Cook says - HomeNews by technologyPhone and communicationsMobile phonesApple looking to make iPhone 'more affordable', says Cook Apple looking to make iPhone 'more affordable

Apple's CEO today broached the thorny topic of whether the company will make a cheaper iPhone.

Rumours have hit fever pitch over the past months pointing to a cheap phone coming out of Cupertino in the near future.

Speaking at the Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet conference today, Tim Cook didn't let much slip but definitely didn't deny that a cheaper iPhone was in the works.

Cooking with gas

"We are making moves to make things more affordable," Cook said when asked about cheaper iPhones.

"When we came out with iPod it was $399, today you can buy an iPod Shuffle for $49. Instead of saying how can we cheapen this iPod to get it lower, we said how can we do a great product, and we were able to do that. The same thing, but in a different concept, in some ways."

Likewise, on the 'lower-cost' Mac front, "We concluded we couldn't do a great product, but what did we do - we invented iPad. Now all of a sudden we have an incredible experience and it starts at $329. Sometimes you can take the issue and you can solve it in different ways."

So a cheap iPhone, in its current form, could be deemed unlikely - but a completely new product that incorporates bits of the iPhone, like, say, a watch, could be a possibility.

Is the also-much-rumoured iWatch actually the budget iPhone? Watch this space.