I think Apple is in for a big, big surprise......

[Markiie]

At this point all we can do is speculate what features/spec both the 5C and the 5S will have but this is just my opinion and would like to see what you guys think as well......

Depending how watered down the 5C is going to be compared to the 5S or on the flip side how much better the 5S is going to be over the 5C i just have a feeling that the 5C will really put a big hurt on the 5S sales. Lets just say the 5C is the iPhone 5's equal. What features would the 5S need to have for you to justify the cost between the two? Obviously, most of you guys respect Apple's built quality and things like that but I guess what I'm wondering what about those that are in-between? We know for sure the 5S will have the finger print technology and probably have higher memory options but would that sway the casual person to spend $200-300 dollars more?

I think by the end of the first weekend of pre-sales we are really going to see a shocking amount of sales of the 5C over the 5S.......and I mean there is going to be a HUGE differential.

 

[davenport-sr]

I don't even think there IS a 5S. Think about it. Out with the old, in with the new.

The iPhone 4, 4S, 5 are all part of the old generation. Pre-iOS 7 era. From now on Apple will only make plastic phones.

 

[Small White Car]

I think you're probably right. Mobile phones are maturing and coming down in price.

That means Apple has 3 choices:

1) Come out with a cheaper phone that slowly weans their customer base from the high-end to the lower-end of the market. Not lowest, but lower. (Just like the Macbook Air did.)

2) Ignore it all and let other companies steal all of their customers over time.

3) Switch to only selling cheaper phones and give up on the high-end market which, although smaller, will still be profitable.


They've chosen path number 1. Can you provide any compelling argument for why you think #2 or #3 would be a better idea?

 

[jb1280]

why would Apple be in for a surprise? By all accounts, the iPad mini outsells the iPad. the iPod nano certainly outsold the iPod classic. I'm sure Apple assumes the 5C will outsell the 5S.

It's better for the 5C to outsell the 5S than some other OEM's phone outselling the 5S.

 

[davenport-sr]

Money. The high end market is more profitable in the long run.

Customers might snap up the phones quickly, but once the market is oversaturated, —which will be soon— with cheap phones, they will have no where else to go.

Didn't they learn from Samsung?

 

[user-name-here]

I just have a feeling that the 5C will really put a big hurt on the 5S sales

People were saying the same things you are when Apple came out with the lower cost iPad mini ("ZOMG it will cannibalize sales of the higher price iPadz!"), yet somehow Apple turned out fine

 

[craigcoffee]

Waiting for the announcement as well...

I'm a 4S user, and possibly will upgrade this cycle. Assuming that the 5C is a repackaged and lower cost iPhone5, it is (in my mind) the first to consider. So my view is that I really want to know what the 5S gets you @ $300 more in (non-contract) price. If it's good enough, I'll definitely consider!

 

[Motherload0211]

I don't even think there IS a 5S. Think about it. Out with the old, in with the new.

The iPhone 4, 4S, 5 are all part of the old generation. Pre-iOS 7 era. From now on Apple will only make plastic phones.

Can't believe one would even post this. Got banned I see. 5C and 5S have been rumored now for good while, parts have to shown and this post just doesn't make sense.

Really can't wait until the 10th to get this over with and we shall all see.

 

[mcdj]

I don't really get the logic behind making the 5C a repackaged 5. If the 5 gets discontinued, and the price lowers to the 5C range, why would anyone not choose the more robust 5 over the 5C?

And don't most people who wanted a 5 already have one? Apple surely isn't going to sell many, if any, 5Cs to current 5 owners.

The smart thing to do would be to level the playing field between the 5S and 5C...make both with the same basic guts, but different hardware features (camera, biometrics, etc) and different housings.

As it is now, the 5C potentially just makes the 5 a better value.

 

[Peter.]

I don't really get the logic behind making the 5C a repackaged 5. If the 5 gets discontinued, and the price lowers to the 5C range, why would anyone not choose the more robust 5 over the 5C?

And don't most people who wanted a 5 already have one? Apple surely isn't going to sell many, if any, 5Cs to current 5 owners.

The smart thing to do would be to level the playing field between the 5S and 5C...make both with the same basic guts, but different hardware features (camera, biometrics, etc) and different housings.

As it is now, the 5C potentially just makes the 5 a better value.

Does it though?

I haven't really kept up with the updates but from my understanding, the iPhone 5c will start at around $400 out of contract whereas the iPhone 5, even after the release of the 5s, will come up to $550. Assuming they keep things proportional, the 5 will be $100 with a new contract and I assume the 5c would be free with a new contract. So there's going to be a difference of either $100 (with a new contract) or $150 (without a contract). If the internals are the same for the most part and it's just the plastic shell that differentiates the two, I could see people opting for the 5c.

Just my $0.02 though.

