phone for $800 and you can get a low-end Android phone for $200. And now with Nokia’s deal with Microsoft we know a lot of Windows Phone 7 devices are going to hit the market next year and they are going to be of all sizes. In this situation iPhone mini becomes inevitable.
Everyone knows Apple’s iOS has a great market share and that is with its one and only expensive iPhone that costs around $600 off contract. A lot of customers want to buy an iPhone but they can’t or are not willing to pay that much price so they get a Nokia or cheaper Android instead.
Not only in US or in Europe, Apple could grab a huge market share in Asian countries as well if it brings a cheaper device to the table. Nokia has dominated these markets because it produces mobile phones of every size and price.
Now the question is how Apple could make a $200 device that can stand with its $600 device. The answer is simple, it has done it with its iPod touch. If you have used an iPod touch 4G you would know that it can almost do anything an iPhone 4 can except making cellular calls. It features a camera with smaller resolution, but records HD videos, it has facetime, retina display and everything else found in an iPhone. So if you say that making a device similar to a $600 device is not possible then you should think again.
So what specifications will a $200 Apple device could have, here i have compared iPhone 4 and iPod touch 4G with my imaginary iPhone mini. Have a look.
With iPhone mini Apple could fulfill its dream of an Apple in every hand. With a cheaper iPhone Apple’s iOS can truly compete and beat Google’s Android OS that is growing at a very fast pace and eliminate any future concerns regarding Nokia’s Windows Phone 7 powered devices. At the moment Apple needs a mini iPhone more than ever before.
What’s your take on the concept of iPhone mini? Let us know in the comments.