Apple has unveiled a cheaper, smaller version of the iPhone 5C smartphone and brought the fourth-generation iPad back from the dead.
As of Tuesday morning, the 8 GB edition was only available in European Apple Stores, but Apple is expected to introduce the smaller iPhone 5C in its United States stores later Tuesday.
In England, the 8 GB version was selling for £429, ($711), slightly cheaper than the 16 GB version, which sells for £469, or $778. Customers in England are unable to purchase a subsidized iPhone from Apple.
The 16 GB iPhone 5C sells for $100 with a two-year contract in the U.S. An unsubsidized 16 GB iPhone 5C purchased directly sells for $549.
Apple also sells an 8 GB version of the two-year old iPhone 4S in the U.S. for free with a new two-year contract.
Many analysts had expected the iPhone 5C to be a low-cost smartphone aimed at the Chinese market. In fact, its price was consistent with previous "last-generation" smartphones that Apple has sold, and its plastic shell was designed to help Apple improve its declining profit margins. But the higher-than-expected price has scared off many potential Chinese customers.
Related: Apple Stores now fixing cracked iPhone 5C screens
Still, it's unclear just how much demand Apple can muster up for a smartphone that hasn't proven particularly popular at any price point. In an attempt to clear out inventory, Wal-Mart (WMT, Fortune 500) recently slashed the 16 GB iPhone 5C price to just $27 with a new two-year contract.
Also on Tuesday, Apple brought back the fourth-generation iPad with Retina display, a tablet that was replaced by the thinner iPad Air in October. While bringing back the fourth-generation iPad, Apple finally stopped selling the iPad 2 -- a tablet that has been on the market since 2011.
The fourth-gen iPad will only be available with 16 GB of storage, but it will start at $399 -- the same price for which Apple was selling the less-capable iPad 2.
Source:CNN
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