iPhone Rumor of the Day 1/9 - Bloomberg Jumps on $99-$149 Cheaper Model Rumors

Related: Apple, iPhone 6, iPhone Mini

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Ok, last week's iPhone rumors were that they'd introduce a smaller, low cost model. This week DigiTimes is reporting that they will instead launch a larger, low cost model.

Today, Bloomberg news has jumped on the bandwagon as well, noting that "the budget iPhone will launch "as soon as this year," according to sources familiar which Apple's plans who chose not to be named. The device will be part of a push to attract customers in developing nations, but will also be made available in the U.S. and other developed markets. Apple is said to be "weighing retail prices of $99 to $149 for a device that would debut in late 2013, at the earliest," Bloomberg reports, and the company has already "spoken to at least one of the top U.S. wireless carriers about its plans.""

How this would fit with the already price-cut (and selling) iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS that's still on the market -- we don't know.

Last week, Neil Mawston of Strategy Analytics is jumping on the bandwagon of predicting that Apple will release a smaller, cheaper iPhone, telling CNET that "We believe Apple will have to launch an 'iPhone Mini' at some point over the next three years to address the hundreds of millions of prepaid users worldwide that cannot afford the current iPhone. The iPhone 5 is growing fast and profitably right now, so there is limited incentive for Apple to launch a profit-squeezing 'iPhone Mini' this year. We expect the 'iPhone Mini' to be more likely next year, in 2014, when Apple's penetration of the global postpaid smartphone market will be nearing saturation and Apple will be forced to discover fresh growth streams elsewhere."

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