iPhone 4 production reportedly resurrected for 3 markets
The discontinued handset returns to manufacturing for sales in India, Indonesia, and Brazil, according to the Economic Times.
Apple has reportedly resumed production of the discontinued iPhone 4, but only for three countries.
The smartphone, which was retired last September, has gone back into production for customers in India, Indonesia, and Brazil, according to an Economic Times report. Citing three unidentified senior executives, the report said the move is aimed at recouping market share lost to Samsung in countries where Apple did not have budget-conscious handsets.
Recent iPhone 4 shipments in India bear December manufacture dates, according to the report, which noted that this is the first time that Apple has resurrected production of a discontinued handset.
CNET has contacted Apple for comment and will update this report when we learn more.
The iPhone 4 was discontinued with the release of the iPhone 5S and 5C last year. However, the 5S starts at the high price of 53,500 rupees ($870), and Apple offers no phone in the sub-30,000 rupee category, according to The Times. The iPhone 5C, which starts at nearly 37,000 rupees, has failed to generate much demand.
The Economic Times reported last month that Apple was getting ready to relaunch the 8GB iPhone 4 in India for 15,000 rupees, down from its original price of 26,500 rupees. The move highlights the importance of the India market, where Apple has lost market share to Samsung.
Samsung dominates the India smartphone market, capturing 33 percent in the third quarter of 2013, according to researcher IDC. Apple's portion of the market didn't crack IDC's list of top 5 vendors, the lowest of which came in at 4.7 percent, IDC reported.