Foxconn's Zhengzhou Factory to Reportedly Cease Production of iPhone 5c

[giantfan1224]

And why it's always become a sensitive topic for you?
Everytime some negative news about 5C you always come and try so hard to save the day? What's the deal here exactly?

Even your signature says it all?

Point is Apple has surplus 5C stocks in stores they have to cease productions.
So the choice here is simple; Apple ordered too many, or the demand is too low.
Either way it doesn't look good.

Too much is made of these types of articles. So 8-9000 produced at Foxconn have be ceased. They're still making 80,000 per day at Pegatron. I do believe that these are not selling as well as Apple thought they would but I also don't believe that it's the epic failure a lot of the Apple haters so desperately hope it to be.

 

[Tknull]

As have the prior year flagship phones in years past. At the same price point as the 5c. So yeah, as I posted above and others pointed out, the bright plastic back is a visual tell that someone bought the cheaper model. In years past, that fact wasn't so obvious. Or as others have pointed out, maybe its the color choice that turns people off.

I don't disagree with what you are saying. I suppose I'm just a little confused about the conclusion. I've not seen solid numbers comparing sales of 5c versus 5s... with which to compare to sales of, say, 4s versus 5. From what i've read so far it seems that the 5c has been selling better than old models have sold in the past. So while the color/plastic may be a tipoff to some that its the "cheaper" model.... many are still buying it.
I think most of us on this website/forum are in the category of people for whom top of the line specs are a must... and the 5s is the only option

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As have the prior year flagship phones in years past. At the same price point as the 5c. So yeah, as I posted above and others pointed out, the bright plastic back is a visual tell that someone bought the cheaper model. In years past, that fact wasn't so obvious. Or as others have pointed out, maybe its the color choice that turns people off.

I wonder if apple kept pricing (too) close in order to try to prevent that perception of cheapness...? Interesting idea.

 

[FirstNTenderbit]

Sometimes you can do your job too well

I think the 5C, in a vacuum, is a great little phone. Unfortunately it doesn't exist in a vacuum. It exists in a world where Apple's marketing has done such a good job positioning aluminum as the pinnacle of material that the reintroduction of poly carbonate just resonates as second tier. Apple, knowingly or not, reinforced that perception by keeping fingerprint tech exclusive to the 5S.

The 3G and 3GS not withstanding, their sharp marketing focus has impregnated aluminum in our subconscious as the standard bearer for premium material. Even Jony's "unapologetically plastic" couldn't change that sentiment.

The price and the choice of colors did no favors to Apple either. All this is just my opinion so take it with a grain of salt.

I did have another thought. For those who think the 5C was priced to highlight the 5S... why would Apple do that? Design new phone, upgrade internals, contract manufacturing from multiple vendors, and market the heck out it - but look at our other great phone. I know Apple has a Mt. Everest sized pile of money, but couldn't they find a less expensive way to push customers towards the 5S?

Just me.

 

[iSayuSay]

Do you seriously expect Apple to have a perfect estimation for how many people will buy the iPhone 5c? Of course there's going to be a surplus, would you rather see Apple run out of stock of both of its new models, rather than just the 5s?

Doesn't it make sense to you that Apple would produce a high number of these for launch and scale back production as the year goes on? In fact, I would assume they do this with every previous new model.

No .. that's why like I said it was a big mistake to keep making 5C while 5S supply is constrained. They can keep making 5C as many as they want and still less people is looking after it.

From the beginning, Apple should just treat 5C as it is, a second rate product that was meant to be a "sidekick" for the flagship product. 5S should have been a top logistic priority while 5C should be considered as hobby phone

 

[koulmj]

Ax the 4s, make the 5c your free phone.

Problem solved.

YES! I still want a green one, but I'm not paying 199$ for the 64GB model...yet.

 

[xdhd350]

No point buying the iPhone 5C when you can get an iPhone 5 on the used market for less and they have the same specifications.

Sorry, you are incorrect about the same specifications. 5c has improved LTE, improved front camera, and improved battery over the 5.

