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…
iPhone SE deals: Refurbished 2nd and 3rd Gen iPhones
apple iphone se 2020 news new black camera and touch id 04152020

Apple’s iPhone is one of the most popular phones on the planet, and whatever its current model happens to be almost always ranks among the best phones. This makes the iPhone an expensive purchase, which is where the iPhone SE comes in. Apple launched the iPhone SE in order to make an iPhone affordable to more people. The SE utilizes technology that’s a generation or two old and will often take the form factor of a previous iPhone model. Right now the it's a great phone to turn to for even more savings. There are some iPhone SE deals to take a look at out there, and while it’s difficult to find newer iPhone SE models, you can shop refurbished knowing the big retailers are likely backing the purchase with warranties and solid return windows. So whether you’re looking for some great iPhone deals or phone deals in general, below you’ll find the best iPhone SE deals to shop right now.
iPhone SE 2nd Gen deals

The second generation of the iPhone SE was initially launched in 2020, but it still manages to keep up with the needs of many phone users today. It utilizes the body of the Apple iPhone 8, which means it will have a home button and fingerprint ID instead of the Face ID technology in current iPhone models. That’s not much to give up, however, as the second generation iPhone SE still has a great display, a 12-megapixel camera with the ability to shoot 4K video, and wireless charging capability.

Read more
Best refurbished iPhone deals: Get an iPhone 14 for $513
An iPhone 13 in white color option.

The Apple iPhone is one of the best phones on the market, and because of it they don’t often come cheap. There are some great iPhone deals out there, but it’s rare to find significant discounts on newer models without having to commit to a longterm contract with a carrier, and it’s even less frequent you come across one of the best iPhones with a major price drop. This is where shopping refurbished can come in handy. Refurbished iPhones — for the most part — will come backed with a functionality guarantee or extended return window, making refurbished iPhones as safe of a purchase as shopping new. There are a lot of refurbished iPhone models seeing great price drops right now, which is why we’ve done the heavy lifting of rounding up all of the best refurbished iPhone deals. You’ll find them below, as well as some information on which refurbished iPhone might be best for you.
iPhone XR -- from $136

A refurbished model but one that's unlocked and comes with a full one-year warranty, the Apple iPhone XR is still pretty stylish for its age. It has a large 6.1-inch LCD screen with 1,792 x 828 resolution with Liquid Retina technology ensuring it looks super sharp. Powered by the A12 Bionic chip, it's starting to show its age but still has potential. There's also a 12MP back camera that can shoot 4K videos while the front-facing camera is 7MP and ideal for selfie-taking.

Read more
Nomad’s new iPhone case and Apple Watch band may be its coolest yet
Nomad Glow 2.0 Sport Case and Apple Watch Sport Band in daylight.

Though the world of Apple accessories is a dime a dozen, one of the better brands that you can buy is Nomad. Nomad has a variety of amazing leather Apple Watch bands and cases, as well as non-leather options, too. In August 2023, Nomad released a one-of-a-kind Glow in the Dark Apple Watch band that sold out in about 12 hours.

Since that Glow in the Dark band was a limited edition, no one was sure if Nomad was going to re-release it, and this explains the high resale prices you’ll find on eBay. But Nomad just released the Glow 2.0 Apple Watch Sport Band as well as a new Glow 2.0 Sport Case for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. And, yes, they're just as wonderful as before.
The new and improved Glow 2.0

Read more