Rumors of Two iPhone 5 Models Could Satisfy Geeks & Average Joes AlikeRumors of Two iPhone 5 Models Could Satisfy Geeks & Average Joes Alike

A new rumor has surfaced that Apple is working on two models for the iPhone 5 — a "standard" version and a "pro" version — which would give iPhone users a choice on price and features.

Apple may have two iPhone 5 models in the works, according to a fresh report from IDB. Citing anonymous sources from an Apple components supplier, Alex from IDB explains that, "Due to the extensive amount of NDAs our source had to sign to work with Apple, he could not give us very many details. He does believe that Apple is going to build two iPhone models, which he referred to as a 'normal' and a 'pro' version." You can read the entire report here.

We've explained in a recent article that iPhone 5 sightings this summer will need to be taken with a grain of salt, as a result of the recent arrest of two Foxconn employees who leaked specs of the iPad 2 back in 2010 to accessories designers, well ahead of the iPad 2′s release. Given that Apple and its components suppliers are obviously cracking down on leaks like this, some caution needs to taken before accepting anything iPhone5-related as truth.

Of particular concern is this detail from the IDB article, which explains that, "Apple is ordering components of similar function, but some of them are the very best of what you can get right now. While the rest of the ordered components are just the standard versions, Apple is also ordering better quality components of the same function. Our source says that both types of components wouldn't go in one device together, which makes him believe Apple is up to something with a 'pro' version."

Apple is not known for producing products of differing quality; all of their devices boast high quality standards. This is precisely why Steve Jobs has famously poo-poo'ed the idea of a cheap, Apple-branded netbook: the idea of a netbook — which is generally seen as a small, value-priced notebook computer, meant primarily for surfing the 'net — has yet to gel with Apple's quality-focused company profile. Because of this, it is hard to believe that "normal" and "pro" versions of the iPhone 5 — separated only by the quality of their components — would be something that Apple would sign off on.

Why Two Versions of the iPhone 5 Could Work

For as much as this rumor may seem sketchy at best, the concept of two iPhone 5 models is not a bad idea for Apple in theory. Just last year, Apple managed to become a market leader in the tablet PC sector with the iPad by doing something that they have never managed to do before: offer the best-priced product. While the Galaxy Tab and Xoom are comparable tablets in performance and features, the iPad 2 continues to lead the way in the tablet market mainly on price.

With this in mind, why couldn't Apple do the same with a value-priced iPhone 5, designed for the "average Joe" user?

We often talk about how the iPhone constituency is comprised of both geeks and average Joe users, with some being attracted to the iPhone for its features and processing power, while others simply desire to be seen (and heard) with the iPhone in their hands. A more stripped-down iPhone 5, offered at a price point that is decidedly lower than typical iPhone and Android prices, could establish the iPhone as a price leader in the smartphone market, making it affordable for virtually anyone to own one.

On the other hand, a "pro" version of the iPhone 5 could offer superior power and performance, such as the A5 chip, a better battery, 8 megapixel camera, or some other groundbreaking feature that would justify a higher price point for the geeky users out there who will settle for nothing less for the best.

These two versions of the iPhone 5 would not be separated by quality, but rather by performance. And it wouldn't be unprecedented for Apple to do this, either. After all, Apple offers both the MacBook and MacBook Pro, the iMac and the PowerMac, and all of the different iPod models. The iPhone is really the only product that Apple has not offered in multiple performance models.

Two iPhone 5s + Two iPhone 4s = Too Many iPhones at Once?

The only problem with the above-mentioned idea is that it may put too many iPhone models into play at once, quickly making the purchase of an iPhone very complex. Given the fact that Apple now likes to keep offering the older iteration of the iPhone alongside the newest version, we can assume that the white and black iPhone 4s will continue to be offered once the iPhone 5 launches. Most likely, the iPhone 4 will become the "value priced" model, which would make a value-priced iPhone 5 a "middle-priced" iPhone — kind of like the "plus" grade of gasoline at the gas station that nobody ever buys.

If Apple intends to continue to offer the iPhone 4 throughout the rest of 2011 into 2012 — and they probably do, considering that the white iPhone 4 was just released — then two iPhone 5 models would be a harder sell to iPhone users.

Postscript: Does This New Rumor Worry You?

Going back to the original rumor from IDB, there is something concerning about it: if the rumor is indeed true, and yet only one iPhone 5 model ends up being released in late summer or early fall — why are two quality levels of components being manufactured? Could it be that Apple is looking to cut corners on cost with the iPhone 5 in a bid to make it more price-competitive?

I don't know about you, but I hope I'm lucky enough to buy an iPhone5 with the "pro-quality" components.