Skip to main content

Rumor: Unlocked, low-cost iPhone, iPhone 5, due ‘end of summer’

Apple iPhone 3GS
Image used with permission by copyright holder

We know, we know: Everyone is sick of the next-generation iPhone reports based upon nothing but hearsay from anonymous sources. We’re sick of it, too — we’d rather be writing about physical devices from concrete sources. But there are enough of you out there who apparently love to parse through the ups, downs, ins and outs of Apple rumors that we can’t help but give you the latest Cupertino gossip. So here goes: Apple will allegedly release a “low-cost” iPhone in late summer, according to a report from BRG‘s Jonathan Gellar.

The less-expensive Apple handset will reportedly cost $350, without a contract. It may be available as a prepaid device, Gellar’s source says. (Apple currently sells an unlocked iPhone 4 starting at $649.) The device will purportedly either launch, or “at least be announced” by late-August, early-September.

Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean that Apple plans to release a new low-cost iPhone, rumors about which have been swirling around for months. It’s entirely possible that the less-expensive iPhone option will in fact be the long-available iPhone 3GS. This theory makes complete sense to us as the most likely viable option for Apple, who many financial experts say needs to make headway in the lower-end markets in order to compete with the growing threat of Android.

When it comes to the next-generation iPhone, however, the news is even less clear. First of all, we have no idea what it’s even going to be called, though either “iPhone 4S” or “iPhone 5” remain the most likely candidates. It’s also entirely unclear what the new iPhone will look like. Some say it will look almost exactly like the iPhone 4; others claim a radical redesign is in store. (Gellar’s source says it’s unlikely that we’ll see the totally new design this time around since we haven’t seen a single leaked case that would fit a redesigned iPhone.)

As always, all of this is entirely speculation. And with August coming up fast, it’s really not surprising that the iPhone rumor mill is is full-gear. After all, Apple’s already made us wait an extra month to debut its new phone — and it sounds as though we have at least another month before we’ll actually know anything at all.

Editors' Recommendations

Andrew Couts
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Features Editor for Digital Trends, Andrew Couts covers a wide swath of consumer technology topics, with particular focus on…
Best iPhone 14 deals: Unlocked and refurbished
The Apple iPhone 14 Pro's camera module

Some of the best Apple deals and best iPhone deals come from the iPhone 14 lineup. While it has been around a couple of years now, the iPhone 14 is still only one generation old as iPhone releases go. This means it still has a lot to offer, including much of what can be found in the newer iPhone 15, but it will often see some impressive price drops. Many of the best iPhone 14 deals we’re seeing right now are on refurbished models, but both new and refurbished models are out there, and each makes for some of the best phone deals going on at the moment. You’ll find all of the information you need to save on an iPhone 14 below, but if you’d like to land yourself the latest and greatest you should also check out the current iPhone 15 deals, Samsung Galaxy S24 deals, and Google Pixel 8 deals.
Apple iPhone 14 -- from $491, was $699

With the Apple iPhone 14 you’re getting what is still one of the most popular smartphones on the market. This is the iPhone 14 model that’s meant for everyone. It holds back a few features you can only get on the Pro model, but it still has an impressive 6.1-inch display, an impressive camera, and dozens of ways to personalize your iOS experience with widgets and fonts. The phone can reach up to 26 hours of battery life on a single charge, and it’s powered by Apple’s A15 Bionic chip. Face ID, emergency SOS via satellite, and super fast 5G cellular connectivity round out the top features of the Apple iPhone 14.
Buy Refurbished at Amazon — from $491

Read more
Here’s how iOS 18 could change the way you use your iPhone
The lock screen on the Apple iPhone 15 Plus.

It seems the long-overdue Siri overhaul will finally arrive at WWDC in just over a week from now, and the digital assistant will embrace AI trickery in all its forms. According to Bloomberg, Apple’s planned upgrades for Siri will deeply integrate with on-device functions at the OS level and with the installed apps, too.

“The new system will allow Siri to take command of all the features within apps for the first time,” the report says. The most notable capability is that Siri will only require voice prompts to interact with apps, thanks to a major change in the AI architecture powering it and putting large language models in command, just the way Gemini or ChatGPT draw their own skills from such models.

Read more
Become an iPhone video master with this powerful new app
Screenshots from the Kino app.

Avid iPhone photographers will already know the excellent Halide camera app and how it can help transform the stills you take. But they will also know it does not support video, a point the company itself has been well aware of too. That’s why it has launched Kino, a video app for the iPhone that aims to bring similar Halide-style benefits to video instead of stills.

Kino is described as a video app for beginners and experts alike, but to get the most from it, you’ll likely need to be familiar with the iPhone’s video recording modes. For example, one of the main features that makes Kino stand out is Instant Grade, which uses the Log video recording mode, which was introduced on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Read more