Wednesday Apple Rumors: iPhone 4 Back in Production for Some Markets

by Christopher Freeburn | February 5, 2014 12:31 pm

[1]Here are your Apple rumors[2] and AAPL news items for today:

Resurrection: Sources tell The Economic Times that Apple (AAPL[3]) has reversed course on its decision to discontinue the iPhone 4[4]. Production of the older handset has been restarted for distribution in just three counties: India, Brazil and Indonesia. The iPhone 4 was launched in June 2010 and production was halted last year after Apple launched the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c in September. Sliding Apple sales in India may have been a major factor in the revival of the iPhone 4, which had proven a hit among Indian consumers due to its low price. More recent iPhone models are too costly for most consumers in emerging markets like Brazil and India, where Apple has struggled to compete with cheap Android smartphones made by rivals like Samsung. New batches of iPhone 4 units have reached Indian vendors over the past two weeks.

Opposition: On Tuesday, Apple continued its battle in federal court to stop an external monitor from overseeing its e-book operations[5], Reuters notes. Michael Bromwich was tapped to monitor Apple’s e-book business after a U.S. District Court judge found the company guilty of conspiring with five publishers to fix the prices of e-books sold through its iBookstore. Apple has previously attempted to get rid of the external monitor, but the judge has rejected its arguments so far. Apple is now asking 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York to halt the monitor’s activities while the iPad-maker appeals the imposition of the monitor in the first place. The U.S. Department of Justice contends that the monitor is necessary to police Apple’s compliance with anti-trust law. Apple says the monitor would damage its operations. The monitor’s work is currently on hold while the appeals court considers Apple’s request.

More Litigation: A German company is suing Apple for more than $2 billion over allegations that the iPhone-maker is infringing on one of its cellular technology patents[6], the Wall Street Journal notes. The lawsuit involved a emergency call priority patent that IPCom GmbH acquired from another company in 2007. A number of tech companies, including Apple, Nokia (NOK[7]), Vodafone (VOD[8]) and HTC had tried to have the patent declared invalid by the European Patent Office, but those efforts failed. IPCom is now suing other technology companies over the patent. IPCom is a patent holding company.

For more about the company, check out our previous Apple Rumors[9] stories.

Source URL: https://investorplace.com/2014/02/wednesday-apple-rumors-iphone-4-back-production-markets/

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