Rumor: Pegatron Lands Orders for Mid-Level iPhone
Rumors that Apple has been working on a new mid-level iPhone have been around for some time now and there's a business case to be made for an economical iPhone as a means of capturing more share of the exploding market in China which Apple is most definitely interested in capturing. Today, the hottest rumor emanating from the Taiwan-based supply chain is boldly stating that Apple supplier Pegatron has landed orders for an inexpensive iPhone with plastic chassis and next-generation iPad mini from Apple and will begin shipments in August.
The upstream supply chain will start shipping components for the new iPad mini and iPhone in July and players such as chassis supplier Casetek are expected to strongly benefit from the orders.
A next-generation iPhone and 9.7-inch iPad reportedly will appear in early 2014 and will be manufactured by Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry).
This is the second time in under a week that a rumor has placed a new iPhone being prepared for Q1 2014. A research note surfaced last week from Citi Research saying that Apple would be launching a new iPhone with 4.8-inch screen. Contrary to Apple's traditional iPhone events held in September, Citi's note specifically stated that the larger iPhone design was being scheduled to debut in Q1 2014.
If the rumor is true, it would mark a new strategic move by Apple to counter the wave of news that traditionally emanates out of the Mobile World Congress tradeshow that is held every February.
Whether Citi Research's source was the one leaking this rumor to DigiTimes today or not is unknown at this time, but both rumors seem to hold the very same message.
This latest rumor comes on the heels of yet another more elaborate rumor that surfaced yesterday which seemed to throw every imaginable twist into the rumor mill with reckless abandon.
Yesterday's rumor threw in an aluminum iPhone, which sounded like someone guessing that Apple wants to mimic HTC's One; threw in a Phablet with a 5.7" display which sounds like a wild swing that Apple is now out to challenge Samsung's Note line of smartphones; and lastly, a wild array of plastic see through cheaper iPhones that would mimic Apple's original line of iMacs. Oh, yes, and they threw in a $99 price point coming to Apple's phantom cheaper iPhone.
Some rumors just don't pass the laugh test, even if it's nice wishful thinking. What are your thoughts on Reuters rumor?
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