Apple Reportedly Cutting iPhone 5c Production as Chinese Gray Market Prices Drop

[c.cam108]

The troll responses in this thread are going to reach ridiculous levels.



I'll field this one.

1) I enjoy the colored back of the phone. It brings a splash of color to a line of products that has been dull for so long.

2) The rounded polycarbonate back of the phone is more pleasant to look at and hold as compared to the cold, industrial looking and feeling 5s.

3) I saved $100 by going with the 5c. That money allowed me to purchase Applecare+ for my phone.

4) I'm not the shallow sort of individual that cares what other people think about the phone I use. I mean, really? Grow up, people. If you think my phone is "cheap-looking" I don't really care. Whatever makes you feel superior, man.

Got there before I had a chance to.

My wife and I both bought 5Cs on launch day (she got yellow and I got blue). Paying £29 each upfront instead of over £100 makes a huge difference!

 

[Fission]

Again, not a cheap phone.

That's for sure...Only $100 less than 5c but with last years engine in it.

 

[Ramchi]

Self goal

Unlike other launches, Apple has created its own competition by offering 5S at a slightly higher price while creating a perception that 5C is cheap (in quality). This defeats the purpose of buying an Apple product. If it had been just 5C alone with 5S features(except metal body) things may be different.

No one gets fooled with 5C - people are becoming smarter!

 

[croooow]

Neither are pastel kiddy colours either, they are both shades of the same thing. Either way I would prefer black OR grey over pink/yellow/green or sky blue on my expensive device. The 5S has "grown up" colour choices, the 5C childish (or "fun") ones. They WOULD sell more 5C's if they had a non-pastel option.

If they had a "Product Red" (either instead of or in addition to the pink) I think it would sell pretty well.

I got the red case for the 5s. Some adults are not afraid of a little bit of color.

 

[neoelectronaut]

Not all cases are ugly. Get a nice case.

The real deal is what's inside...One has a Chevy cruze ecotech engine. The other has a corvette engine. Yet the corvette engine is just $100 more.

As I'm not really a car guy, I don't really understand this reference, but I can tell you this: What's the point of having a supercar engine if you're only driving it on the highway to work and back?

I.E. I don't play games on my phone, and I can't imagine what else would need that kind of processing power.

 

[Technarchy]

I don't care what anyone else thinks. The 5C looks and feels awesome, and I like the color options.

 

[Rogifan]

That's for sure...Only $100 less than 5c but with last years engine in it.

Would you be saying the same thing if Apple kept producing the 5 in the aluminum body?

 

[Fission]

As a car guy, I don't really understand this reference, but I can tell you this: What's the point of having a supercar engine if you're only driving it on the highway to work and back?

I.E. I don't play games on my phone, and I can't imagine what else would need that kind of processing power.

As a car guy you ought to know all about resale value. 5c is last years phone in a new body.
That's it.

 

[neoelectronaut]

That's for sure...Only $100 less than 5c but with last years engine in it.

I assume you mean 5s...

But why are you saying this like it's some sort of shock? This is the way Apple has done business for 3 or 4 years now. They've always sold "last year's phone" for $100 less than the new model.

You're acting like it some sort of shocking revelation.

 

[WestonHarvey1]

Make a black one and double your sales by targeting guys as well as teen girls...

Because white is just so non-neutral and feminine.

 

[asleep]

Black 5C will put sales in the black. Simple.

 

[Nightarchaon]

Good plan to gain marketshare but this would have really hurt profits, investors would (rightly) call for Tim Cook's resignation if this happened.

Apple should be subsidising the hardware at this point to get more users "locked in" to its eco-system, with the 30% of sales on the App Store being where its making profit, ultimately hardware alone will be a pain for them as the ability to add-in features people will upgrade for is getting harder and harder.

Whats going to hurt apple in the near term is an in-abbility re realise its gone from a niche market where it COULD gouge consumers, to a mainstream product and service provider.

I just built a PC rather than by a macpro, because the new macpro is a joke, i wont upgrade to a new iMac for a similar reason.

apple are in for a world of hurt if they keep heading on the line they are, Johnny Ive will kill the company with poor-but-pretty design choices.

SOmetimes you need form AND function.. and since SJ passing were just seeing FORM being pushed at the expensive of function, not good at all

 

[neoelectronaut]

As a car guy you ought to know all about resale value. 5c is last years phone in a new body.
That's it.

I'm sorry, I meant to type "I'm not really a car guy."

