Foxconn's Zhengzhou Factory to Reportedly Cease Production of iPhone 5c

[TheJustAbout]

The big thing about this years iPhone 5S is the finger print reader, and we all know this is a Beta for eventually being used with a banking chip

I disagree. I find the sensor works flawlessly. If you're ever going to implement a phone to work with online payments etc I think SQRL will be the next big thing. Finger prints will never be used for the obvious reasons, near field for now isn't good enough. Be interesting to see what happens

 

[Max(IT)]

And why it's always become a sensitive topic for you?
Everytime some negative news about 5C you always come and try so hard to save the day? What's the deal here exactly?

Even your signature says it all?

Point is Apple has surplus 5C stocks in stores they have to cease productions.
So the choice here is simple; Apple ordered too many, or the demand is too low.
Either way it doesn't look good.

They didn't cease production at all ! They are still producing thousands of iPhone 5c every single day.
They are just decreasing production rate after the launch.
I can't see anything wrong with that, and I don't think Apple launched iPhone 5c to be a best seller product.

I say again: we got to compare iPhone 5c and iPhone 4S last year sells ....

 

[iliria]

In my opinion the 5C would have probably sold a lot better if it was indeed a budget model. I think Apple need to have a look at the definition of budget because I am pretty sure it isn't selling a considerably inferior product for £80 less .

 

[Twimfy]

Think the next MR article needs to be: "industry in shock as it is revealed that some people like the 5C and some don't"

/sarcasm
/opinions, opinions everywhere!

 

[RebornProphet]

Are no US carriers still carrying stock of the 5?

Every UK carrier is still offering at least the 16GB model iPhone 5 alongside the 5c and 5s.

They've paid for the units after all, so why not recoup some costs on stock by getting people on contracts with them?

 

[Mike MA]

Well, the original iPhone didn't work out either from the very beginning. Apple had to reduce the pricing. Things have happened before...

 

[69650]

Did you forget that Steve Jobs had to reduce the price of the original iPhone? And the Apple TV. Oh and how about when the first MBA was $1800? That wasn't overpriced? Quit with the stupid hysterics.

You would think they'd have learnt a few lessons by now instead of repeating the same mistakes. You forgot to mention they also just cut the price of the Retina MBPs.

What hysterics? Do explain if you can.

 

[DDaddyx2]

5c is too expensive with non-contract companies like T-Mobile. I tried helping a co-worker shop for one and she didn't want to pay $400-$500.

 

[Max(IT)]

I just don't get the "hate" for this.

* It's an improvement over the iPhone 5: sturdier body (less scratch-prone, less likely to bend), improved battery, improved front camera, and improved LTE radio with support for more frequencies.

* It's a return to a curved, plastic back that many people preferred over the boxy / square / sharp style of the 4/4S/5/5S.

* Like their iMac and iPod lines, it comes in fun colors.

* It's priced exactly where a 1-year-old iPhone would be priced at.

* It's sold better than the 4S did when the 5 was released, better than the 4 did when the 4S was released, better than the 3GS did when the 4 was released, etc.

Exactly.
To be honest I would prefer a black iPhone 5c than my iPhone 5.
iPhone 5 is premium ? Yes indeed ..... but I have to cover it with a bulky cover to avoid scratches and dents because it is sooooo prone to that.

----------

Am I the only one who wonders why the headline is

"Foxconn's Zhengzhou Factory to Reportedly Cease Production of iPhone 5c"

and not

"Foxconn will reportedly shift the Zhengzhou Factory facility's manufacturing efforts towards the iPhone 5s" ???

Because here at macrumors they are very smart and they know haters would storm the forum just to bash an apple product

 

[bobborries]

This is the first time Apple listened to tech media's call to make a cheaper phone. I hope they learn from this, cause now the media wants a bigger iPhone.

 

[50548]

The 5c should have had a lower price point and the lack of sales is indicating that Apple misread the situation

I was the first to state that the 5C would FLOP; at the time, everyone and their dog called me a "troll" or someone who had no clue about market demand.

Do you need further evidence now? The 5C is Apple's biggest failure since the Mac IIvx...it will be folded with little fanfare a few months from now, trust me.

 

[Max(IT)]

I was the first to state that the 5C would FLOP; at the time, everyone and their dog called me a "troll" or someone who had no clue about market demand.

Do you need further evidence now? The 5C is Apple's biggest failure since the Mac IIvx...it will be folded with little fanfare a few months from now, trust me.

OMG another "market expert" ....
The biggest failure .... You don't know how many they have sold and you speak about failure ....

 

[street.cory]

That's exactly what they are doing. Did you not read the article?

You'd be surprised how many people just comment based on the title.

 

[Freyqq]

It doesn't sell well because Apple is a premium brand and people buy based on looks. Previously, you could simply buy an old phone for cheaper and everyone would assume you bought it last year. Now, if you buy the cheaper phone, people know that you bought the cheaper phone just by looking at it.

 

[roadbloc]

iPhone 5C is meant to be a chaper iPhone.

And it is cheaper last time I checked. It just should have been even cheaper. A word Apple isn't very accustomed with.

 

[osx11]

So were the 3G and 3GS not the best products? They were plastic and they were the flagship device.

At the time of the 3G and 3GS, plastic was the best apple had to offer in terms of phones.

Since 2010, apple made phones out of metal, glass.

5 years ago the 5C would have been just fine.

But in 2013, the plastic 5C does not live up to Apple's standards.

----------

And it is cheaper last time I checked. It just should have been even cheaper. A word Apple isn't very accustomed with.

They always said they care about quality, materials, rigidity, etc. and now they suddenly release an outdated, expensive, plastic phone. Makes no sense.

 

[MadDog31]

I think this is where Apple made their marketing mistake. I've seen so many comments like yours. IN FACT they are selling the iPhone 5 in a slightly improved design, at the prior year model price as they did in past years.

That fact seems to be escaping the masses. Maybe the plastic back is what's turning everyone off, because they are essentially getting an iPhone 5. I think one of the previous posters nailed it by saying those who buy the 5c with its bright plastic case are screaming, "I bought the cheaper model", whereas in years past, that wasn't so distinguishable when you bought the prior year flagship model.

This I agree with (and was more or less where I was headed with what I said). I definitely understand that the hardware is largely the same, but the case itself is where people "lose out". I'm a flagship buyer, but if I were in the market for a new iPhone and I wasn't out to get the latest and greatest, I'd want an iPhone that looked like the iPhone 5, not one that runs in a range of colors in plastic. That's just me, but I know I'm hardly the only one that feels this way. Your comment was spot-on.

 

[Tiger8]

But maybe Apple doesn't want people to think twice? Maybe it wants to guide them towards the 5S? Maybe it wants to make the decision easy for them to make?

The fact remain that they overestimated the demand for C, underestimated the demand for the S. If they want to move people towards the 5s, why didn't they produce more of it and less of the C?

 

[theosib]

5C probably driving more 5S sales

Some people have complained that iPhones are too expensive. So Apple stepped up and made a cheaper iPhone. (Whether or not it’s cheap enough it a separate matter.) But now, when people get to the Apple store, the compare the 5C to the 5S, and being Apple fans, only want the shiniest, coolest, newest thing. So they change their minds at the last minute and buy a 5S. Not to say that Apple is doing a bait-and-switch, but the 5C and 4S are bringing people into the store, but more than an expected number walk out with a 5S. Apple misestimated the psychology and have had to cut production of the 5C.

In HINDSIGHT, this is not too surprising. I wouldn’t have predicted it in advance because of all the whining about needing a cheaper iPhone, but this is consistent with a common trend. Watch maker X makes a cheap model, a super expensive model, and a medium one that’s quite nice but isn’t studded with diamonds; the middle model outsells its siblings. Another example is the Chevy Corvette. It isn’t profitable on its own, but its existence leads to more sales of other models, so Chevy keeps making it.

 

[unplugme71]

Well that's news. Cheaper plastic iPhone that's not really cheaper in any significant way does not sell as well as flagship model.

Most people don't mind spending the extra $100 to get something with newer tech. Apple didn't understand this.

The only way this could have worked is

A) Apple sold the 5C for $0.01 with 2 year contract
or
B) The 5C is $5/mo cheaper on your voice/data plan.

Since Apple doesn't control B, then A is the only option.

 

[158273]

The fact remain that they overestimated the demand for C, underestimated the demand for the S. If they want to move people towards the 5s, why didn't they produce more of it and less of the C?

I think they literally had physical limitations with the 5S, in that the Touch ID sensors were hard to produce or that a lot of them came out with defects and had to be rejected. There were probably only a few manufacturers who were skilled enough to take on the production of the 5S.

I think they know that the priority is the 5S, and that they really are trying to make as many of them as possible, but that, unless they want to release "touchgate", they simply can't produce enough of them to meet the demand.

 

[Lancer]

I agree the so call cheap iPhone is not that much cheaper than the 5s, especially under contract in most countries as many people get them. Apple would have been better putting more effort into the 5s, maybe more color options with a free cover?

 

[scottsjack]

The 5C seems to be designed for people like me. I don't like the metal iPhone bodies. I prefer the plastic bodies, though the 3GS looks better due to the metal trim ring.

I'm not interested in apps, or video or gaming. Those are are areas where the 5S is clearly superior to the 5C. My 5C is primarily a phone and an extension of my Mac desktop (Mail, Contacts, Calendar, etc).

I am interested in high-quality music reproduction and WIFI speeds. The 5S has the same OK-quality DAC and headphone amp and the same wireless-N speeds.

I wasn't going to pay more for features I didn't want with no improvement to those that I want. I bought a 32GB 5C.

There just are not enough iPhone-minimalists out there sell a lot of them, especially at only $100.00 less on contract.

 

[reboylin]

Pride of ownership of an iPhone should be reinforced or at least protected by Apple. I think the color just ensures onlookers will know you bought it as a cheaper model, not the best one available. Apple should have realized they were violating a customer's ability to show off without the onlooker knowing they had bought their iPhone after it had been replaced with a superior product. Keeping the older version available enabled the price conscious customer to look just like those who bought that version when it was the best available.

Apple would not make the production effort without planning on a future where there are distinct families of phones, some, like the 5c, will look different from the top models who are dressed in a superior material. This period will cause adjustment in their customer's images of ownership. iPhones with larger screens will further complicate the iPone line. I would think it wise if Apple had colored versions of these different models available at launch. Then, they'd begin building family groupings with loyal customers to each variation.

 

[Dmunjal]

And it is cheaper last time I checked. It just should have been even cheaper. A word Apple isn't very accustomed with.

All you have to do is look at prices in the secondary market. 5C prices are dropping like a stone. I've never seen an Apple product with such poor resale value.