Apple managed to make their phone look cheaper than Samsung

[watchthisspace]

I don't even get why they're doing it. They could have a brushed aluminum back, which would have given a premium look and feel for only a marginal higher cost. It just cheapens the Iphone and it's done at a time when, ironically, other companies such as Sony, HTC, LG are moving away from plastic phones.

I, too, wondered why Apple would shift from catering to the high end of the market and have an image of being luxury, to deciding to release a low-end iPhone. But, I think Apple are wanting to go after the emerging markets and need to have an iPhone that low in cost to easily target and gain a majority share in emerging markets. Which is where the iPhone 5c is perfect.

Either way, chances are the iPhone 5c will be a quality product that will be best in class for its target segment of the market.

 

[RAPTORSKI]

Nokia phones are polycarbonate plastic, I bet the iPhone 5C will be similar so it won't feel that cheap. Samsung uses the cheapest plastic they can get their hands on.

 

[Dented]

I can't believe people are getting upset about the idea of a plastic iPhone when up until about a year ago, Apple were still happily selling a plastic iPhone (the 3GS) and two out of five *flagship* iPhones to date have been made of plastic.

It's not even as if the "premium" scuffed aluminium is going away, you'll still be able to buy your 5S and feel superior about one arbitrary material preference over another, it just happens there'll be another choice available for those who want it in different colours, or at a lower price, or - you know - one that doesn't look like crap after you drop it.

One last thought for those of you so horrified by the idea of plastic getting anywhere near you - what do you think your home button is made of?

 

[nzcatfood]

I really hate the black faces on the coloured backs. It's just plain fugly ugly and doesn't match the white colour base of either the rear panels or the purported iOS 7.

 

[gmhag]

It is obvious that Apple is targeting teenagers with these. The colors are a dead give away. They aren't targeting people who already have their flagship phone.

Marketing 101.... get customers from an early age and they will be loyal for life. I bet you still buy the same peanut butter your parents bought. Not to mention, with the Apple ecosystem, it makes it harder to leave when kids buy tons of itunes and apps. Hooked for years.

 

[Black Magic]

Yes I realize I will get flamed, but honestly I am not trolling. I am an Apple loyalist when it comes to phones, I love my iphone 5, I plan on being first in line for a 5S, and I have purchased an unsubsidized iphone every single year since the 2nd iphone. I say it more out of tough love and a disappointed hope that I would be excited about the 5C.

But man, I'm looking at the 5C and I can't believe how "cheap" it looks, of course I can't tell how it feels just yet. It's not only that you can tell it's a hunk of plastic from 20 feet away, it's just the design ethic. The front is still all black, with a black bezel, that totally dissociates itself from the colored plastic and makes the plastic look like a cheap add on case. The bezel is huge, although I think that's the case with the 5s as well, but seeing how other phone makers are minimizing the bezel it just makes it look so 2008ish. Apple could appeal to both the crowd that wants a bigger screen, and the crowd that doesn't want a bigger phone by simple reducing the bezel just like Samsung did.

So my point is that everyone complains about Android phones, usually Samsung, and how cheap they look because of all the plastic. But Apple has gone and produced something that looks even cheaper than the cheapest Android phone out there. Yes I understand the 5C is meant for the cheapest markets, china, etc, and I know there will be a large price difference between say the 5C and the Galaxy S4. Personally I think the 3g looked MUCH nicer and less cheap than the 5C. If they just toned down the bezel a bit, and matched the front to the plastic surround a bit might have helped.

As specs become less and less relevant, and we run out of "features" to add to phones I think making them more aesthetically pleasing should be the next milestone for phone makers to make everyone upgrade their phones often enough to make them money. Aesthetics is the first thing a consumer encounters about a phone, that first impression which is so important. Even the 5S is falling behind with it's huge bezels, but it still "feels" more premium than most other phones out there.

Cheaper is subjective. It's basically just like their iPod Touches and those are selling just fine. Noone complained about those. As you stated, there is a target audience/market Apple is going after with these items. Surely, these aren't designed for Executives in board rooms. I personally think they look ok and have no interest in buying one as the 5 and 5S are more appealing to me. Folks that like the no contract carriers like Virgin Mobile will now be able to afford an iPhone. It's a win for Apple and a win for us. The more iDevices out there, the more quality apps coming our way.

With all that said, you always complained about Apple not giving more choices and now that they do, you complain about it. Apple can't win.

 

[spinedoc77]

Using plastic in phones was only cheap when other companies were doing it, now Apple are doing it and can now sell a phone much cheaper, it's innovative...

It's only "innovative" if it sells, yes I know that sounds ridiculous but I'll bet that's exactly how companies look at it. They are not here for the betterment of mankind, rather they are here to make money, and if people who think samsung plastic phones are cheap line up in droves to buy a plastic apple iphone then they have done their job, and done it well.

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Cheaper is subjective. It's basically just like their iPod Touches and those are selling just fine. Noone complained about those. As you stated, there is a target audience/market Apple is going after with these items. Surely, these aren't designed for Executives in board rooms. I personally think they look ok and have no interest in buying one as the 5 and 5S are more appealing to me. Folks that like the no contract carriers like Virgin Mobile will now be able to afford an iPhone. It's a win for Apple and a win for us. The more iDevices out there, the more quality apps coming our way.

With all that said, you always complained about Apple not giving more choices and now that they do, you complain about it. Apple can't win.

My complaints with lack of choice with Apple was mostly targeted at their OS and hardware peripherals. But I don't disagree with you, it's another choice for a consumer to make. My only point was even though Apple was producing a cheaper phone, why did they have to make it cheap looking. It just seems with their fabrication abilities they would be able to make a cheap phone that didn't look cheap. But as I hear the discussion and think about it a part of me realizes that maybe Apple is smart enough to understand consumers either a) truly want something cheap looking, and/or b) consumers will spend money on anything Apple regardless of aesthetics.

I don't know either way though honestly, I'm not disparaging Apple or necessarily the 5C, I just thought it was an interesting topic.

 

[Black Magic]

It's only "innovative" if it sells, yes I know that sounds ridiculous but I'll bet that's exactly how companies look at it. They are not here for the betterment of mankind, rather they are here to make money, and if people who think samsung plastic phones are cheap line up in droves to buy a plastic apple iphone then they have done their job, and done it well.

----------



My complaints with lack of choice with Apple was mostly targeted at their OS and hardware peripherals. But I don't disagree with you, it's another choice for a consumer to make. My only point was even though Apple was producing a cheaper phone, why did they have to make it cheap looking. It just seems with their fabrication abilities they would be able to make a cheap phone that didn't look cheap. But as I hear the discussion and think about it a part of me realizes that maybe Apple is smart enough to understand consumers either a) truly want something cheap looking, and/or b) consumers will spend money on anything Apple regardless of aesthetics.

I don't know either way though honestly, I'm not disparaging Apple or necessarily the 5C, I just thought it was an interesting topic.

I don't think it's either of those options that you concluded on. Look at the iPod Touches. They are selling very well. They look like the iPhone 5C with the only major difference (look wise) being iPod Touches have a white front and the iPhone 5C has a black front. If you already have a supply chain in place making iPod Touches and your goal is to save money and offer a cheaper alternative iPhone, why would you create a brand new design which will require new parts (more money) to appease a select few?

 

[Wrathwitch]

All I have to say is look at the ORIGINAL iPhone.

No one said it looked cheap etc.

It still looks cute/neat and it still works.

Beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder and if that isn't good enough just be grateful that if it doesn't suit your definition or consideration of aesthetically pleasing, be grateful that you can afford to buy the "flagship version".

I personally think it's great that Apple is designing a phone that appeals to a different demographic. Spread the love!

 

[gopnick]

If they make a 32 GB version, the 5C will likely be my wife's next phone. She doesn't need or want an iPhone 5S if the internals are truly up to iPhone 5 standards. She just needs storage space for videos of the kids and room for apps/app data.

For the consumer market, this is likely to be a great hit. Others have mentioned emerging markets, but it's worth noting that a lot of Americans are bringing home less money than they were a few years ago compared to what they/we pay for food and fuel. With GDP growth hovering around 1%, Americans probably need to be a little more like the developing world in terms of purchasing habits.

Ultimately, Apple does face a serious threat from Google because the Android OS is becoming so close to ubiquitous outside of the United States (and especially so in Asia). The 5C could avert this issue entirely.

 

[spinedoc77]

I don't think it's either of those options that you concluded on. Look at the iPod Touches. They are selling very well. They look like the iPhone 5C with the only major difference (look wise) being iPod Touches have a white front and the iPhone 5C has a black front. If you already have a supply chain in place making iPod Touches and your goal is to save money and offer a cheaper alternative iPhone, why would you create a brand new design which will require new parts (more money) to appease a select few?

To me the iPod touch doesn't look cheap at all, thinner than the iPhone and doesn't look very plasticky. Maybe because its svelte, where the 5C just looks chunky, even though its not. Plus it serves a different function, kind of a throwaway gadget, although an expensive one.

But you are just supporting my point. I agree, why would Apple spend money when consumers are willing to buy the 5C.

 

[Trius]

Yes I realize I will get flamed, but honestly I am not trolling. I am an Apple loyalist when it comes to phones, I love my iphone 5, I plan on being first in line for a 5S, and I have purchased an unsubsidized iphone every single year since the 2nd iphone. I say it more out of tough love and a disappointed hope that I would be excited about the 5C.

But man, I'm looking at the 5C and I can't believe how "cheap" it looks, of course I can't tell how it feels just yet. It's not only that you can tell it's a hunk of plastic from 20 feet away, it's just the design ethic. The front is still all black, with a black bezel, that totally dissociates itself from the colored plastic and makes the plastic look like a cheap add on case. The bezel is huge, although I think that's the case with the 5s as well, but seeing how other phone makers are minimizing the bezel it just makes it look so 2008ish. Apple could appeal to both the crowd that wants a bigger screen, and the crowd that doesn't want a bigger phone by simple reducing the bezel just like Samsung did.

So my point is that everyone complains about Android phones, usually Samsung, and how cheap they look because of all the plastic. But Apple has gone and produced something that looks even cheaper than the cheapest Android phone out there. Yes I understand the 5C is meant for the cheapest markets, china, etc, and I know there will be a large price difference between say the 5C and the Galaxy S4. Personally I think the 3g looked MUCH nicer and less cheap than the 5C. If they just toned down the bezel a bit, and matched the front to the plastic surround a bit might have helped.

As specs become less and less relevant, and we run out of "features" to add to phones I think making them more aesthetically pleasing should be the next milestone for phone makers to make everyone upgrade their phones often enough to make them money. Aesthetics is the first thing a consumer encounters about a phone, that first impression which is so important. Even the 5S is falling behind with it's huge bezels, but it still "feels" more premium than most other phones out there.

How can you say this after only seeing a couple of pictures? Would you say the 3g was a cheap toy? Lack of facts prevent anyone from knowing how "quality" these phones are.

 

[spinedoc77]

How can you say this after only seeing a couple of pictures? Would you say the 3g was a cheap toy? Lack of facts prevent anyone from knowing how "quality" these phones are.

I'm not commenting on the quality of the 5C, I'm ONLY commenting on the aesthetics, on the cheap look of it. This, of course, is very subjective and the reality is that this phone will most likely sell like hotcakes, regardless of my opinion. But I still think it looks cheap.

 

[BenTrovato]

How come all these 5C discussions focus on whether it was a good idea or if we will buy it instead of what an incredible idea it is for folks around the world? People in Asia and Europe have a comparatively more difficult experience buying iPhones in their regions due to the high costs. Apple is making the move in those markets. Of course the 5C will be offered here, but the aim is to sell them like hot cakes across the pond.

 

[Smartass]

samsung is ditching the "cheap" plastic and going for metal on next models. The new Note3 already has much "better to feel" backplate than S4 since it has leather stitched back

 

[socco]

But I still think it looks cheap.

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by this. Do you think it just looks like crap? Or that it looks like a low-end phone? Because the latter is exactly what they're marketing the phone as. They want to get an iPhone into everybody's hand. And not everybody wants the best phone out there.

 

[Oohara]

I don't think the 5C looks cheap at all. In fact I think it looks better than any of the 5S versions. To me it's a more fresh take on the iPhone compared to the 5 than the 5 was to the 4S.

I currently own a Note 2 but that doesn't mean I'm all for plastic by definition or something. I'd much prefer my Note 2 to have a more "premium" feel, like the HTC One. But with the 5C I think Apple has managed to get plastic to look anything but cheap. It looks sporty and playful, rather. Actually, I wouldn't mind a retina iPad mini with a rear shell in one of those stark plastic flavours

 

[DariusX]

First of all, samsung's plastic phones are not cheap. The S4 is more expensive than the iP5
Second, if the material of the phone matters, then get the 5S because the 5C is obviously not targeting people like you.

