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Reuters Also Confirms Gold iPhone, Speculates on Potential China Popularity

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MacRumors

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Reuters has added to the long list of confirmations and claims that Apple will introduce a gold variant of iPhone with its next device - the iPhone 5S. The report cites supply chain sources in Taiwan for the information.

This follows a research note last week in which KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo stated that Apple would offer an iPhone in a gold casing in addition to the more traditional black and white. TechCrunch's MG Siegler followed up with his own claims and AllThingsD and 9to5Mac soon followed.
gold_iphone_5s_other_mockup.jpg
Gold iPhone 5S mockup. (Source: iMore)Siegler speculated that a gold iPhone could be an effort to upsell customers in emerging markets like India and China, where gold is popular, where the low-cost iPhone 5C is expected to be a significant device. Reuters interviewed Jerry Zou, Senior VP and Partner at public relations firm FleishmanHillard in Beijing, whether a gold device would appeal to Chinese customers.
Commercially it makes sense, said Jerry Zou, Senior VP and Partner at FleishmanHillard, a public relations firm in Beijing. New colors would add "novelty and variety, both of which are key to winning over fickle Chinese consumers.
Click to expand...
Zou went on to say that a champagne or gold color would be able to portray a luxury or high-end image that was also more restrained and subtle. Most of the customers Reuters interviewed at Apple's Xidan store, however, weren't sold on the idea of a gold iPhone, and consumers in India were "just as skeptical."

Reuters also spoke to Brandon Edwards, a Shanghai-based product designer who believes that a gold iPhone may only add cultural relevance for Apple's existing customers in the country rather than attract new ones who are using other smartphone brands.

Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 5S at an event on September 10, with a fingerprint sensor and perhaps a new 128 GB maximum storage capacity being other significant additions besides the new gold color option.

Article Link: Reuters Also Confirms Gold iPhone, Speculates on Potential China Popularity
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2013/08/22/reuters-also-confirms-gold-iphone-speculates-on-potential-china-popularity/
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sclawis300

macrumors 65816
Apr 22, 2010
1,472
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Has anyone actually seen anything other than the buttons for this? lets see a picture of the back already. and I don't mean the one with the apple logo blurred out. I have a hard time believing the authenticity of that pic.
 
C

c1phers

macrumors regular
Oct 27, 2011
208
39
sclawis300 said:
Has anyone actually seen anything other than the buttons for this? lets see a picture of the back already. and I don't mean the one with the apple logo blurred out. I have a hard time believing the authenticity of that pic.
Click to expand...

It says in the pic, quick and dirty mockup... meaning its just a render based on speculation....
 
crackbookpro

crackbookpro

macrumors 65816
Feb 25, 2009
1,096
0
Om nom nom nom
The Gold and Rose will be for women and the international market in my opinion. This is the consumer stance, but Apple's business stance perceives the Gold &/or Rose to harness production differentiation of marketing a superior or inferior product in a product lineup.

These 2 colors along with silver have different meanings of quality in different cultures. I just see the color being introduced to give more of an option for the 5S if the 5C had color options - Apple wants to create product differentiation while not hindering any potential sale to the new high-end iPhone 5S.
 
chimpboy74

chimpboy74

macrumors 6502a
Nov 12, 2007
554
2
Scotland
I'm more excited about the 5c. Wether I get one depends on price, features etc but I haven't heard anything about the S that has excited me.
 
BvizioN

BvizioN

macrumors 603
Mar 16, 2012
5,701
4,819
Manchester, UK
I I had to list the top words I have read mostly on 2013 here in this forum it would be.....

1- Mac Pro
2- Flat Design
3- Steve wouldn't...
4-iPad mini Retina
5- Safari feels snapier...

Andf recently the gold iPhone and China are making the way into this list.
 
S

Serban

Suspended
Jan 8, 2013
5,159
928
So this colour will be available like the other 2 in every country ? Or will be only for some in limited supplies ?
 
A

Abobrek

macrumors regular
Aug 15, 2012
231
393
image.jpg

This is the champagne 5S compared to both white and black iPhone 5 models.
This image originally appears on 9to5Mac.com along with other photos.
 
NightFox

NightFox

macrumors 68040
May 10, 2005
3,239
4,486
Shropshire, UK
The 128GB rumour seems to also be gaining momentum, but unlike lots of the other leaks (such as the gold case, fingerprint reader and 5C), I'm not sure where the 128GB rumour even started - or was it just wishful thinking that's gathered pace along with the other rumours?

So is there any good substance behind the 128GB thing, have any of the 'good' analysts or in-the-know commenters mentioned this?

After what so many have said about the gold iPhone, it would be an interesting dilemma if the 128GB was only available in gold :cool:
 
H

hydr

macrumors regular
Feb 25, 2009
226
95
Love how all the commentators are speculating about increased sales based on the notion that people would actually buy solely based on color. Hilarious!

Sure gold is popular in Asia, but come on.
 
ValSalva

ValSalva

macrumors 68040
Jun 26, 2009
3,783
259
Burpelson AFB
If only the chamfers and the back is gold then my case would hide most of it. I'd only see it through the camera and mute holes.

Seems like most people get cases for their phones. Maybe the gold should have been on the front plates. Not my concern though. I'm not ever getting a gold one :eek:
 
Rogifan

Rogifan

macrumors Penryn
Nov 14, 2011
24,124
31,156
Wow some deep reporting there by Reuters. :rolleyes:

Lets see, every day when I'm driving down the road in middle America I see champagne colored vehicles. And the drivers are not Asian.
 
bacaramac

bacaramac

macrumors 65816
Dec 29, 2007
1,424
100
To me it seems that a rose colored silver phone would be way more popular with women than a gold one. I think adding a hint of pink to the white/silver model would look classy and appeal to a larger audience.

Hoping if it is gold, it stays in those markets where they like gold. To me it's like yellow gold jewelry, it has gone out of style. Just my thoughts.
 
Plutonius

Plutonius

macrumors G3
Feb 22, 2003
9,032
8,404
New Hampshire, USA
MacRumors said:
Most of the customers Reuters interviewed at Apple's Xidan store, however, weren't sold on the idea of a gold iPhone, and consumers in India were "just as skeptical."
Click to expand...

You tell people it's a gold colored phone, and they say they don't like it. You show people pictures of a champaign colored phone, and most people like / love it. I wish all these news articles would describe it as champaign colored since champaign colored is not the same as gold colored.

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chimpboy74 said:
I'm more excited about the 5c. Wether I get one depends on price, features etc but I haven't heard anything about the S that has excited me.
Click to expand...

Nobody knows yet where the 5C will be sold. It will probably be available but it was designed for emerging markets. I believe also that it will only be sold with 16GB while the 5S will be sold with 32 / 64 / 128 GB.
 
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