Called it!

Back in March, there were rumors that Apple was going to produce a "low-cost" iPhone for low-income

markets. 

Obviously, there was a lot of consternation about that - people wondered why Apple would ever produce an intentionally "worse" product, and why they wouldn't just sell the iPhone 5 for a bit less, the way they did with the iPhone 3G and 3GS and 4 and 4S? 

Well, except here... AAAD CALLED IT.  (Please indulge me a little bit...)

I figured that the iPhone LC was just going to be called the "new iPhone 5" - which was wrong. 

"...the current iPhone 5 will disappear from stores entirely."

 Called it. 

"This will mark a departure from the current iPhone product lifecycle, in which a phone starts out at $199, while prior year's model (currently, the 4S) moves to $99 on contract, and the model from 2 generations prior (currently, the iPhone 4) becomes free with contract." 

 Same prediction, but still. 

"The new iPhone 5 will be... available for, say, $300-350 off-contract. AND, it's going to be available in a wide spectrum of colors!" 

Guessed too low by $100. It's about $450 off-contract. 

"The iPhone 5S will use the existing iPhone 5 exterior, with a spec bump for the internals.

The "New iPhone 5" will use most of the existing iPhone 5 components, with a newly designed (and substantially cheaper, and maybe a little bit bigger) colored plastic exterior." 

That's the prediction that I think wound up being the most accurate - every bit of the existing iPhone 5 remains in use, but the exterior becomes the 5S, while the interior becomes the C.

I also suggested a fingerprint sensor will be the differentiator for the 5S, but that was offered as a question in a series of hypos, so I can't take credit for being right there. 

Anyway, Happy Keynote Day, AAAD!