Apple is set for a possible summer launch of the next iPhone, rather
than a fall launch like the last two models, according to a report
Tuesday in The Wall Street Journal.
Apple Inc. is also working on a
cheaper iPhone model that could win it some market share in developing
countries, the paper said. It cited unnamed people "familiar with the
device's production."
The report is in line with the expectations
of company watchers and Wall Street analysts. The iPhone 5 costs around
$600, and while Apple maintains older iPhones in production, even those
aren't cheap enough to compete effectively against low-end smartphones
running Google Inc.'s Android software.
Apple doesn't comment on
future products before its launch events. Its executives usually
emphasize that the company's goal is to make the best products, not the
cheapest ones.
The Journal said Apple is set to start production
of the new iPhone within the next three months. It's apparently relying
on sources among the Asian companies that supply components for the
phone and assemble it.
