£200 PAYG 2011 iPhone on the way?

With the iPhone 5 launch detials still nowhere to be found officially, the Apple smartphone rumour mill has been grinding away at all manner of Jesus Phone possibilities. From a slightly revised iPhone 4S model to a “smart bezel” packing iPhone 5 there’s plenty to get Apple enthusiasts foaming the mouth.

But what for those who can’t quite reach the premium prices of top-end smartphone gear? The latest Apple rumours suggest the Cupertino team will have even moderately sized pockets covered this year too.

BGR’s Jonathan Geller is claiming that Apple are preparing to launch an iPhone that will cost just $350, or £270, on Pay As You Go deals before the year is out. Factor in heavy mobile network subsidisation, and it’s not too much of a stretch to see suggest a brand new iPhone model may launch for as little as £200.

At these prices you could hardly expect to see hardware of the iPhone 4’s quality, which still rides high at full price on the smartphone charts. But something akin to the 2-and-a-bit year old iPhone 3GS is a possibility, and would still be a great phone capable of carrying out many of the iPhone 4’s best features.

We’ll file this one in the “Rumours” folder for now, but these budget iPhone whispers are steadily building up. No smoke without fire, as they say…

Via: BGR