A series of images of what are claimed to be a prototype lower-cost iPhone 4 have been posted to Vietnamese site Tinhte.vn. The images are said to come from a "very reliable source" and are said to represent a lower-cost version of the iPhone 4. Machine translation describes an iPhone 4 but using plastic instead of glass to lower costs:
Some other information that you want to transfer to you is that this machine seems to run faster than the iPhone 4, lighter weight and two glass front and back seem to have been replaced by two plastic sheets, type of sensation and cry other than the iPhone 4.
There has been speculation about the possibility of two new iPhone models this year, including a cheaper model alongside the iPhone 5. The role of the cheaper model would be to penetrate the mid range smartphone market with another device. The existing iPhone 4 may be too expensive to produce as is to fill this gap.
Update: Some have suggested that the device is simply a regular jailbroken iPhone 4 with either matte protection films on the front and back or an early conversion kit utilizing plastic parts to turn black iPhone 4 units into white ones. While either of these explanations may be true, the original poster seems to believe that the device is genuine, and his track record of having obtained access to an iPhone 4 prototype ahead of the device's introduction as well as other prototype iOS devices adds weight to his claims.
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...
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...
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...
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...
It's a normal iPhone with a matte screen protector, you can even see the edges around the home button and back corner. It's an older model with the different sensor sure, but nothing that isn't in the hands of the general public.
really? this is an iPhone 4 with non-authentic (or not final) white glass, with matte front back/protectors... running cydia. i can't believe this is on macrumors.
Switching from glass to plastic (or modifying anything else cosmetic) would have a negligible effect on the cost. The most expensive components are the capacitive touch screen, the LCD display, and the main silicon (SoC and NAND flash). Those are the things that would need to be altered to trim costs.