The 5c is a good choice for a young demographic that want color, and NEED durability due to clumsiness. It gives parents a chance to save a bit of money as well.

As I have said, and another poster above said, we need to wait until the holidays are over to write the final chapter on the 5c.

 

[BJMRamage]

So, the Candy fun is over?
No more Sweet-Tooth for iPhone buyers?

Funny thing is that in the past the previous year iPhone is the same price as the iPhone 5C. nobody cries foul on that. That is what this is, last year's phone in a cheaper shell.

Apple is trying to push this as a "new" phone and technically it is but not really. So this shouldn't be too much of a surprise to anyone.

 

[Jbenn425]

Can Apple admit they were wrong now?

 

[gnasher729]

The 5c should have had a lower price point and the lack of sales is indicating that Apple misread the situation

The 5C was a great mistake at only a $100 difference. It would have sold so much at greater difference.

More over, I feel Apple misread the markets and thought the 5C was going to attract more people. I knew the 5C was going to sell, but not as good as the latest and greatest.

So how many people go to a store, check out the 5C, and then figure out that for only $100 more they get a much nicer phone? If the customer looks at the 5C and then changes to buy the 5S, the 5C has done what it should do.

 

[Poisonivy326]

As have the prior year flagship phones in years past. At the same price point as the 5c. So yeah, as I posted above and others pointed out, the bright plastic back is a visual tell that someone bought the cheaper model. In years past, that fact wasn't so obvious. Or as others have pointed out, maybe its the color choice that turns people off.

Eh, I think that's a macrumors thing, worried that people will think you got the cheaper model. Most people I know cover up their iphones with plastic cases anyway.

The actual issue is that the 5C is priced so a 2-year contract phone is heavily subsidized and an unlocked phone requires a hefty fee. The two year contract thing is one of the most shameless methods of consumer price-gouging in the US, but hey, everyone does it, so at the end of two years everyone wants the NICE phone.

The unlocked 5C should have been heavily discounted, as an incentive for people who are unhappy with their current phone but locked into that two year contract to switch to iOS.

The point of selling the iphone 5C shouldn't have been to say "oh we sold ___ units", it's really to somehow get users locked into the iOS ecosystem.

Now Tim Cook can either do what he's doing (simply stop production of these phones) or he can give the unlocked units a heavy discount, and see if it's more successful that way.

 

[krravi]

When did Apple ever hype the 5C as a low cost phone? In fact, on Apple's last earnings call, Tim Cook specifically said the 5C was not meant to be a cheap phone. If anything Apple could be faulted for allowing the rumor mill to run with the "C" stands for "cheap" meme.

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/oct/28/apple-iphone-earnings-disappoint-5c-5s

http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2013/09/11/apple-iphone-5c-analysts/

And the list goes on...

 

[avanpelt]

What would've really helped the 5c, in my opinion, would've been for Apple to make it free on contract. Heck, "free" was the buzz word of the most recent Apple event. Had they made the 5c free on contract and starting at $399 unlocked for the 16 GB version, that would've made some serious waves in the industry.

Why am I going to pay $549 off contract for an iPhone 5c with what are essentially last year's internals when I can buy a used iPhone 5 off contract in excellent condition for $200-$250 less on eBay?

If I'm going on contract, why not just pay $100 more and get the latest and greatest iPhone instead of what is essentially last year's model with a colorful polycarbonate shell?

If they keep the "c" line around for next year, I look for them to essentially do the same thing they've done with the iPads -- make the internals identical (with a slight clockspeed difference on the processor) and the only real differences would be polycarbonate vs. metal finish and perhaps screen size. Or maybe they'll ditch polycarbonate (and the "c" delineation) entirely, give it a new name, and make the only tangible difference screen size like they've done with the iPads.

If they give the "c" line internal spec parity with the "flagship" line next year, I don't expect the prices on the "c" line to change at all from what they are currently. If the internal specs were essentially identical to the flagship iPhone, though, the current prices would be easier to swallow.

