A Cheaper iPhone 5S May Be Coming Next Week

Apple may introduce a cheaper version of its flagship smartphone at its annual developers conference next week.

In a research note, well-connected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo wrote that the company will unveil an 8GB variant of the iPhone 5S at WWDC, Apple Insider reports.

Apple currently offers the iPhone 5S in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB storage capacities, which fall in the $199-$399 price range.

If Apple does decide to launch an 8GB version of the 5s, it will probably cost around $40-$50 less than the 16GB edition.

It's very possible that Apple will follow the same launch pattern as it did with the 8GB iPhone 5C in targeting international markets.

The 8GB iPhone 5C has been available in the UK, Australia and China since the end of March, but has yet to hit the US Apple Store.

Kuo notes that since the change is so minor, Apple could hold off on announcing an 8GB iPhone 5S at WWDC.

Kuo also predicts that a less-expensive iMac could debut at WWDC, but didn't mention any specific price points.

Other Apple critics are skeptical of Kuo's predictions. Jim Dalrymple, an editor at Apple news blog The Loop who has previously worked at Macworld and MacCentral, doesn't think these projections are correct.

WWDC kicks off next week on June 2, and Apple is likely to introduce iOS 8 and OS X 10.10 - its next big software updates for its line of iPhone, iPad, and Mac products.