A news revelation this week suggested that Apple was working on a new budget iPhone that would be priced under $200 and compete with many of the cheaper smartphone handsets that are currently on the market. The report by Bloomberg cited a source who had seen a prototype and was unable to give too many details about the device. Initially we thought that the ‘person’ had perhaps seen one of the many prototypes that Apple is reputed to build as part of the normal design and testing process (multiple sizes of the iPad would be another good example).
However, here’s a funny theory. Is it possible that the infamous ‘source’ who spoke to Bloomberg had actually seen a prototype for the new iPod Nano? Here’s how this could be possible. Earlier this week, we reported that the iPod Classic may be undergoing a refresh or, accompanied by a sharp intake of breath, a discontinuation. Assuming that it was the latter, the iPod Touch would likely step up and take the place of the iPod Classic, receiving a bump in storage with three models coming in at 32GB, 64GB and 128GB.
If this change takes place, then it would make sense for Apple to introduce an iPod that was somewhere between the iPod Shuffle and the iPod Touch i.e. a new iPod Nano. The new Nano would be roughly 30-50% smaller than the iPod Touch (as indicated in the report) and would replace the current iPod Nano. The biggest advantage of this is that the new iPod Nano would actually be able to run apps, which is in contrast to the current iPod Nano which, while it appears to be based on iOS software, it is in fact not and is unable to access the app store.
A sub-$200 price point would easily be accomplished as the new device would not be of the same specifications as the iPod Touch. The new device would also open up the iOS App Store, one of Apple’s biggest revenue sources, to more users than just those with the iPhone or iPod Touch. If the new device is indeed destined to be released in the Fall, this would also coincide with the annual iPod event at which the iPod is generally refreshed.
This piece of conjecture is simply offered as an explanation for the rather unlikely iPhone ‘nano’ rumors that have been floating around this week and is probably just as true as the likelihood of Apple releasing an economy iPhone.
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