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iPhone 5C, whats the point?

johnseattle said:
I don't see how a "cheaper " iphone really matters as when you buy the phone subsidized it's still likely to be at least 199 for the entry level model which will be the same as the iPhone 5s. :rolleyes:

I'm only referring to buyers in the USA, i know people in other countries oddly like to buy their phone outright.
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Well, some people don't have the luxury of being able to spend $600 on a phone.
 
johnseattle said:
I don't see how a "cheaper " iphone really matters as when you buy the phone subsidized it's still likely to be at least 199 for the entry level model which will be the same as the iPhone 5s. :rolleyes:

I'm only referring to buyers in the USA, i know people in other countries oddly like to buy their phone outright.
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Thats the thing, Apple isnt just thinking about the US, they're thinking of increasing their market share everywhere; China, India, SE Asia, etc., countries where people tend to buy phones outright instead of getting tied to a plan. I am from Asia, and only about 40% of the people I know are on plans. Most still prefer being on prepaid, getting phones outright, and straight up owning it, instead of being owned for 2~ years by the provider.

To do this, they need a "relevant"/new model that they can place smack in the middle of the price range. The 5c does this.

Discontinuing the iPhone 5 makes sense, since they're replacing it with the newer flagship, the 5s. The 5 would only compete with the 5s, since it would be priced only slightly cheaper, but not quite cheap enough to be placed in the middle of the price range; the area where the 5c is aimed at. By doing this, they would have products throughout the price range. The 5s at the top, 5c in the middle, and the 4/4s and other older models in the bottom.

And no, it seems that the 5c wont be replacing the 4/4s, since its been doing well in emerging markets according to recent reports.
 
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HankHowdy said:
I wouldn't be surprised if this phone is never offered in the US.
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I've seen this suggested a number of times, but can you imagine the launch event where they announce this product, hold it up in their hands, look into the camera and say, "yes, it's new, it's great, and it's now available, but not in the US, where we all happen to be at this moment right now." :p

It would be beyond strange to announce a new product and not allow the American market to have it, wouldn't it?
 
Apple wants a cheaper phone without contracts for markets like China and India.

4 and 4S are doing that job currently, but they aren't 4 inch in screen size

Selling iPhone 5 for 300 to 500 $ without contract won't be feasible for apple

So that is where the 5C would fit the bill perfectly.
 
jav6454 said:
While it's true that the iPhone is a luxury item, it is also true that not every country has carriers that subsidize the price of the device.
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All smartphones with pricey data plans are luxury goods/services.
 
johnseattle said:
I don't see how a "cheaper " iphone really matters as when you buy the phone subsidized it's still likely to be at least 199 for the entry level model which will be the same as the iPhone 5s. :rolleyes:

I'm only referring to buyers in the USA, i know people in other countries oddly like to buy their phone outright.
Click to expand...

What's odd about buying your phone outright? When you buy a subsidized phone, it's a loan, and you pay a lot in interest per month for this loan. Buying a $750 iPhone outright might be a lot of money upfront, but when you have a plan that doesn't have a subsidy cost per month built-in, you actually save a LOT of money over the two years you have the phone. Plus, since everyone with a smartphone in a particular company (Verizon, etc.) is forced to pay the same subsidy per month anyway, regardless of how much their phone costs, the ones who get the cheaper phones end up losing out the most. And the worst part about the subsidy? Even after two years when you have "paid it off," they still include the subsidy in your bill every month. So for people who get a two-year contract subsidized phone and keep it longer than two years, it's the equivalent of paying off your mortage but having to keep sending in monthly payments anyway.

I'm not saying that everyone in the US should be forced to pay outright for their phones; there should definitely be a choice. I'm just saying that if you have the money available, it's ALWAYS cheaper in the long-run to buy your phone outright, even if it's a really expensive one like the iPhone.
 
Also more iOS devices on the planet means more revenue for Apple's app and music stores. Cheaper devices means more people having access to an iPhone.
 
I think it's an evident move to counter the competition with the cheaper android market. A cheaper iPhone also will make it more difficult to sell an older model on the second hand market.
 
WilliamLondon said:
I've seen this suggested a number of times, but can you imagine the launch event where they announce this product, hold it up in their hands, look into the camera and say, "yes, it's new, it's great, and it's now available, but not in the US, where we all happen to be at this moment right now." :p

It would be beyond strange to announce a new product and not allow the American market to have it, wouldn't it?
Click to expand...

I think it would be weird for it to be available in the us and have subsidized pricing. Wouldn't it be free? It wouldn't have the same price point as the 5 when it was released.

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divergirl said:
What's odd about buying your phone outright? When you buy a subsidized phone, it's a loan, and you pay a lot in interest per month for this loan. Buying a $750 iPhone outright might be a lot of money upfront, but when you have a plan that doesn't have a subsidy cost per month built-in, you actually save a LOT of money over the two years you have the phone. Plus, since everyone with a smartphone in a particular company (Verizon, etc.) is forced to pay the same subsidy per month anyway, regardless of how much their phone costs, the ones who get the cheaper phones end up losing out the most. And the worst part about the subsidy? Even after two years when you have "paid it off," they still include the subsidy in your bill every month. So for people who get a two-year contract subsidized phone and keep it longer than two years, it's the equivalent of paying off your mortage but having to keep sending in monthly payments anyway.