 

[krravi]

Apple didn't hype it as the low cost iPhone. The media and sites like MacRumors and forum posters on sites like this one did.

I know Apple can do no wrong in your eyes...

But face it. Apple opted for the plastic phone to make it cheaper to appeal to low cost buyers.

 

[xdhd350]

I don't disagree with what you are saying. I suppose I'm just a little confused about the conclusion. I've not seen solid numbers comparing sales of 5c versus 5s... with which to compare to sales of, say, 4s versus 5. From what i've read so far it seems that the 5c has been selling better than old models have sold in the past. So while the color/plastic may be a tipoff to some that its the "cheaper" model.... many are still buying it.
I think most of us on this website/forum are in the category of people for whom top of the line specs are a must... and the 5s is the only option

Don't get me wrong, I'm both an investor and user of Apple's offerings. I personally want them to sell as many as they can make, as fast as they can make them.

But you are right, I upgraded my 4s to a 5s because I want as much power under the hood as I can get. For me, the back camera in the 5s was the major selling point as I like to shoot a lot of video with the phone. Sadly, I am not a big fan of the iOS7 look. I'm old enough to remember when computers could do nothing but flat, boring graphics and I had hoped those days were gone forever. Maybe the skeumorphism of prior iOS generations was a tad overdone, but I don't think they should have gone so far in the other direction with the UI.

 

[krravi]

Apple has NEVER said it was a low-cost phone. It were the journalists, blogs, and websites like this one that hyped it up to be the low-cost phone, plus the general aura that "plastic" equals cheap.

As far as this one's concerned, it's just as good as an iPhone 5, plus Apple experimented with a new design and new materials (which some people love, for the more rounded back, for the durability, for the way it fits into their palm, etc.)

When was the last time any company made two products and said.."Looks here is a very cheap version and here is a good version" ?

 

[testerdennis]

I like my 5S but man I wish it had a bigger display. Not sure why Apple refuses to offer this option currently. Moving from a galaxy note 2 I like how it fits in my pocket but everything is so damn hard to read (and I am only 31)

Wow what a big difference going from Note 2 to the 5s display. This is the reason I went to an Android phone from iPhone and I have the Note 2.

 

[ColdShadow]

no one wants a kiddy plastic iPhone specially at premium price when there is vastly superior in design 5S out there.
I'd personally take any iPhone 3GS upwards over ugly 5c.
I've yet to see anyone in real life wanting or even using a 5c.
I can see 5c slowly and quietly disappearing.

 

[cheesyappleuser]

Well, it looks like I got that one right too. But everyone with a working set of eyes could see this coming.
Not really hopeful that Apple ends this too-expensive-polycarbonate mess next year, but I really hope they just lower the damn price of finish this failed experiment altogether.

The 5c is great, but not for that price.

 

[gnasher729]

The title of this article should be "Tim Cook's first major product flop since becoming CEO."

And that's nonsense. It doesn't matter how many 5C Apple sells. It doesn't matter how many 5S Apple sells. What matters is the total.

Let's say you can buy an Apple phone for $600 and a competitor's phone for $500. They are hard to compare because they are different, so you might buy the $500 because you find it hard to justify the additional $100 for something that is hard to compare.

Now Apple sells a $500 phone as well. So you compare to phones at the same price. Apple only needs to convince you that it is better, not $100 better. But once you say the 5C is better than the competitor's phone, then the 5S is clearly $100 better than the 5C.

Comparisons are not rational. A person can believe that the 5S isn't $100 better than X, but 5C is better than X at the same price, and 5S is $100 better than 5C.

 

[158273]

I did have another thought. For those who think the 5C was priced to highlight the 5S... why would Apple do that? Design new phone, upgrade internals, contract manufacturing from multiple vendors, and market the heck out it - but look at our other great phone. I know Apple has a Mt. Everest sized pile of money, but couldn't they find a less expensive way to push customers towards the 5S?

You make some good points.

In response to the above, I would say it's actually more cost-effective for Apple to design the 5C than continue production with the 5. Yes, they need to design a new process to build them, but in the long-run of producing them, they probably save a lot of money by not using aluminum.

Moreover, keeping the 5 in the line-up would have attracted potential 5S buyers to change their mind and just get the 5, since "we don't need Touch ID this year, dear". By differentiating so much between the 5C and 5S, and taking the 5 out of the equation completely, Apple has effectively made the decision easy for unsure buyers: buy the premium 5S.

I know it seems like a lot of work to design an entirely new iPhone just to push buyers towards the 5S, but look at it this way: either way, Apple would have offered a slightly cheaper model with last year's internals. It could either have done this with the 5, detracting buyers from the 5S, or it could do it with the 5C, saving costs on aluminum and offering frugal buyers something new and different: colors, design, durability.

 

[xdhd350]

I know Apple can do no wrong in your eyes...

But face it. Apple opted for the plastic phone to make it cheaper to appeal to low cost buyers.

It's not about him thinking Apple can do no wrong, it's about YOUR incorrect perception that Apple ever hyped this as a cheap iPhone. It was the ridiculous expections of Wall Street and media pundits who felt Apple needed to introduce a cheap phone to gain marketshare back from Android based offerings.

Apple has heard a lot of feedback from people who wanted more color choice, so they modded last year's 5 into the 5c... c, for color, not cheap.

 

[Xenomorph]

I just don't get the "hate" for this.

* It's an improvement over the iPhone 5: sturdier body (less scratch-prone, less likely to bend), improved battery, improved front camera, and improved LTE radio with support for more frequencies.

* It's a return to a curved, plastic back that many people preferred over the boxy / square / sharp style of the 4/4S/5/5S.

* Like their iMac and iPod lines, it comes in fun colors.

* It's priced exactly where a 1-year-old iPhone would be priced at.

* It's sold better than the 4S did when the 5 was released, better than the 4 did when the 4S was released, better than the 3GS did when the 4 was released, etc.

 

[mdorais]

Funny thing is... I REALLY wanted a 5c but without the 64GB option I had to go with the 5s. I know that the majority of iPhone users don't get the 64GB but for me it's a must. I never had a problem with the price. If you try one out in the Apple Store the build quality just feels excellent, it does not feel like a cheap phone.

 

[158273]

Let's say you can buy an Apple phone for $600 and a competitor's phone for $500. They are hard to compare because they are different, so you might buy the $500 because you find it hard to justify the additional $100 for something that is hard to compare.

Now Apple sells a $500 phone as well.

Excellent point. A lot of people "out there" are going to be looking at Android phones as well. If the 5C can get closer to the price point of a competing phone, then 100 dollars will make all the difference between the buyer going with iPhone or going with Android.

I don't think the 5C was ever meant to be compared to the 5S. I think it's meant to be a stepping stone for people on the fence between competing Android phones and Apple's offerings.

 

[MisakixMikasa]

When did Apple ever hype the 5C as a low cost phone? In fact, on Apple's last earnings call, Tim Cook specifically said the 5C was not meant to be a cheap phone. If anything Apple could be faulted for allowing the rumor mill to run with the "C" stands for "cheap" meme.

iPhone 5C is meant to be a chaper iPhone. A colourful option alone is not enough to attract people. The solo reason for iPhone 5C ever come to existence is becuase it meant to be cheaper. However, the $100 difference is not steep enough.

If anything, given the price of iPhone 5C, it is DOA in any measure. Instead pricing it at close to 600 CAD or 550 USD, Apple should priced around 400 dollars. 600 dollar iPhone 5C is just not price competitive and it offer zero incentive for people.

If people are going for cheap, they will go for iPhone 4S or Nexus 5 or cheap Android phones. $400 iPhone 5C will be more competitive than Nexus 5 or other Android phone.

AND I don't believe any ***** Apple CEO said anything. They are all marketing bulls.