Just a few days a few purported details on Apple's upcoming low-cost, plastic iPhone surface, another report has followed up with more information on the oft-rumored handset. iLounge EIC Jeremy Horwitz claims to have been told by "reliable sources" that the less-expensive iPhone will mostly be made from plastic and that, rather than just being a straight-up lookalike of the iPhone 5, this new handset's design will be a mixture of the iPhone 5, iPod touch and iPod classic. This low-cost iPhone will allegedly look similar to an iPhone 5 from the front and will have a flat back and sides, but will have curves connecting them, similar to the look of the iPod classic. The size of the unit is said to be half a millimeter taller and wider than the iPhone 5 and a full millimeter thicker than the latest iPhone.
When it comes to the features of the low-cost iPhone, we're told to expect a 4-inch 1136x640 Retina display and Lightning port, just like Apple currently offers on the iPhone 5 and iPod touch. It's believed that Apple will use Gorilla Glass for the unit's screen. Also rumored to be included with the plastic iPhone is a front-facing camera as well as a second shooter around back with a flash.
While none of these details are official until Tim Cook and Co. make 'em so, if a low-cost iPhone that contains these features does end up coming to market this year, it sounds like it could be an option worth considering for customers in the market for an affordable handset. It'd clearly be a step up from the last plastic iPhone, the 3GS, thanks to its larger display with a Retina resolution. The 4-inch display would also be a nice upgrade from the 3.5 incher found on Apple's current free iPhone, the iPhone 4, though some folks may prefer the iPhone 4's glass and metal body. The low-cost iPhone is rumored to be launching this year.
Via iLounge
