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Apple Announces Colorful New iPhone 5c, Starting at $99 on Two-Year Contract

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MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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Apple today announced the new lower-priced iPhone 5c, replacing the iPhone 5 in Apple's phone lineup. The new device is available in five different colors -- green, yellow, blue, white, and pink -- in a polycarbonate design. The phone uses the same A6 processor and rear-facing camera as the iPhone 5. Apple posted a new product video, featuring Jony Ive, for the 5c.

iphone5c1.jpg
"iPhone 5c is everything iPhone 5 was and more, in an all-new design packed with great features," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. "iPhone 5c is designed with a beautiful polycarbonate enclosure that looks and feels so solid in your hand."
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The new phone includes some upgraded parts as well, including an improved front-facing FaceTime camera and support for more LTE bands.

The phone is made of what Apple calls a hard-coated polycarbonate, using a steel-reinforced interior that also serves as the antenna. The company also introduced a line of $29 cases that snap onto the back of iPhone 5c and come in pink, yellow, blue, green, white and black.

The iPhone 5c is available for preorder this Friday, September 13 for $99 in 16GB and 32GB for $199 with a two-year contract. It will go on sale Friday, September 20.

Article Link: Apple Announces Colorful New iPhone 5c, Starting at $99 on Two-Year Contract
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2013/09/10/apple-announces-colorful-new-iphone-5c-starting-at-99-on-two-year-contract/
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peteullo

peteullo

macrumors regular
Dec 13, 2009
245
57
Scranton, PA
I think the big mistake here was not offering a free version of this phone. I guess we will soon see if the 4S becomes "free"
 
Greg.

Greg.

macrumors 6502
Sep 12, 2010
404
54
London, UK
Why would anyone buy the 5C over the 5S? - It relies on hooking in myopic credit loving consumers to buy a new phone for a smaller upfront cost, but still being locked in on an expensive 2 year contract. If we assume $75 a month, the difference between the $99 5C and $199 5S, may seem 50% cheaper, but over the 2 years period the 5% saving seems rather small in perspective. Such is the way our economy works today.

Was really hoping to see something like the Nexus 4 pricing, where you can buy one for like $199 with no contract. I'm not sure why the 5C exists otherwise. I struggle to understand the rationale for Apple's chosen strategy - if they had gone for a low cost iPhone I think it could have really taken off in developing markets, but now I can't see it happening.
 
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Eidorian

Eidorian

macrumors Penryn
Mar 23, 2005
29,190
386
Indianapolis
Tankmaze said:
i'm guessing $499...
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That's a guarantee that I'll be picking up a Nexus 4, if they're still in stock, if Apple is going to even consider a price that high.

They really dropped the ball with that contract pricing. They should have shown us what they're capable of without one for the rest of the world. There is one outside of the United States.
 
V

vmistery

macrumors 6502a
Apr 6, 2010
942
688
UK
Wonder how the 5c will impact on iPhone 5 second user prices now the 5 is discontinued, will it get decent ios version support??
 
N

numlock

macrumors 68000
Mar 13, 2006
1,590
88
vmistery said:
Wonder how the 5c will impact on iPhone 5 second user prices now the 5 is discontinued, will it get decent ios version support??
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might depend on how its received but apple can be as greedy and self serving as the come.

and i agree with the comments regarding the prices. apple is not a small company that is just for california or the usa. i for dont give a **** about contract prices. its as anti consumer as it gets
 
A

absurdamerica

macrumors regular
Nov 14, 2011
158
0
peteullo said:
I think the big mistake here was not offering a free version of this phone. I guess we will soon see if the 4S becomes "free"
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It already is free...

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saving107 said:
Did Apple ever state it would be anything different than past years?
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No, but investors were expecting a phone that would be sold at a lower cost attracting more new customers to the brand. I expect the stock to dive unless pricing in China is substantially lower.
 
R

randomguyishere

macrumors regular
Jul 24, 2010
126
2
vmistery said:
Wonder how the 5c will impact on iPhone 5 second user prices now the 5 is discontinued, will it get decent ios version support??
Click to expand...

I sure hope so. They discontinued the iPhone 4, and it's still receiving iOS 7. Granted, not all of iOS 7's features are supported on the iPhone 4.
 
N

numlock

macrumors 68000
Mar 13, 2006
1,590
88
absurdamerica said:
It already is free...

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No, but investors were expecting a phone that would be sold at a lower cost attracting more new customers to the brand. I expect the stock to dive unless pricing in China is substantially lower.
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that would create a huge black market. go globalization go
 
E

Eriden

macrumors regular
Sep 5, 2006
167
15
Eidorian said:
That's a guarantee that I'll be picking up a Nexus 4, if they're still in stock, if Apple is going to even consider a price that high.
Click to expand...

Same here. I'd consider a $349/$399 off contract pricing for the 5C if they offered it, but access to the Apple ecosystem isn't worth the price of admission for me on a new 2 year contract. Not when the cost of a MVNO plan is closer to $1000 over two years versus $2000 over two years for a major carrier.

For all the great iOS apps, I've got my iPad4, and all I really need my phone to do is make phone calls, check emails, and do occasional Internet searches.

Apple continues to cater almost exclusively to the premium market, which is certainly how they've built their brand over the years.
 
Eidorian

Eidorian

macrumors Penryn
Mar 23, 2005
29,190
386
Indianapolis
US$549 for 16 GB and $649 for 32 GB for unlocked and contract free. I've said this before but WHAT market are they targeting with the iPhone 5C that the 5S doesn't already cater to?
 
R

ReValveiT

macrumors regular
Sep 20, 2012
116
0
£469 for a 5c in the UK.

Apple have really been on the crack pipe this time.

Looking forward to that Nexus4.
 
7

7709876

Cancelled
Apr 10, 2012
548
16
5C is just a whole world of fail at that price.

It has launched at flagship handset price. It is also only £80 cheaper than the 5S here in the UK.

Anyone buying the 5C over the 5S is smoking crack
 
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