MSNBC put the spotlight on a new report by RBC Capital Markets analyst Mike Abramsky, who believes that an entry-level $99 iPhone will arrive in June or July alongside an upgraded (higher screen resolution) iPhone 3G.
The report echos many similar analyst reports over the past year that have also pointed to the possibility of an entry-level $99 iPhone. The analyst even published this detailed chart about what he believes the breakdown might be (republished by AppleInsider):
The $99 entry-level iPhone looks remarkably like the original iPhone with an EDGE-only network connection but a discounted monthly plan. The upgraded iPhone 3G, however, seems to only add video, storage and a higher resolution screen to the mix. The report looks like a rehash of circulating rumors and speculation. And in the end, analyst reports as a whole have been a poor predictor of future Apple products, but we published this for interest's sake.
The possibility of a low-end $99 iPhone was brought into doubt by Apple's acting-CEO Tim Cook, who said that Apple was simply not interested in that market:
We're not going to play in the low-end voice phone business. That's not who we are, that's not why we're here. Goal is not to lead unit sales, but to build the world's best phone.
The next-generation iPhone, however, is certainly in the works as evidenced by model strings found in the latest iPhone firmware.
One interesting note is that the possibility of an increased resolution (720x480) iPhone might be less of a problem for app compatibility than rumored plans for a smaller Nano screen. While developers may still have to issue new versions of their apps, scaling to a higher resolution would presumably be easier than the other way around. Meanwhile, the 720x480 resolution has been said to be planned for Apple's long-rumored mini-tablet/PDA project.
Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld.
The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld.
Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026.
"I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by Juli Clover
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do.
The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up.
Upgraded Architecture
The next-generation...
Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie.
"Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by Joe Rossignol
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April.
Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far.
iOS 26.3
iPhone to Android Transfer Tool
iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
