The rumoured iPhone 5C could actually be launched as Apple’s mid-level iPhone, rather than a low-end budget iPhone as previously expected.
That’s according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has an impressive track record for predicting Apple product launches, and believes that the iPhone 5C will take the place of the iPhone 5 when it is released alongside the iPhone 5S next month.
His theory is that the iPhone line-up will start with the flagship iPhone, the iPhone 5S, followed by the mid-range iPhone 5C and then the cheaper iPhone 4S, ditching the iPhone 5.
Kuo expects that the price of the iPhone 5C will be between $400 and $500 without a contract subsidy. That’s around 1440 AED to 1840 AED. The iPhone 5 is currently priced between 2200 AED and 3100 AED, so that would still make the iPhone 5C significantly cheaper than the flagship model.
He believes that the iPhone 4S will carry a price tag of between $300 and $400, which is around 1100 AED to 1400 AED.
In addition to the iPhone 5, Kuo also thinks that the iPhone 4 will be removed from the iPhone lineup when the new iPhones launch.
Kuo’s new prediction contradicts previous reports that suggested Apple will ditch all old iPhone models in favour of the iPhone 5C, leaving just the new iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5C available.