Rumor: Apple to release $99 iPhone this year

UNCONFIRMED: That Apple will debut an iPhone priced between $99 to $199 this year
An iPhone with a fresh design including a large screen and plenty of features, all for $99? Such a thing may be available later this year according to rumors posted by Technorati, DigiTimes and Mashable. And while the reports differ on the size and features, most seem to agree that some kind of cheap iPhone is on the way soon.

Disputed specs
According to the DigiTimes report, the $99 iPhone will feature a large, 5-inch display, but it will only be available in China and other “emerging markets.” The Techorati report, however, has no mention of the phone having a 5-inch display, or that it will be exclusively for China. Meanwhile, GMA News is calling the device an “iPhone mini,” which would seem a vote against the large-screen rumor.
Find out what Apple’s marketing chief says about the rumor

Intel going cheap, too
If Apple is developing a low-cost iPhone, either for US consumers or so-called “emerging markets,”  it wouldn’t be the only company doing so. According to The Inquirer, Intel is introducing a low-cost microchip meant to bring smartphone features to phones in countries like China and elsewhere where simple, low-cost phones are mainly used.

Learn how many smartphones are predicted to be sold by 2016

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