I'm not saying that everyone in the US should be forced to pay outright for their phones; there should definitely be a choice. I'm just saying that if you have the money available, it's ALWAYS cheaper in the long-run to buy your phone outright, even if it's a really expensive one like the iPhone.
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For people who live in the US it doesn't matter if they buy their phone outright or with a subsidy since the plan rates don't change if you're going with the four largest carriers here. Kinda sucks.

When my contract ends my plan rate will not go down. Lame.
 
The 5C is designed specifically for the 90% of people who put a stupid 3rd party plastic case on their iPhone. It's for you, you, and you! The iPhone as is, being slightly too pricy for some; they feel compelled to put a protective case around it and cover up the actual apple device and its logo.

The casual and unreflective racism of "oh, the iPhone C is for Asia." Belies the acts most people accessorize their own phone in the west because they are afraid of damaging something slightly too expensive for their pocketbooks.

Some of these same people also want to personalize their iPhone, so the different colors allow them to do so without being, "forced" to buy a 3rd party accessory.

Extra tip: the gold option iPhone is for the up-coming iwatch. most metalic watches come in silver and gold. Now apple has both colors.
 
HankHowdy said:
I think it would be weird for it to be available in the us and have subsidized pricing. Wouldn't it be free? It wouldn't have the same price point as the 5 when it was released.

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For people who live in the US it doesn't matter if they buy their phone outright or with a subsidy since the plan rates don't change if you're going with the four largest carriers here. Kinda sucks.

When my contract ends my plan rate will not go down. Lame.
Click to expand...

I could be wrong, but I think the major carriers also have prepaid plans if you dig a little deeper (they just don't always advertise it since they want your $$$), and these plans don't have subsidies built-in. There's no contract, and you buy the phone outright. I don't think they have family plan options though, which is why I personally went with Ting (a prepaid carrier that uses the Sprint network) since they allow family members to pool minutes, texts, and data. But I'm pretty sure that even if you stay with the main four carriers, prepaid (and thus unsubsidized) is still an option.

Edit: For example, it looks like Verizon charges $60 a month for 2 gigs of data and unlimited calling and texting for both prepaid and postpaid plans, but with a subsidized postpaid plan, there's an additional $40/month "line-access fee" per phone (i.e., subsidy). Over 2 years that works out to be $960 extra. If you paid $200 upfront for the $650 iPhone, that leaves $450 left unpaid. So over two years you contribute $450 toward the phone itself, and $510 towards interest. So it seems even staying with Verizon proper, you save a lot by going prepaid.

Verizon prepaid: http://www.verizonwireless.com/prepaid
Verizon subsidized: http://www.verizonwireless.com/wcms/consumer/shop/share-everything.html

Note: They don't seem to offer the iPhone through Verizon as prepaid, but you can still BRING a Verizon iPhone (like one bought off of eBay, etc.) and activate it on a prepaid Verizon plan. But honestly, it still seems like too much hassle. I'd urge anyone who wants to save money by buying their phone upfront to either stick with T-Mobile/AT&T and buy the unlocked iPhone straight from Apple, or to just go with another prepaid carrier that offers the iPhone.
 
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teleromeo said:
I think it's an evident move to counter the competition with the cheaper android market. A cheaper iPhone also will make it more difficult to sell an older model on the second hand market.
Click to expand...

Nonsense. Apple has typically sold the older versions of the iPhone as budget models.

The 5C is the exact same thing but with a redesigned housing to increase Apple's margins, decrease outright pricing, and simplify manufacturing.

The core concept is what Apple has always done.
 
HankHowdy said:
I think it would be weird for it to be available in the us and have subsidized pricing. Wouldn't it be free? It wouldn't have the same price point as the 5 when it was released.

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For people who live in the US it doesn't matter if they buy their phone outright or with a subsidy since the plan rates don't change if you're going with the four largest carriers here. Kinda sucks.

When my contract ends my plan rate will not go down. Lame.
Click to expand...

At last someone who understands that there outside the US there are different price plans for the same service for those who own their phone outright compared to those who take the subsidized phone.

I lived in the US for 10 years until 2 years ago and always owned an unlocked phone, generally full price because of the need to use different sims when travelling.

I am now on a SIM only plan in the UK with unlimited everything for $30 per month. I am sure if ATT offered different plans for those who were prepared to purchase the phone outright then the market would be very different.

In response to the person asking why we need to ability to switch carrier. In my case my previous plan was $20 a month for 600 minutes, unlimited text and 1 G of data per month. It was a simple decision to go unlimited everything with a different carrier for $30 per month that included tethering.

The UK market is very competitive with more choice than the US. There is also no historical standard differences like you have with Verizon.
 
blairh said:
Oddly? In some countries you are forced to pay full price for your phone.

