With Apple announcing its new range of iPhones last night in the form of the iPhone 5S and the colourful iPhone 5C, many users have been left questioning exactly what this means for older handsets.
Wel,l Apple havs explained that with the release of the iPhone 5C, the previous iPhone 5 and the much older iPhone 4S will now be officially discontinued. Now this doesn’t meant that support for the 5 and 4 will be dropped, it just means that Apple will no longer be stocking the handsets itself. The iPhone 5C has replaced the 5 as the “slightly cheaper alternative” for people to purchase instead of the very latest model, the 5S, with Apple relegating its year-old handset to the bench.
The older iPhone 4 being removed from sale is no shock as the handset is now 3 years old and should be out of contract for most Apple fans, but what is odd is that Apple will be keeping the iPhone 4S handset around as a “free” option for users who want the iPhone experience but don’t want to payout for the newest handsets. As such, Apple will be selling the 2 year old iPhone 4S 8GB on contract for free going forward.
See also:Apple iPhone 5S announced with fingerprint sensor, gold option
People questioning the release of the iPhone 5C may need to bear in mind the sheer cost of manufacturing the former flagship handset, the iPhone 5. Part of the reasoning behind the new plastic-based 5C is likely to be so that the company can provide an iPhone 5 experience but with the ability to cut the costs on the manufacturing.
These free contracts currently only apply to the US but we are sure to see the 4S appear on contracts as a free option in the UK and other EU countries in the near future as well.
You can watch the full Apple keynote below: