I think it does, but it's the opposite end of the spectrum than what most people wanted it to be: The iPhone 5c is for rich people. They can afford to buy last gen hardware because they'll simply buy a new phone when they start to feel it. They're also the only people who'd care about the colours. Someone who's strapped on cash would be insane not to buy the 5c and wrap it in a colourful case instead, as a long-term investment.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple Increasing iPhone 5s Production by 75%, Cutting iPhone 5c Orders by 35%
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I think it does, but it's the opposite end of the spectrum than what most people wanted it to be: The iPhone 5c is for rich people. They can afford to buy last gen hardware because they'll simply buy a new phone when they start to feel it. They're also the only people who'd care about the colours. Someone who's strapped on cash would be insane not to buy the 5c and wrap it in a colourful case instead, as a long-term investment.
No. You need to look at the manufacturing cost estimates. The 5c is barely below the 5s. The cost of these phones is primarily the screen and the silicon. Changing from metal to plastic hardly saved Apple any money.
There's many possible reasons why that was a good idea. Here's some speculation to consider:
1) Telling developers that the iPad 2's SoC config was planning to be supported longer than people think, since the iPad mini came out using roughly the same config.
2) Because many people who were getting iPads may prefer it be cheaper, lighter, and better battery life instead of higher resolution? It'd certainly help in mass orders for organizations. Covers a wider range of customers than if they killed off the 2 and sold just the 3 and 4, or just the 4.
3) Because the retina screen or larger battery pack supply might have been constrained?
4) Because the A5 SoC production might have been easier to commit to than the A5X since they were using it for other devices?
(I bought an iPad 2 for my mother after the iPad 3 came out specifically because it was lighter and because my mother wouldn't be able to see the difference in the screen.)
Yet people have been defying this view for years. Last year at this time people were buying the 4s for only 100.00 less than the 5. And the 5 had LTE and a larger screen. It seems like those two things, alone, were worth the 100.00. Yet people still bought the 4s.
Can't say I agree. Those manufacturing cost estimates seems like an incomplete picture to me because they target the recurring cost of the parts and appear to neglect the cost to establish the production line for said parts.
What ToroidalZeus is essentially saying is that it's cheaper overall to redesign PCBs and buy all the tooling to make a plastic-shelled 5c than it is to buy the machining tools to make even more of the iPhone 5/5s aluminum shells. This is because the cost of the manufacturing equipment for plastic is significantly cheaper than what they needed for metal. Plus, given all that jazz about matching up the glass pieces to the aluminum shell, I'd say much of that is probably custom as well. Wasn't the iPhone 4 requiring the world's supply of some expensive prototyping machining tool?
As you said, the 5c was never made to be an inexpensive phone. And I agree there. But it does appear to free up valuable manufacturing capacity, and also help ease the pain of a constrained 5s supply. How? By using different and cheaper equipment to manufacture, and by not being manufactured by Foxconn.
What MAN would walk around with a 5c with its girly colours
Here it goes, the macho kiwi. Last I time I went to New Zealand I thought it was like the UK, but 50 years backwards. I was right
Once again, we don't actually know if the 5c is a failure or if it's actually doing exactly what they intended because Apple's never going to tell us what the game plan was. Heck, maybe lowering production now was intended to happen because they've been running well over plan just to make sure all the launches were well supplied. How many people have you heard ask, "why didn't they have more iphones available at launch," over the last 5 years? Well, it's possible they did exactly that.
Maybe they expected the 5s would be so constrained at launch that they needed something else for people to consider buying. Given that a significant number of iPhones ended up in plastic cases anyhow, this doesn't seem so bad because you end up with a plastic-wrapped phone either way. Additionally, the iPhone 5c's plastic case has to be easier (note I didn't say cheaper, I said easier) to reliably manufacture than the metal iPhone 5/5s case.
If you're going to lose iPhone 5s sales because of constrained supply, it might as well be to your own "new" iPhone 5c.
Apple makes profits on hardware. iTunes is small beans. There's simply no way that they'd be able to sell enough devices by lowering price to make iTunes commissions rise 10x any time soon. Especially when each phone still needs to be tied to a relatively costly data plan.
http://www.phonearena.com/news/Appl...its-sales-now-Macs-dont-really-matter_id32825
I don't care much that the 5C is plastic, but kindergarten colors? No thanks.
If I can't find a pre-owned 16GB iPhone 5 (or 4S), I may well get an Android phone. I dislike iOS7's look anyway.
If I can't find a pre-owned 16GB iPhone 5 (or 4S), I may well get an Android phone. I dislike iOS7's look anyway.
I agree. I don't mind the plastic back either. Someone just thought it would be fun to talk on the phone while you're high.
Also ain't gonna pay top dollar for extra phones they couldn't sell last year...
The true is that Apple couldnt sell the iPhone 5 with a 100$ price cut being last year generation. Why? Because it is expensive to make. I wont be suprised if there is 50$(both direct and indirect) difference between iPhone 5C and iPhone 5 production cost. Multiplicate that by million of devices and you get the result. In my opinion, Apple never intended to make cheaper phone, but instead they tried to find a sustitute for the Iphone 5 while keeping the margins. It was more of business driven decision that marketing. The iPhone is expensive phone and maybe it will stay that way in the near future. Is iPhone 5C nice product? Yeah, i think it suits well to a huge public but ill preffer iPhone 5 or even pay some 100$ for iPhone 5s anytime. But thats just personal opinion in this moment of my life. Maybe one day ill become more rebel and look for some color in my life, who knows....
That's not the point. I can pay for the 5S, but I don't want to. If there was a 5C in a non-loud color, I'd get one. If Apple sold the 5/16GB at $99, I'd get one.
Heck, if they sold the 4S with 16GB, I'd get one.
But they sell none of the above, so I'll have to look for pre-owned or a non-Apple alternative.
What they have done, deliberately or inadvertently, is force habitual mid-tier buyers like me into upgrading to top-tier or learn to live with an infantile-looking phone. If they add a plain black model to the 5C lineup, I'll get one.
I am an Apple enthusiast, but currently they do not sell a phone that I want.
I'm not convinced that Apple would drastically change their mid-range phone merely because expensive production line costs. In general this company has ignored production costs when producing their complex hardware designs. I seriously doubt Apple would risk their mid-range phone just to squeeze out some additional profit margin. They didn't do it with the 4 and the 4s when these two were relegated to the mid-range and low-end categories.
The 5c has everything to do with market strategy. For instance, if younger people tend to buy the mid-range/low-end iPhones then a range of plastic color choices would likely appeal to them more so than white/black/gold metal.
IPhone 5s is comming out next friday in Spain, so ill be at 6am infrnt of Apple Store to get the gold one, because my gf birthday was a week ago and I promised her the Iphone. If its out of stock on day one morning, ill be rly pissed...I have a insider who told me the wait list is so big and the stock expected so low, that I wont be suprised is there is shortage until februrary or even until march, and for a company (which i love some much) that has 100 bilion in cash, its lame, rly lame..
Jesus, it's really hard to make any sense of your post. So you can pay for the 5s but you don't want to (ok!?). So you like the 5c but colours are too loud (the white one is too loud!?).
Gender, gender, sexist, homophobic, blah, blah, blah. We don't all live in your eunuch universe.
Take your time, buddy. You'll get there. Sometimes reading carefully helps, too.
Tim Cook next week "We sold 30 milion iPhones in three weeks and while some of you still waiting to get one, lets show you some other product which wont be in stock for some months to come".
I think Apple will sell nearly 100 milion iPhones this year.
I think Apple will sell nearly 100 milion iPhones this year.
4S was bought because of older connector. If you have a lot of peripherals with old connector, may make sense to use them (though there is an adapter, don't know how it works).
I like just listed 5s Apple phone.
I'm considering buying one step 5s golden phone, I like mobile fingerprint identification system, use the phone more secure.
I'm considering buying one step 5s golden phone, I like mobile fingerprint identification system, use the phone more secure.