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.
Best Buy Knocks $50 Off iPhone 5c Pricing Just Two Weeks After Launch [Update: RadioShack Too]
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
kas23
macrumors 603
I'm not sure. Do RadioShack/Wal-Mart/BB get kickbacks from the carriers for selling contracts? Otherwise, it's the carrier who's getting the signed contract, not the 3rd party who sold the phone. And if they did indeed get kickbacks, wouldn't it be easier to gain these from other phones, such as a free Android phone?
----------
Considering an estimated 75% of those were 5s's, mostly phones that in all likelihood weren't even produced at the time Apple released that number, it really isn't looking good for the 5c.
Look at the situation now; shipment times for a 5s are about 1 month, but you can walk into any Apple this minute and walk out with a 5c in hand.
So, to answer your question, yes, people still think these aren't selling. In fact, there's a really great chance most of these phones that were actually made are sitting in some wear house in China.
WilliamLondon
macrumors 68000
Two possibilities: 1) they get these "kickbacks" from the carriers or 2) this promotion is a great reason to get the dupes, er I mean consumers, into the stores so they can sell them other items where they make a profit (or both). Regardless, the actual device that's included is irrelevant, Android or otherwise, whether it's a contract they're trying to sell or other products these people buy once in-store, not the "this is the only way they can sell these phones, by discounting them" situation you suggest.
Anonymous Freak
macrumors 603
I'm curious where people have this number that "most" of the 9 million sold in the first weekend were the S rather than the C... Apple certainly didn't break down sales numbers by model. There are only vague uninformed estimates.
And since the 5C is based on the 5, ramping it up for production was likely much easier than the "many new technologies" 5S.
I think it's mostly from usage statistics. Phones identify themselves to servers, so you can get a sense of how many people are out there accessing the web on an iPhone 5s vs. a 5c. It isn't exact, but it should be close.
kas23
macrumors 603
It's also from the apparent supply. Anyone can go to an Apple store, or any 3rd party store, and walk out with a 5c. Not even remotely the same experience as the 5s.
kas23
macrumors 603
Here:
http://static.knowyourmobile.com/sites/knowyourmobilecom/files/styles/gallery_wide/public/all-active-iphones-by-u.s.-city2-1024x472.png
http://static.knowyourmobile.com/sites/knowyourmobilecom/files/styles/gallery_wide/public/carriers-stacked-1024x530.png
I think it will, I'm hearing from AT&T managers demand is almost non existent. For just one hundred more the 5S is what's selling. Yet it's mostly to first time buyers. I'm sure demand is better in other areas. But it seems the local market favors other brands
senseless
macrumors 68000
We pay $140 monthly for 2 Iphones, including taxes, with Verizon. The key is to get the data usage down to a minimum and use WIFI whenever possible. We share 1 gb and that's been plenty.
WilliamLondon
macrumors 68000
That still sounds exorbitant. With my carrier here in the UK you can get 1200 minutes per month, unlimited texts, and unlimited internet for £20, and it doesn't require a contract of any sort (if you cap your internet at 1GB per month you pay £10/month). I don't need that many minutes so I pay even less than that each month. My phone is an iPhone 5, which I bought myself so I wouldn't have to pay finance fees to a cellular carrier and sign a service contract which provided more of anything I neither wanted nor needed.
senseless
macrumors 68000
Wow, that sounds like a great deal. The free upgrades we get aren't so free.
There are better deals but the service isn't as good as Verizon or AT&T for some markets.
I pay 30/month for T-Mobile prepaid and get unlimited data (though only first 2.5gb is high speed), texts, and 650 voice minutes. I have to pay full price on the phone of course so if I choose an iPhone so it takes about 6-8 months to break even give or take.
My wife has to have Verizon as her school has poor cel coverage for everyone else. Thankfully she is grandfathered into an earlier plan and not the horrible plans they have now.
I pay 30/month for T-Mobile prepaid and get unlimited data (though only first 2.5gb is high speed), texts, and 650 voice minutes. I have to pay full price on the phone of course so if I choose an iPhone so it takes about 6-8 months to break even give or take.
My wife has to have Verizon as her school has poor cel coverage for everyone else. Thankfully she is grandfathered into an earlier plan and not the horrible plans they have now.
Alisstar
macrumors 6502
I walked into an apple store last week and walked out with a 5S 32GB slate no problem. the 5c's also seemed to be flying out pretty well. i've even seen several 5c's out in public this week.
Taz Mangus
macrumors 604
IJ Reilly
macrumors P6
No indeed. The prices we pay for service with most of the carriers assume that we upgrade our phones every couple of years.
kas23
macrumors 603
I live in the DC Metro area and I went to 2 of our 10(!) local Apple stores twice in the last 4 days at 6am to get in line and left empty handed both times. I will admit though many Chinese "families" ahead in line were involved both times. There were plenty of 5c's though.
WilliamLondon
macrumors 68000
Well, there you have it. To be honest I'm not sure what you have, but obviously you have something, otherwise it wouldn't have warranted inclusion in your post.
Digital Skunk
macrumors G3
Yes actually. But that didnt really answer the question or add to the discussion.
kas23
macrumors 603
I don't get it. What do I have? My wife and I do have broken iPhone 5's (my camera no longer focuses and her screen flashes in and out randomly) and are looking to upgrade. Otherwise, I really don't know what you're getting at. Explain?
As for that inclusion, it was to point out that scalpers got me each time. There's no way 3 generations (Grandparents, parents, Grandchildren) are showing up at 5:45am to legitimately buy phones 2 days in a row. Funny thing, mall security was called each time on them. They still got the phones.
But, anyways, my wife's Chinese and heard them talking. They were scalpers.
Last edited:
The Best Buy near me always has 5s's, just never the one I want (64GB). It would be easier to order from Apple and wait, but I've yet to convince myself I really need it. I look at it as karma protecting my money.
gnasher729
Suspended
Almost everything is sold as BOGO (buy one, get one). My car was BOGO - I paid for one, and I got one. All my Macs so far were BOGO. And so on. 😀
Taz Mangus
macrumors 604
Nice, I like what you did there 😀
----------
It looked more like a rhetorical question.
Figures, just days after I buy my kid a 5C, BEst Buy does this.
I thought about returning the phone to AT&T store and buying from Best Buy once the upgrade was reinstated on my account. But I bet it would be a major hassle.
I thought about returning the phone to AT&T store and buying from Best Buy once the upgrade was reinstated on my account. But I bet it would be a major hassle.