And we’re off: the first photos of a “cheap” iPhone – not specifically of the iPhone 5 but of a light version of the iPhone 4 – are beginning to appear, the latest leak coming from a Vietnamese forum, Tinhte.
We wouldn’t usually fall for this sort of thing but Tinhte has been correct in the past and so it’s at least worth a quick look.
What we’re seeing here is an iPhone 4 without front and back glass panels. Instead, there are two translucent plastic sheets and metal banding around the edge. This would make the iPhone considerably cheaper to build.
We’ve been hearing rumors of the “cheaper” iPhone for most of 2011 and the great prognosticator himself felt that an iPhone “lite” was imminent, potentially priced at pre-paid, developing market levels. After all, Tim Cook said he didn’t want the iPhone to be “just for the rich.”
UPDATE – As iawa2k notes, this could be simply a conversion kit. However, I found the seemingly matte or mottled surface to be the most potentially interesting part of this “leak.” Is it the real one? Who the heck knows, but we’d be remiss not to note potential candidates.
