- Apple could release a cheaper, 4G-only version of its expected iPhone 12 in early 2021, according to a new report from Wedbush Securities.
- Apple is expected to release several new iPhone models this fall, all of which support 5G connectivity.
- If Apple releases a cheaper 4G iPhone 12 next year, it would come after the tech giant heavily borrowed in more affordable products to boost its iPhone business.
- Apple typically releases new iPhones late, but the company said it expects to receive offerings a few weeks later than normal this year.
- Visit the Business Insider website for more stories.
Apple’s annual fall iPhone launch is slowly approaching, but that may not be all the tech giant has in store when it comes to smartphone launches in the coming months.
Apple may release a cheaper version of the iPhone 12 that comes with 4G connectivity instead of support for 5G networks, says a new research note from Wedbush Securities written by analysts Daniel Ives, Strecker Backe, and Ahmad Khalil.
Wedbush initially expected Apple to launch a mix of 4G and 5G-enabled versions of its iPhone 12 this fall. But the company revised its forecasts to its most recent controls in Asia supply chain, and now said it expects to see more 5G iPhones and a cheaper 4G model in early 2021 in the fall.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request from Business Insider for comment.
Apple was able to launch this 4G-only variant around the February time frame, Ives told Business Insider. This version of the iPhone 12 is also expected to be cheaper than the 5G models launched in September. Other details about the device are unclear, but Ives predicted that Apple could price the non-5G iPhone at around $ 800.
He also said that Apple is not likely to increase the prices of this year’s iPhones, even for the models that include 5G. The company will likely launch some 5G models under $ 1000 and others that are priced the same as the iPhone 11 Pro, contrary to predictions he made last month.
“Price points will be aggressive as Apple moves to its broader customer base,” Ives said. “Especially in a recession, in a COVID-19 background, they have to make sure they beat all price ranges.”
If Apple releases a cheaper 4G iPhone in early 2021, it would come as the company increasingly focuses on more affordable devices to boost its smartphone sales.
Last fall, for example, it launched the $ 700 iPhone 11, which is $ 50 cheaper than the starting price of the iPhone XR of $ 750 when it debuted the previous year. The iPhone 11 was the most popular smartphone in the world in the first quarter of 2020, taking over the iPhone XR, according to market research firm Omdia.
More recently, Apple launched in April the $ 400 iPhone SE, a bet that already pays for the technical behemoth. Apple attributed the growth its iPhone division experienced in its fiscal third quarter to positive reception of the iPhone SE, among other factors, the company said during its recent call.
Apple is expected to release four versions of the iPhone 12 this fall, all of which are said to come with 5G connectivity according to reports. Apple may introduce new size options and a redesigned design that is more similar to that of the iPad Pro, according to reports from TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and Bloomberg.
Apple typically unveils its new iPhones in mid-September and starts selling them later that month, but the company said it expects to offer its next-generation iPhone a few weeks later than usual this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
