How the new iPhone actually helps Hollywood

The new iPhone 5S will make headlines this fall for its better camera, longer-lasting battery and flashy fingerprint-sensing lock. But another device Apple is expected to introduce at a Sept. 10 event could have a much greater effect on Hollywood.

Meet the budget iPhone, nicknamed “the 5C” (as in “color”) by Apple watchers for what likely will feature multicolored plastic backs. The device is expected to debut with specifications close to those of the iPhone 5 but will sell for less than $500 (some analysts think it could be priced as low as $349). An iPhone now starts at $649 without a service contract, so a cheaper option would be Apple’s first phone intended for the masses — a truly global product aimed at such countries as China and India, where consumers pay full price to buy phones “off contract” (as opposed to the dominant model in the U.S., where cost is subsidized by service carriers).