Apple Said to be Planning Cheap iPhone for China and India

[Maura]

Macworld reports today on a new note to investors from Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, who has resurrected a long-standing rumour by stating that he believes Apple intends to market a cheaper version of the iPhone, which will cost under $200 (£125), and which will primarily be aimed at the Chinese and Indian markets, which together could bring Apple another 3 billion customers. Munster says that he thinks the phone will be released by 2014, and that a cheaper version of the iPhone is necessary in order for Apple to gain more of a foothold in these two key markets, because they do not have the usual system whereby the carriers subsidise the cost of the iPhone in order to get customers to sign up to long-term contracts. The fact that Android does offer a variety of cheaper handsets is most likely the main reason for the Android OS supremacy in these markets.

Source: Apple to launch cheap iPhone for China and India - iPad/iPhone - Macworld UK