There is a seemingly endless list of launch date expectations for the iPhone 6, so some are now questioning whether the iPhone 5S is even worth buying if the iPhone 6 will be released just months later.
The key here is going to be the exact timing of the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 6—and also the price tag each of these devices carries.
iPhone 6 Rumors
Some say we will see the iPhone 6 next week at Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s WWDC conference, although most agree that the device won’t be out until much later, possibly by the end of this year. Most analysts believe the iPhone 6 won’t be out until next summer, although some have said we could see it early next year.
Apple’s iPhone Trade-In Program
On Thursday it was announced that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) was beginning an iPhone trade-in program to help boost sales of the iPhone 5. Apple reportedly partnered with Brightstar Corporation to handle the exchanges. It enables iPhone users in the U.S. to upgrade to the iPhone 5 by trading in their current iPhone.
If we see the iPhone 6 or 5S soon, theoretically this program could be extended to iPhone 5S or iPhone 6 upgrades. At this point it’s expected that iPhone users will receive no more than $200 for their iPhone 4 or 4S. That’s the max AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) will pay out for one of the older models. Brightstar already handles the iPhone trade-in program for AT&T, so it would make sense that Apple’s own program would be similar.
If The iPhone 6 Comes Out Soon, Is The 5S Worth A Buy?
Auto-oMobile author Dwayne Madden questions whether the iPhone 5S will even have iOS 7, the latest Apple operating system, loaded on it if and when it does ship this year. He believes it’s possible that the iPhone 6 will be the first model with the new operating system, and if so, then Apple fans might not even find it worth their time to buy the iPhone 5S—especially if it will be a matter of months before we see the iPhone 6.
But with all the speculation about there being a low-cost model of the iPhone released along with the iPhone 6, it may be worth it for some consumers who are looking for a less expensive model to go with the 5S rather than the iPhone 6. This would then, in a sense, create a less expensive model for Apple, assuming that the price tag of the 5S is significantly lower than that of the iPhone 6.
And so the iPhone 6 speculation continues…