 

[rjkgr]

i believe on sept 10, they have a big surprise because this is the first time since the 4s that they are having a event at apple headquarters and before it was siri which was a big feature for them

 

[dvoros]

apple surprise

Apple is in for a surprise alright. When people see the plastic phones and the identical iPhone 5s they will all flock to Samsung or HTC for their next phones. We need larger screens and Apple gives us the finger. Well, we will see how many middle fingers Apple will receive next week.

 

[user-name-here]

Apple is in for a surprise alright. When people see the plastic phones and the identical iPhone 5s they will all flock to Samsung or HTC for their next phones.

Sorry you won't get the bigger screen that you want but me personally I'm happy with the direction Apple is going

 

[swish2351]

I don't care about the price, I'm not purchasing a plastic phone. The 5S and 5C could be the exact same phone just with a different finish and I would still pay whatever the 5S costed

 

[Zerilos]

Money. The high end market is more profitable in the long run.

Customers might snap up the phones quickly, but once the market is oversaturated, —which will be soon— with cheap phones, they will have no where else to go.

Didn't they learn from Samsung?

I've read that Apple makes about $300 per device after they're sold via software and media sales . If Apple were smart, they'd be selling their phones at cost in order to quadruple sales. This would drive up revenue from the app store and iTunes and generate even greater interest from developers to work exclusively on iOS. Of course, I'm not sure that they could actually manufacture devices at that rate, even though Samsung seems to be able to do it.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Can't believe one would even post this. Got banned I see. 5C and 5S have been rumored now for good while, parts have to shown and this post just doesn't make sense.

Really can't wait until the 10th to get this over with and we shall all see.

Although I don't think he is right, I'm pretty sure he didn't get banned for this post!

 

[paulbennett95]

Apple's margins are going to be greater on the 5C than the 5S, so the greater sales of the 5C coupled with the greater margins will definitely make up for any cannibalization of the 5S's sales.

 

[ditzy]

I've read that Apple makes about $300 per device after they're sold via software and media sales . If Apple were smart, they'd be selling their phones at cost in order to quadruple sales. This would drive up revenue from the app store and iTunes and generate even greater interest from developers to work exclusively on iOS. Of course, I'm not sure that they could actually manufacture devices at that rate, even though Samsung seems to be able to do it.

The App Store and iTunes exist to support hardware sales, where apple make their money. Going the opposite way around doesn't make financial sense.

 

[g0odfr1end102]

I don't even think there IS a 5S. Think about it. Out with the old, in with the new.

The iPhone 4, 4S, 5 are all part of the old generation. Pre-iOS 7 era. From now on Apple will only make plastic phones.

Nope.

Jim Dalrymple asked me to tell you that.

 

[iapplelove]

Apple's margins are going to be greater on the 5C than the 5S, so the greater sales of the 5C coupled with the greater margins will definitely make up for any cannibalization of the 5S's sales.

the only person who knows anything about business here.

 

[GBR]

This is why I strongly believe the 5c is paving the way for a 4.5-5" iPhone. Whether its the 5s or the 6 there just isn't enough separating the two if there isn't a screen size difference. It just makes so much sense to have a 4" entry level iPhone 5c and a 5" premium iPhone 5s/6 with a super slim bezel so the overall size isn't that much different.

 

[watchthisspace]

Apple is in for a surprise alright. When people see the plastic phones and the identical iPhone 5s they will all flock to Samsung or HTC for their next phones. We need larger screens and Apple gives us the finger. Well, we will see how many middle fingers Apple will receive next week.

You'll be in for a surprise too

 

[blerns3]

After seeing this thread I decided to test it on a group of friends I was with at dinner tonight. 4 other people who knew nothing of the new iPhones. I said "hey did you hear about the new iPhones? They're called the 5S and 5C and they have these features..." etc.

One is a windows phone guy and said "I don't see how apple could have a fully functional biometric fingerprint scanner" blah blah blah lol.

One loved the idea of the 5S's new features (currently has a 4S) and said he'll get it eventually.

Other two, also owner's of the 4S, both said they would get the 5C because of the pretty new colors. These were the two women in the group. Not being sexist, just pointing it out as a fact.

So no, I don't think Apple is in for a surprise. I think they know exactly who they're targeting and expects to sell to those people.

 

[woodekm]

It would be cool if the cheaper phone coming out, was to satisfy people that want a new, "original" sized iPhone. And the other version phone to be announced, to be the higher end, True apple quality, larger iPhone.

We know that ain't happenin' though. Apples going to milk the current sized phone for all it's got.

 

[whtrbt7]

Apple is going to get a big surprise but I think it will be the other way than a lot of pessimistic sentiment going on macrumors. I think that Apple will see almost double the profit by 2014 Q1. There's going to be a surge of purchasing activity this Q4 and I think Apple is going to get a really big slice. I can definitely see 5Cs outselling the 5S units and I think that iOS is going to regain some of that lost ground from Android.