Photo

Hideyuki Togashi, 39, shows off Apple's iPhone 5 after he bought at a store in Tokyo Friday morning, Sept. 21, 2012. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

Regular Photo Size

More Featured Content

Ga. man suspected of deodorant thefts

Police say a shoplifter in metro Atlanta had particularly …

Happy Hour | Sunshine Sangria

Whether you are gathering a small group for weekend or throwing…

Travel: Top 10 beaches in the US

This may be hard to believe in the aftermath of Superstorm …

Photos: I-5 bridge collapses in Wash.

An Interstate 5 bridge over a river collapsed north of Seattle,…

A week of top AP photos

This gallery contains photos published May 16-23, 2013.

Report: Apple may build less expensive iPhone

WSJ: Could come out as early as this year

Updated: Wednesday, 09 Jan 2013, 2:10 PM EST
Published : Wednesday, 09 Jan 2013, 2:10 PM EST

NEW YORK (AP) — A published report says Apple may introduce a cheaper iPhone in an effort to reclaim some of the sales that the company has been losing to less expensive handsets running on Google's Android software.

Wednesday's story in The Wall Street Journal speculates that Apple could lower the iPhone's price by equipping the device with an exterior that costs less the aluminum housing on current models.

The cheaper iPhone could come out as early as this year, or the idea could be scrapped, as has previously happened. The Journal cites unnamed people briefed on the matter.

Apple Inc., which is based in Cupertino, Calif., declined to comment.

Prices for the latest iPhones without a wireless contract currently start at $649. Apple, though, already sells older models at discounts