Before Apple revealed its two new iPhones, there were rumors that one of the devices would be the cheaper or more affordable version.  When Apple finally revealed the iPhone 5c, it was indeed priced cheaply – on contract.  In reality, it still costs $549 for the 16GB version without a contract.

Looking at the iPhone 5c — it’s just the old iPhone 5 placed in a plastic case.  So is paying $549 reasonable?  I think not.  Yes it is cheaper with contract, but if you’re already an iPhone 5 owner, would you really exchange that for a newer iPhone 5c just because of the colored plastic casing?  You could achieve the same look for a less money by buying a hard plastic case.

Back in August, Asymco, a company that focuses on Apple’s business strategies and offers its predictions for the mobile industry, predicted that the iPhone 5c will be priced somewhere between $450-$500, and the 5s in the $650-$700 range.  And they were right.  Though number for the 5s off contract hasn’t been revealed, it seems Aymco predicted it correctly.

When will Apple offer a true, low-end iPhone?

Asymco believes that Apple has finally realized that one device isn’t going to fit everyone’s needs.  First, because of the price, second, people love options and not everyone needs a top-of-the-line smartphone. Thirdly, Apple needs a way to appeal to emerging markets, which seems to be the trend for leading smartphone manufacturers. Apple’s most notable rival Samsung offers high-end devices but also offers mid-range devices that provide almost the same experience as the high-end model, except cheaper.

Apple’s move is presented as providing both a “good enough” version and a “more than good enough” version with the launch of the 5c and 5s, now able to offer a high-end and a mid-range offering.  But when will Apple finally offer a true, low-end version?

“If the good enough alternative is being “pinned” by Apple as the mid-range, it also begs the question of why there isn’t a specific “low end” version. It took six years for Apple to fork the product into two variants. Maybe it will take another year for it to stretch to a third,’ Horace Dediu of Asymco stated.

It could take years, or may not happen at all, as, if you have noticed, Apple doesn’t scrap older iPhone models.  They simply offer old models at a cheaper price, or free with carrier contracts.  This could mean Apple doesn’t see the need to ever release a low-end iPhone.

Dediu also noted that delivering two iPhones, one mid- and another high-end, may be the new trend for Apple and that in the next years.  iPhones could then be priced at $600 or lower as the years progress.