A new leaked doc from Canadian carrier Telus (via MobileSyrup) shows that the carrier has plans to discontinue the iPhone 5 on September 28 just days after the next-generation iPhones are rumored to launch. Although it would lend weight to the theory that Apple could get rid of the iPhone 5 since the rumored iPhone 5S and especially the lower cost iPhone 5C are so close internally to the current device, the doc only shows that the 32GB and 64GB models will be discontinued, which might be a clue the 16GB iPhone 5 will stick around as an entry level model.
Keeping the 16GB iPhone 5 seems to line up with what we’ve been hearing at Verizon and adds even more weight to the theory that Apple will keep the iPhone 5 around as a lower cost option perhaps in between the 5S and the 5C in much the same way that the last-gen iPhone 4S currently occupies the $99/plan spot in Apple’s lineup.
On the other hand, often-accurate KGI analyst Mingchi Kuo said earlier this month that he thinks Apple will stop selling the iPhone 5 at the end of Q3 2013 and continuing selling the iPhone 4S until the end of the year.
Apple yesterday sent out invites to the September 10th event and is expected to start selling the iPhone 5S and 5C starting around the 20th of September.
Update: Similar chatter is coming out of Vodafone Germany, indicating that the 32GB and 64GB iPhone 5 and 16GB iPhone 4S will soon be discontinued.
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It’s pretty clear to me that Apple will keep the 5 around until the 5C and 5S channels are working smoothly. Apple hasn’t just dropped an iphone since the first generation. They usually keep the older models lingering, and it costs them nothing to do so.
I can imagine that the 5c will have less specs to keep costs low, so no retina display and smaller flash memory.
5s will add the new finger sensor, a bigger deal for some versus others. But will that impact the Mac platform someday too? If so, when? Hmm.
The iPhone 5C will have a retina screen. It must. No way Apple expects developers to make yet another screen size/resolution! Imagine a 4″ screen of which only 3.5″‘s can be used for apps.
Hopefully this means 32Gb is the new 16Gb and 16Gb is the new 8Gb
I think it’s just a matter of keeping it around until supplies are depleted. They will not be making any more that’s for sure.
I don’t know why this is a surprise to everyone. Seems like a no-brainer that the 5 would be $99 on contract when the 5S comes out at $199; that’s what they’ve done the last 4 releases. The question is whether the 5C is real and, if so, if it replaces or supplements the 4S.