An interview with Apple’s (AAPL) senior vice president of marketing Phil Schiller conducted by Chinese-language Shanghai Evening News made waves on Thursday when it seemed to suggest earlier reports about a cheap iPhone were inaccurate. The executive reportedly said cheap smartphones will “never be the future of Apple products,” leading many to question earlier claims from The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Digitimes and others suggesting a lower-end iPhone will launch in 2013. The Shanghai Evening News interview has since been updated, however, prompting Reuters to withdraw its earlier report on the matter. The full extent of the updates is unclear and the original article remains posted on the Shanghai Evening News website.

Zach Epstein has worked in and around ICT for more than 15 years, first in marketing and business development with two private telcos, then as a writer and editor covering business news, consumer electronics and telecommunications. Zach’s work has been quoted by countless top news publications in the US and around the world. He was also recently named one of the world's top-10 “power mobile influencers” by Forbes, as well as one of Inc. Magazine's top-30 Internet of Things experts.