I sold my 3-year old iPhone 4 for $250 and it paid for my 5c and then some.

I imagine I'll be able to do the same with the 5c in 2 years. (When it pays for the equivalent 6c)

 

[QCassidy352]

No surprise for me due to the mere $100 difference from this cheap plastic phone to the 5s. Would the 5c had been available at $350-$400 tops (and $0 on contract in the US) it would have done better.

But, this shows that Apple execs are still living inside their magical bubble.

5c is a MUCH better deal compared to the 5s than the 4s was as compared to the 5 last year, and the 5c is new, to boot (feature difference between 5c and 5s is pretty modest, while 4s to 5 was huge). And the 4s continued to sell quite well last year.

 

[Ubele]

Apple hasn't even announced its quarterly results and people are already declaring it a failure based on rumors from the Far East. Because those rumors are always so accurate.

I don't know why Apple spends money on a Marketing department. All Tim Cook needs to do is read the MR forums for expert advice on how Apple can increase its profits.

 

[Born Again]

And now I want an apology from those that denied that these "budget" phones weren't selling well.

I told you. Retailers don't discount on things selling well.

(Slams door)

 

[croooow]

Is "gray market" just really a euphemistic term for "black market"??

AKA Apple "UN"authorized Retailers!

If the products sold by those unauthorized retailers are purchased legally then it is grey market.

If those products are stolen (or just not legally available like unregistered guns) then it is a black market.

 

[Aye]

This has been a rare failure by Apple. I can't see why they didn't see this coming. They need to come off their high horse.

Yep, 150k per day is a failure by Apple's standard. /s That means no ones riding off their high horse except the whambance. Other companies would love to get the figure.

 

[giantfan1224]

Neither are pastel kiddy colours either, they are both shades of the same thing. Either way I would prefer black OR grey over pink/yellow/green or sky blue on my expensive device. The 5S has "grown up" colour choices, the 5C childish (or "fun") ones. They WOULD sell more 5C's if they had a non-pastel option.

I also prefer the black or gray. Don't know if that makes me more "grown-up" but I have a hard time believing that people would choose the 5C over the 5S if it had a black or gray version. I do prefer it over the pastels-as you do-but I still would want the A7, Fingerprint Sensor and improved camera in the 5S.

 

[Jimrod]

If they had a "Product Red" (either instead of or in addition to the pink) I think it would sell pretty well.

I got the red case for the 5s. Some adults are not afraid of a little bit of color.

Same point though really, it's the pastel thing, it's not really targeting guys is it? Bold colours would be better. I actually prefer the plastic body to my easily damaged iPhone 5 aluminium body. I don't mind the white, I'd prefer black but then I've always chosen black because it distracts from the screen less - makes even more sense with the 5C because it has the black glass.

 

[Fission]

I assume you mean 5s...

But why are you saying this like it's some sort of shock? This is the way Apple has done business for 3 or 4 years now. They've always sold "last year's phone" for $100 less than the new model.

You're acting like it some sort of shocking revelation.

This isn't last years phone. It's a new model. I'm just not down with it having the same internals as my 5 but just $100 less than the 5s with the latest and greatest. Useful or not, $100 more for the latest and greatest makes sense if one intends to sell it one day.

 

[Rogifan]

Unlike other launches, Apple has created its own competition by offering 5S at a slightly higher price while creating a perception that 5C is cheap (in quality). This defeats the purpose of buying an Apple product. If it had been just 5C alone with 5S features(except metal body) things may be different.

No one gets fooled with 5C - people are becoming smarter!

How exactly did Apple create the perception that the 5C was a cheap quality phone? Seems to me the only ones creating that perception are the snobs who think anything plastic automatically means cheap quality. Go back and read the reviews when the phone first came out. I couldn't find one tech/media review that said the 5C felt cheap (check my sig for what Engadget said).

 

[Four oF NINE]

The 5C is doing very well, I wish I could have the profits from that sort of "failure".

However, I can see how some darker colors, like slate blue, maroon, sage green, and graphite might appeal more to adults than the neon bright colors currently offered.

 

[HMI]

.

 

[gnasher729]

Apple should be subsidising the hardware at this point to get more users "locked in" to its eco-system, with the 30% of sales on the App Store being where its making profit, ultimately hardware alone will be a pain for them as they ability to add-in features people will upgrade for is getting harder and harder.

You should really look at the numbers before you talk nonsense like that.

Common sense: If someone pays $600 for an iPhone, how much is that person going to pay for software, books, music? Hint: Less than $600.