Skip to main content

iPhone Model Lineup Changes in Store

Currently, Apple produces four technically-distinct iPhone models:

  • The iPhone 4S, GSM/CDMA
  • The iPhone 4, GSM
  • The iPhone 4, CDMA
  • The iPhone 3GS, GSM

... plus a new model in the pipeline, which we all call the iPhone 5.

Although there are component cost differences between the four current models, their costs are very comparable.  The parts and manufacturing costs of an iPhone 4 is virtually identical to that of the iPhone 4S.  The parts and manufacturing cost of an iPhone 3GS is within $35 of the iPhone 4S - and converging.  The delivery and support costs of an iPhone 3GS is virtually identical to that of an iPhone 4S.

To reduce its overall costs, Apple needs to reduce its overlapping product lines.  To stay competitive, it is clear that Apple will start to drop off it's older products in order to maximize economies of scale.

Therefore, I suspect that the iPhone product line will soon be substantially overhauled:

New:

  • iPhone 5, $200 and up price range


Retained:

  • iPhone 4S, $0.99 - $99 price range, based on storage.


Dropped:

  • The iPhone 4, GSM
  • The iPhone 4, CDMA
  • The iPhone 3GS, GSM
This will effectively result in the number of iPhone products supplied by Apple from four to two, simplifying the supply chain and reducing support costs.  Furthermore, it will result in a more capable baseline for the iPhone ecosystem - a dual core CPU with 512MB of RAM will be the new baseline for future operating systems - a tremendous step up from the 2009-vintage devices.

Furthermore, this change will have only positive impact to the customer community.  The new line-up will be priced nearly identically to the old lineup.  There will be less choice, but only in the sense that less capable models will be dropped.   Customers will be getting a 4S for the price of a 3GS.

Timing:

Apple won't release the iPhone 5 without a new OS to support its new features and to wow the industry.  Therefore, the new iPhone will be released along with iOS6.  iOS has a quite visible schedule - mid-to-late September.

Validation:

To validate this concept, we should start to see an erosion of the availability of the iPhone3GS and perhaps even iPhone4 models roughly two to four weeks before the release of the new iPhone.  However, Apple will not constrain its market so much that it negatively impacts sales, and therefore the reduction of supply will happen only after the back-to-school shopping season.

Conclusion:

Barring unexpected production mishaps, by September there will be evidence of a drop-off of iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 availability.  Apple will release the new iPhone by mid-to-late September, in concert with iOS6.  Soon after, Apple will formally remove the 3GS and 4 from its catalog.  

Popular posts from this blog

Fixing a SodaStream Jet, part 1: Disassembly Guide

I've had my SodaStream Jet for years, and once in a while something has gone wrong. Disassembly is the first step to repair.  Start with this article to see how to disassemble the SodaStream, and then once you have that down, scroll through my other articles to see how I repaired specfic SodaStream problems. SodaStream Jet Disassembly Guide Tools Required Flat head screwdriver Phillips head screwdriver 1. Remove the Carbonator.  Duh. 2. Remove the black panel lever The front big black tilt lever needs to be removed first. Removing this panel is tricky, but it isn't impossible. Looking up at the bottom of the black panel, there are two tabs, one on the left and one on the right. These tabs fully secure the panel in place. The trick is to use a flat-head screwdriver under the plastic to gently lever the tabs out of the way.  Note in the pictures how I approach these tabs with my screwdriver.  I usually release the left side first, and then I release ...
Read more

Macintosh: Upgrading an eMac

It's been a long time since I wrote this article, but the fact remains: The good old eMac can still be useful if you take the simple steps to keep it as good as it can be.  All can run Tiger, and most can run Leopard - great operating systems for their day with a bit of useful life.  This article describes the procedure I used to upgrade my old eMac, including: Replacing the internal hard disk with a large capacity drive. Increasing the memory for performance Upgrading the operating system Here I'm upgrading a 700 MHz eMac, but the procedure and tasks for upgrading other eMac models should be almost identical. Upgrading versus Replacing My sister's eMac is of the 700 mhz variety, with 256 MB of memory. The machine seemed to be getting "slower", and the original 40 GB disk was becoming jammed packed with photos and iTunes, and within a few months she'd be out of disk space. There were two options to address the problems: upgrade the eMac, or go o...
Read more

