iPhone 3GS Not to Become the Cheap iPhone 5 As Rumored by Some?

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Certain retailers are trying to get rid of their remaining iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 stock in view of the arrival of the next-gen Apple smartphone. On the other hand, some rumors out there saying that the iPhone 3GS will be kept in Apple’s lineup even after the launch of the fifth-generation iPhone to act as the cheaper handset ready to be pitched by Cupertino and its carrier partners to pre-pay customers.

The clear intention in such a case would be to steer said customers away of any affordable Android device the may end up buying, but will the iPhone 3GS really be kept on by Apple, or will it be discontinued? According to certain reports, iPhone 3GS inventory is getting lower and lower with certain retailers not getting any more iPhone 3GS shipments; so the obvious conclusion is that Apple is ready to retire this “old timer”.

The iPhone 3GS was launched in the summer of 2009, and Apple sold millions of units since. Currently it sells for $49, the 8GB version, in the USA, when bundled with a new two-year contract, as it plays the sidekick role in relation with the newer iPhone 4 model. The iPhone 3GS will support iOS 5 when the new firmware gets released in the fall, but the smartphone’s resources may, in time, prove unworthy of future iOS updates. So we wouldn’t be surprised to see Apple discontinue the device this year instead of prolonging its life by at least one more product cycle.

Some of the affordable Android devices out there are already beating the iPhone 3GS when it comes to certain specs and features, so Apple may want to come up with an entirely new iPhone version meant to become the entry-level Apple smartphone certain customers expect. Not to mention that customers may be a lot more excited to buy a new low-end iPhone 4S model than an old, unchanged, iPhone 3GS. After all, those low- to mid-level Android handsets available with any carrier in the world aren’t made in 2009. Just look at this year’s Triumph, a more than worthy Android device sold only with pre-pay contracts.

Let’s hear it from you, future iPhone 4S/5 buyers, what model would you buy, a cheaper iPhone 4S or the high-end iPhone 5? Or would you rather get the iPhone 3GS with a pre-pay plan?