Low Budget iPhone Suggested By New Apple Patent
A very interesting patent from Apple was discovered yesterday. The patent might offer a solution for a low budget iPhone aimed at emergent markets such as India. The patent details a way that would allow people from emergent markets to cover the cost of an iPhone’s data plan by way of viewing ads. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office published the patent called ‘Method and system for managing credits via a mobile device’.
The method described in the patent is very similar to how to Apple Passbook feature stores coupons and tickets, but it applies to the concept of digital wallet. The idea is that smartphones will receive credits, on a pre paid or on a post paid schedule. Those users that opt for a post paid schedule, can pay for the service automatically via their smartphone’s digital wallet. It seems that an interesting option described in the patent is that an iPhone owner can receive ‘tokens’ by watching ads and these ‘tokens’ can later be used to lower the cost of the iPhone service. Different companies can also release coupons and vouchers that can be sent directly to the user’s iPhone. Besides reducing the cost of the data plan, these coupons and vouchers could also be used to buy ‘real’ items at a retail store’s Point of Sale.
Such a solution might be a very good idea in emergent markets like India, China, Brazil and Africa; in these markets, there are many people that would like to get an iPhone but cannot afford it ot the required data plan. This patent provides a solution for such markets. An implication of this patent is a low budget iPhone, which have been rumored for quite some time. A cheaper iPhone aimed at people from these emergent markets might help Apple gain some popularity in these low and medium budget markets, where cheap Android devices are already very popular.
Apple is already trying to penetrate India, a very attractive emergent market, offering solutions to discount the price of an iPhone. One such solution involves allowing people a period of one year to pay for the device. One important aspect to note in these emergent markets is that carriers to not offer the iPhone at a reduce cost and that makes many people think twice before buying an Apple smartphone, as medium wage is not very high in these markets and a full price iPhone is too expensive for many of these people.
This concept of digital wallet is seen as a way to encourage people to own an iPhone thanks to reduced or free smartphone service, as seen in the patent application: “Other techniques to provide subsidized or free telephone services to the users are also envisioned. For subsidized telephone services, the users may be responsible for a portion of their usage and thus they would be interested in eliminating unnecessary use of such telephone services“.
We find the fact that the patent was first filed five years ago in the United Kingdom, very interesting. After that, it was closed and transferred to Apple. The two inventors are from Finland and work for a Finnish management company named CVON Innovations. This is not the only patent that the CVON Innovations company has transferred to Apple; another patent, regarding an advertisement delivery system for smartphones and similar devices.
Would you be interested in an ad supported low budget iPhone? We are interested in your opinion so leave your comments in the dedicated section below the article.