Sodastream Carbonator Leakage, Usage, and Weight

SodaStream 60L "Carbonator" CO2 cylinders have a specific weight when empty, plus about 410 or so grams for the CO2 they should have when they're "full".  A little while ago I went to buy a replacement Carbonator from my local hardware store. The dealer pulled a new Carbonator out of the box and sensed it was lighter than usual.  He put the "light" Carbonator in the "empty" pile and sold me a different one.  At that moment I concluded that it would be smart of me to weigh both new and empty SodaStream carbonators.  Here are the results. Weighing a SodaStream Carbonator - for both Science and Consumer Protection.       The dealer told me that sometimes the carbonators leak after they leave the SodaStream filling facility.  That means there could be an opportunity for customers like me to get ripped off! The SodaStream cylinders I buy claim to have a net product weight of 410 grams - and that means that a full Soda Stream Carbonator shou...
Read more

Excellent DD-WRT Router for Me: Netgear WNDR3400 / N600

My WiFi performance was suffering, and so I decided to do something about it and upgrade my router. When I say my WiFi performance was suffering, I really mean it:  I live in a large high-rise apartment building and there are 100+ WiFi access points visible from my home office.  All of the contentious traffic was severely curtailing my WiFi reliability.  I was lucky to get 1 Mbit/second throughput.  Sometimes I was lucky to stay connected even with my WiFi router in the same room. I decided it was time to go for 5 GHz, which is a WiFi band which is used less frequently and which has a tougher time traversing walls.  And of course I wanted DD-WRT support.  The set of features I was looking for included: Trouble-free DD-WRT support 5 GHz 802.11n Support Simultaneous dual band capability Inexpensive.  Maybe even cheap.  For me this means under $50.  Under $35 is even better! It sounds like an easy task to bring all this together: A...
Read more

Robust Installation of an HDHomeRun Networked TV Tuner. 64 OTA channels!

I added an HDHomerun (HDHR) over-the-air (OTA) streaming box to my home network, bringing over-the-air broadcast TV to my computers, phones and tablets.  The HDHR is a big upgrade from my previous setup: using a simple "window mount" antenna directly connected to my TV. A TV-attached antenna is good for watching some TV for free, but the HDHR offers so much more flexibility. Figure 0: HDHomeRun on my basement wall   My original OTA TV setup was haphazard at best. It was finicky, ugly, and hard for other people at home to use. I would actually tape my antenna to a window whenever I wanted to watch OTA TV. Plus, it only worked on my TV and not with my other devices. I wanted a cleaner and more modern OTA setup. After looking at possibilities, I developed two goals: (1) bring my OTA TV into the modern Internet-connected era, and (2) set it up in a reliable and pretty way so that other family members wouldn't have to fool around with the antenna or anything else.  With that,...
Read more

Repairing an HP Pavillion DV6 Motherboard

Here's my procedure on how to remove and replace the logic board of an HP Pavilion DV6. My model is a DV6-3122US, and many DV6s of the 3000 series are similar. These machines often fail to start due to a motherboard failure.  With a motherboard failure, upon pressing power the fan will first spin and the power light comes on.  The capslock key will flash white once every 4 seconds, and the f12 key will stay a solid orange, and the screen - although powered up - displays black only. Although the caps lock "single blink" indicator at boot implies a CPU failure, in my experience it is not due to the CPU itself but the supporting components on the motherboard. The only solid solution is to repair or replace the motherboard.  Replacement boards are readily available.  I bought one and replaced it myself. Disassembly Procedure NOTE: The screws are different sizes, and its important to reinstall them correctly.  I color-coded the different screws in the photos...
Read more

Other Posts

Show more