 

[NewbieCanada]

Yes I realize I will get flamed, but honestly I am not trolling. I am an Apple loyalist when it comes to phones, I love my iphone 5, I plan on being first in line for a 5S, and I have purchased an unsubsidized iphone every single year since the 2nd iphone. I say it more out of tough love and a disappointed hope that I would be excited about the 5C.

They didn't make it for you.

 

[EvilQueen]

I have no doubt that as cheap looking as the 5C is, that it will be a high quality phone, solid, well put together, etc. What will be amusing to me will be seeing how the people who disparaged samsung for their plastic phones will feel about the 5C.

That's the funny part. The same people that jumped on the wagon and bashed the living crap out of ALL the other phones that were plastic are now on the wagon that plastic is GREAT...just because it's Apple plastic.

 

[spinedoc77]

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by this. Do you think it just looks like crap? Or that it looks like a low-end phone? Because the latter is exactly what they're marketing the phone as. They want to get an iPhone into everybody's hand. And not everybody wants the best phone out there.

It's hard to explain, and once again quite subjective. I look at my iphone 4, or 5 and I see a smooth piece of glass and/or aluminum, sleek, hefty (not heavy) to the hand, substantial, solid. With the 5C I see many factors which look "cheap" to my eye, like they did not spend the money on aesthetics. 1) plastic, well enough said, but with their fabrication abilities, their incredible supplier pricing, and years of perfecting their factory lines and engineering process couldn't they have done aluminum or something else besides plastic? 2) Not matching the front versus the plastic colors. I don't know how hard it would be or how expensive, I'm just saying it looks cheap to me, the casing looks pretty much exactly like a cheap chinese plastic cover would look like. 3) The colors themselves, just garish and bright and, well kiddie looking.

Let me quantify again, these are MY subjective tastes. I really believe a lot of consumers want it and it will sell a ton, and if it sells then that's all the "being right" that Apple needs. I think if it does sell then it just proves I am out of touch with that type of consumer, which I readily admit.

 

[Black Magic]

It's hard to explain, and once again quite subjective. I look at my iphone 4, or 5 and I see a smooth piece of glass and/or aluminum, sleek, hefty (not heavy) to the hand, substantial, solid. With the 5C I see many factors which look "cheap" to my eye, like they did not spend the money on aesthetics. 1) plastic, well enough said, but with their fabrication abilities, their incredible supplier pricing, and years of perfecting their factory lines and engineering process couldn't they have done aluminum or something else besides plastic? 2) Not matching the front versus the plastic colors. I don't know how hard it would be or how expensive, I'm just saying it looks cheap to me, the casing looks pretty much exactly like a cheap chinese plastic cover would look like. 3) The colors themselves, just garish and bright and, well kiddie looking.

Let me quantify again, these are MY subjective tastes. I really believe a lot of consumers want it and it will sell a ton, and if it sells then that's all the "being right" that Apple needs. I think if it does sell then it just proves I am out of touch with that type of consumer, which I readily admit.

I hear what you are saying and agree on a few items. I don't care for the two tone look and would prefer solid colors. Being that they appear to be using altered iPod Touch parts, I understand why they went the route they did. The main market they are targeting with this is probably China. Consumers over in China probably just want an iPhone and could care less about metal or plastic.

I wouldn't say you are old or out of touch, I think you have refined taste as do many of us.

 

[sdilley14]

You're comparing Apples to to oranges. But seriously, the 5c is meant to be an entry/mid level phone, where as the Galaxy you're comparing it to is meant to be their flagship phone.

Also, you don't even know what it looks like yet. We all have a good idea of how it will look from leaked pictures and rumors, but until you see it in person or see actual official press photos, you can't really pass judgment on it.

 

[James717]

The Samsung Galaxy phones aren't cheap in cost at all. They're considered premium, top-of-the-line phones. Maybe it was Apple's intention to make it look 'cheaper,' in order to convey the message that it will cost less than the competitors, but still have access to the superior app store.

Try the galaxy note 3 coming out.

Fast multi and very notebook like

 

[Purant]

You're comparing Apples to to oranges. But seriously, the 5c is meant to be an entry/mid level phone, where as the Galaxy you're comparing it to is meant to be their flagship phone.

No it's not. At least it's not priced as one!