Rumored Low-Cost iPhone Might Be Worth Buying: 10 Reasons Why

By Don Reisinger

If all the leaked images of the cases are to be believed, Apple’s low-cost iPhone will come with a 4-inch screen, matching that in the iPhone 5. If screen size is all that matters to a customer, why spend the extra cash on a more expensive iPhone 5S?

Apple has been extremely intelligent when it comes to its handling of iOS. The company hasn’t split off its operating system the way Google has with Android, and it ensures that the platform works across devices. That means that the low-end iPhone will run the same software as the bigger, more-expensive option.

If Apple has any plans for a low-cost iPhone, don’t worry one second about the app support. Apple’s low-cost iPhone will work just fine with any and all applications currently available in the App Store. That’s a huge selling point for customers, but something that threatens to ultimately cause cannibalization in Apple’s expanding smartphone line.

Design matters greatly in Apple’s world. And although it’ll be offering a cheap iPhone, the case designs that have leaked onto the Web are extremely impressive. Once again, Apple hasn’t skimped on design. And customers will be quite happy with that if the handset actually launches.

According to reports, Apple will offer up to 64GB of storage in the cheaper iPhone, effectively sidestepping fears that it would only offer a small amount of storage capacity for customers to entice them to buy the high-end alternative. Apple isn’t going to try and win over higher-end customers on storage. The company knows it’s a bad move. Shoppers on a budget will benefit because of that.

Just because a handset is cheaper, it doesn’t mean that it lacks quality. In fact, Apple hasn’t built up its reputation by releasing shoddy products. It always puts a lot of time and effort in quality, and if a low-end iPhone hits the market, Apple no doubt will want it to be considered a well-built alternative to the high-end iPhone. That’s a good thing.

Looking to save some cash? Apple is clearly taking aim at an entirely new class of buyers who until now shunned iPhones as too expensive. There’s no word right now on how much the low-end option will cost, but it’s possible customers will be able to get it for as little as $100 or so.

Although cheaper products don’t tend to connect to the Web via 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology, Apple has made sure that all its mobile devices do just that. In fact, the company launched an iPad Mini last year that connected to 4G LTE networks when just about everyone thought it wouldn’t. If Apple did that with the iPad, expect it to follow the same route with the low-cost iPhone.

The iPhone 5S, which will be Apple’s high-end product introduction this year, won’t be so much better than the cheaper option to warrant spending all that extra cash on it. Sure, the iPhone 5S will have a better processor, a nicer screen and nicer finishes, but it won’t be groundbreaking. That might be some consolation for some customers who don’t mind buying a slightly lower-end model when they can save some cash.

The low-cost iPhone seems like a fine option for customers who are new to the smartphone game. After all, new entrants into the space won’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on a device and software platform they don’t know how to use. A low-cost iPhone 5 will offer outstanding functionality at a price that’s designed to appeal to flip-phone holdouts.