First iPhone 5c Reviews: Color is a 'Breath of Fresh Air', Will 'Sell Like Hot Cakes'

[sw1tcher]

"Apple notes that the iPhone 5c is actually polycarbonate because it wanted to get the colors just right, and doing so in metal just wasn't feasible."

I call ******** on this. I'd say it's all about being able to make them in the quantities needed. I have the Product Red iPod touch, and it's a beautiful red aluminum. I wish they did a Product Red iphone 5C of the same shade. I'm sure they would love to make the ipads and as pretty and colorful as the ipod touches , but they can't scale the colored anodizing to that size and quantity would be my guess.

I wish my ipad mini was product red anodized like my touch, and I would love if my ipod touch could be as thin and light with polycarbonate that wouldn't scuff to bare aluminum if it gets scuffed or dropped. 88 grams is nice in your pocket.

It's just Apple marketing.... nothing more, and people will eat it up. If using polycarbonate to get the colors right is true, then we should expect Apple to start using a polycarbonate casing for the iPod shuffle, iPod nano, and iPod touch so the colors are just right too.

Personally, I think the colors of the anodized aluminum iPod shuffle and iPod nano look darn good.

 

[cuda12]

No-one said it would flop because it's Plastic body. Some of us were expecting it to be a bit cheaper, like the iPhone 4s price.

This is why there is a small brigade of us saying for the cost, you may as well go the iPhone 5s, unless you really want the plastic coloured body etc.

Prediction:

I'm having a huge guess here, but expect Apple to do the same with it's iPad mini line eventually, which is why we haven't seen much news this year. The iPad (Gen 2) will be high quality like the iPhone 5s, and the iPad mini (Gen 1) will become poly-carbonated colours

There were certainly some people who said it would be a flop. If you weren't one of those people, the comment wasn't directed to you.

 

[mackinmike]

plastic is now cool cuz apple says it is. i'm gonna bust out my plastic iphone 3g.. wooohoo. no need to waste an upgrade.

 

[ghettochris]

Personally, I think the colors of the anodized aluminum iPod shuffle and iPod nano look darn good.

I think the color of my product red ipod touch may be my favorite piece of color I own. It gives my eyes pleasure to gaze upon it, whether in indoor light or sunlight. such a awesome red.

 

[fatboyslick]

Sell like hot cakes on a summers day in a heat wave maybe.
The two networks I have friends at have said huge lack of interest, 5S is what people are interested in

 

[H2SO4]

"Apple notes that the iPhone 5c is actually polycarbonate because it wanted to get the colors just right, and doing so in metal just wasn't feasible."

I call ******** on this. ..........but they can't scale the colored anodizing to that size and quantity would be my guess.
:

I'm having trouble not calling ******** on your post.
So Apple says they can't get the colour right and you counter by saying they can't scale the colored anodizing to that size.
Have you not said the same thing?

 

[MartiNZ]

Colour is breath of fresh air ... from Nokia?

Well, at least the damn thing is going to be comfortable to hold for the first time since the 3gs. Will be tempting next year.

 

[zedzded]

Sell like hot cakes on a summers day in a heat wave maybe.
The two networks I have friends at have said huge lack of interest, 5S is what people are interested in

Yeah, plus you can still buy the 5 (in Oz anyway). So you have the choice of 3 phones.

 

[Nale72]

But all the iHaters said this is last year's iPhone coated in plastic and no one is going to be interested in a year-old smartphone when they can get a Samsung Galaxy S4 for half the price of an iPhone 5c. A plastic coating doesn't add to the value. Most analysts have already predicted that no one in China can afford to buy a plastic iPhone for $500 when there are plenty of brand new, large-display Android smartphones selling for $50 that are just as good, if not better than an iPhone 5c. Most of Wall Street is sure that Apple will only be able to sell about 1000 iPhone 5c units in all of China for 2013. There's just no demand for Apple iPhones with a TINY display when you have Android smartphones available for less money with the biggest displays in the world.

/s

Apple will always sell a s**tload of iPhones regardles what's inside it. They could have put 4S interiors in the same plastic coating and it had sold great. As long as they say it's new and brilliant in some way and has the apple on the back people won't care if it's overpriced or an old phone in new clothes.

 

[Nale72]

There were certainly some people who said it would be a flop. If you weren't one of those people, the comment wasn't directed to you.

Even more people on this forum (98/100?) called BS on reports of a plastic iPhone when they started circulating. There was no way Apple would sink so low that they would make a plastic phone (again). They said that would go against everything Apple and iPhone stood for, a premium phone out of premium (=metal and glass) materials. Anyone thinking there were a bit of truth in those rumors didn't know a thing about their precious Apple.

And if you had predicted that Apple would starting to sell pastel colored plastic phones with a new flat/cartoony pastel OS you would have been laughed at and ridiculed for sure.

