Speculation regarding the release of a smaller, less expensive
iPhone has died down following reports in the US, which claim that
Apple is too busy working on the
iPhone 5 to develop a mini version of the iconic handset.
A report in the New York Times poured cold water on the iPhone
Nano rumours, citing a source who said that making the
phone smaller would not necessarily make it less expensive to develop.
Smaller components are not always cheaper than larger ones, and it also takes more engineering work to cram parts into a smaller chassis, meaning a smaller device could take longer to develop, thus increasing costs.
The paper’s anonymous source added that
apps would also have to be redeveloped to work on a smaller screen.