- Early speculators estimate iPhone 5 will be cheaper than previous model As the iPhone 5's inevitable launch date in late September or October draws ever closer, speculators have begun to estimate the device's cost. An image posted on 9to5Mac and sourced from Bloomberg breaks down the iPhone 5's individual component costs and estimates that the device may retail at $620 for a 16GB, slightly less than $649 for the current iPhone 4 16GB model in the US.