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Next iPhone to cost the same as last iPhone, report says

If you were hoping for Apple to drop the price of its next smartphone, you may be out of luck according to a new report.

Josh Lowensohn Former Senior Writer
Josh Lowensohn joined CNET in 2006 and now covers Apple. Before that, Josh wrote about everything from new Web start-ups, to remote-controlled robots that watch your house. Prior to joining CNET, Josh covered breaking video game news, as well as reviewing game software. His current console favorite is the Xbox 360.
Josh Lowensohn
2 min read
iPhone 4's lined up at an Apple store when the product launched in 2010.
iPhone 4s lined up at an Apple store when the product launched in 2010. Josh Lowensohn/CNET

Those hoping for a cheaper iPhone -- or dreading the possibility of a price hike -- can stand down, according to a new report that claims Apple will stick to its tried and true pricing structure.

In a report today, 9to5Mac posts a "parts code matrix" for the upcoming handset that sports the same $199 to $399 prices that have been in place since the iPhone 4S last year. The outlet says these prices and storage capacities will stay the same in the jump to the next iPhone, which is dubbed the N42.

The cost of a carrier-subsidized iPhone 4S has gone down a bit since its release. Retailers, most notably Target, trimmed the price by $25 back in March. Sprint upped the ante last month, cutting the price by $50 at first, then doubling that to a $100 gift card a few weeks later. Apple itself was also rumored to be matching prices with Sprint and any other carrier partners at its own retail stores.

The pricing rumor comes at a time when Apple's competitors have become more aggressive with the pricing of their flagship smartphones. That includes Motorola, which this week debuted a high-end $99 Android-based smartphone that buyers can get for free under certain circumstances. There's also Nokia's Lumia 900, which debuted at $100, a price Nokia halved to $50 in mid-July.

Apple is expected to unveil its latest iPhone at its September 12 news event next week. The company sent out invites to press earlier this week.