 

[topper24hours]

Sell like hot cakes on a summers day in a heat wave maybe.
The two networks I have friends at have said huge lack of interest, 5S is what people are interested in

Lol @ your "network friends".
I mean, analysts are guesstimating 2.2 million preorders so far.... but I don't want to undervalue the opinion of your two buddies, who CLEARLY would have an inside scoop on how many people are staying home & preordering the iPhone 5C online.

/s

 

[olowott]

The plastic upgrade

 

[macs4nw]

Quote: Darrell Etherington, TechCrunch, "To date, Apple's choice of materials has been one of its prime differentiating factors, at least from an aesthetics point of view, vs. the Android crop of competitors. So does dipping back into a polycarbonate shell threaten the image Apple has tried so hard to cultivate?"

So damn true!

Seen way to many man-years of development in firmware, FPGA cells, electrical hardware design and printed circuit board layout thrown in the cheapest metal box or plastic injection form to save a buck or so per unit.

This destroys first impression potential as some accountant screams he "made money" by increasing per-unit product margin in a build with no sense of artistry.

And they wonder why the sales were so soft ...

If by 'they' you are referring to Apple, you conveniently left out the rest of Darrell Etherington's quote:

"Darrell Etherington, TechCrunch: To date, Apple's choice of materials has been one of its prime differentiating factors, at least from an aesthetics point of view, vs. the Android crop of competitors. So does dipping back into a polycarbonate shell threaten the image Apple has tried so hard to cultivate?"

"The answer is a resounding 'No.' Apple notes that the iPhone 5c is actually polycarbonate because it wanted to get the colors just right, and doing so in metal just wasn't feasible. Further, it points out that there's a steel frame (which doubles as an antenna) girding that polycarbonate shell, which results in a phone that feels sturdy in the hand, without the flex or perceived fragility of other plastic device designs."

As far as "why the sales were so soft" is concerned, we're talking pre-orders here. It's not even out yet, much less hard data on sales. Let's wait a bit before we jump to conclusions…..

 

[Boris-VTR]

There were certainly some people who said it would be a flop. If you weren't one of those people, the comment wasn't directed to you.

Well wait for selling stats. Couple paid reviews don't mean anything.
Since iPhone still have some momentum, it wont flop.

 

[Fruit Cake]

I bet it'll scratch like a mofo

 

[Freeks]

Super lol:
"We’re not going to lie. The iPhone 5c is gorgeous – we’d even argue that it’s the most beautiful iPhone since the 4 and 4s."

Well, 4 and 4s are butt ugly compared to Lumias. Now when they copied colors from Lumias they start to look decent.

But i didn't buy my iPhone 4s for the looks.

 

[Padraig]

Not sure about how it's selling, could see a price cut in 6 months time. This is the first time in a few years that Apple haven't released pre-order numbers on a new phone.

 

[sjo]

At least we now know which tech "review" sites are fully controlled by the Apple spin marketing

All the tech review this model deserves is "see last years review add colorful plastics. Let's see again next year".

 

[iChrist]

Lauren Goode, AllThingsD
The iPhone 5C has the same A6 processor and the same 4-inch Retina display as the iPhone 5. Colors on the 5C’s display look warmer.

Ok, a yellow tinted cheaper display too?

How is this only $100 less than the far superior 5S?? It should be free.

 

[Xiroteus]

I noticed that some reviews are still calling it the budget iPhone which it never was. Even though I don't want one I still would like to see better colors next year and BLACK!! and match the front to the back so it could at least look somewhat right.

Apple needs to redesign half the products to look better.

 

[iBug2]

I don't think 5S will sell more than this at first since Apple doesn't have enough inventory of 5S. People will be on the waiting list for 5S for weeks.

 

[patent10021]

Color is a 'Breath of Fresh Air', Will 'Sell Like Hot Cakes'

Will sell like cupcakes.

 

[Madhawk]

It will sell, but it's still expensive for the rest of the world.

Deep down I wanted this phone to flop, just to teach Apple a lesson, but unfortunately I know this phone will be a success and Apple will be smiling once again all the way to the bank.

 

[vmistery]

Personally I'd like the 5s in a new black 5c case because with the 5s I suspect the edges colour will just rub away over time leaving a much worse look just like the 5. I also am happy to have some weight added to give me some extra battery life. I wonder how many others are the same?

 

[booksacool1]

I don't think this will 'sell like hot cakes'. It might not be a flop but the pricing is simply too close to the 5S for it to sway a large chunk of buyers.

I'm not sure how Apple is going to convince people to buy last gen technology when the latest and greatest is only $130AUD more. That $130 gets you a doubling of speed, M7, better camera, fingerprint reader and of course the nice metal case.