The cheaper iPhone makes the most sense for emerging countries. It's also going to do very well in America. It won't be $199 on-contract but rather free like the 4 currently is. And best part it should be very affordable off-contract too.
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If it's free on contract and has the 4" screen and LTE like the 5, that's a done deal for me. I'll snap it up on day one!

I wonder what features Apple could drop to further bring the price down?

Drop the IPS screen? Maybe, but even the 5th gen iPod Touch uses it now.
Reduce the camera specs to 5MP and use the same sensor as the 4S?
Drop LTE and make it a 3G phone? Could happen.
We know they think they're saving some serious money on making the case plastic.
Dropping Siri?

Any thoughts, anyone?
 
Irishman said:
If it's free on contract and has the 4" screen and LTE like the 5, that's a done deal for me. I'll snap it up on day one!

I wonder what features Apple could drop to further bring the price down?

Drop the IPS screen? Maybe, but even the 5th gen iPod Touch uses it now.
Reduce the camera specs to 5MP and use the same sensor as the 4S?
Drop LTE and make it a 3G phone? Could happen.
We know they think they're saving some serious money on making the case plastic.
Dropping Siri?

Any thoughts, anyone?
Click to expand...

What terrible ideas... The camera would probably save $5 per phone, no LTE would make it a phone that nobody wants, and drop Siri? Really? Does Siri charge apple every time it's used? It's software, that wouldn't save them anything
 
Bargle said:
The 5C is designed specifically for the 90% of people who put a stupid 3rd party plastic case on their iPhone. It's for you, you, and you! The iPhone as is, being slightly too pricy for some; they feel compelled to put a protective case around it and cover up the actual apple device and its logo.

The casual and unreflective racism of "oh, the iPhone C is for Asia." Belies the acts most people accessorize their own phone in the west because they are afraid of damaging something slightly too expensive for their pocketbooks.

Some of these same people also want to personalize their iPhone, so the different colors allow them to do so without being, "forced" to buy a 3rd party accessory.

Extra tip: the gold option iPhone is for the up-coming iwatch. most metalic watches come in silver and gold. Now apple has both colors.
Click to expand...

We put cases on our phones because they're fragile. If I had a 3GS, no case.

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divergirl said:
I could be wrong, but I think the major carriers also have prepaid plans if you dig a little deeper (they just don't always advertise it since they want your $$$), and these plans don't have subsidies built-in. There's no contract, and you buy the phone outright. I don't think they have family plan options though, which is why I personally went with Ting (a prepaid carrier that uses the Sprint network) since they allow family members to pool minutes, texts, and data. But I'm pretty sure that even if you stay with the main four carriers, prepaid (and thus unsubsidized) is still an option.

Edit: For example, it looks like Verizon charges $60 a month for 2 gigs of data and unlimited calling and texting for both prepaid and postpaid plans, but with a subsidized postpaid plan, there's an additional $40/month "line-access fee" per phone (i.e., subsidy). Over 2 years that works out to be $960 extra. If you paid $200 upfront for the $650 iPhone, that leaves $450 left unpaid. So over two years you contribute $450 toward the phone itself, and $510 towards interest. So it seems even staying with Verizon proper, you save a lot by going prepaid.

Verizon prepaid: http://www.verizonwireless.com/prepaid
Verizon subsidized: http://www.verizonwireless.com/wcms/consumer/shop/share-everything.html

Note: They don't seem to offer the iPhone through Verizon as prepaid, but you can still BRING a Verizon iPhone (like one bought off of eBay, etc.) and activate it on a prepaid Verizon plan. But honestly, it still seems like too much hassle. I'd urge anyone who wants to save money by buying their phone upfront to either stick with T-Mobile/AT&T and buy the unlocked iPhone straight from Apple, or to just go with another prepaid carrier that offers the iPhone.
Click to expand...

They only allow certain phones on their prepaid service. None of them that I would touch. If you want the latest and best phones, then prepaid on verizon is not for you.
 
The 5C is rumoured, and likely, to take the place of the low end offering - taking the place the iPhone 4 has in the current line up. This would mean that it would be offered for free or very low cost compared to the 5S at $199 (assuming the 5S also retains a similar price point to its predecessor).

This moves all Apple's iPhone offerings to to a single screen size and lightning connector platform with differentiators in price and features. Seems like a no brainer to me.
 
HiRisk said:
All smartphones with pricey data plans are luxury goods/services.
Click to expand...

You do realise that there is more to the world than just the USA?

In many parts of Africa and some parts of Asia, a cellphone is the equivalent of a landline in the US or Europe. There is little or no infrastructure, other than base stations with solar/battery back up in some areas that allow that population to communicate. Even where there might be old landlines, they won't have ADSL or any form of fast Internet.

They are also needing an Internet capable phone now, think of the farmer needing to communicate with suppliers, the vet, his customers.

Small businesses doing the same, like coffee or tea growers with small factories.

Android is eating up this business, Apple want a part of it.
 
iPhone 5C, whats the point?

Bargle said:
The 5C is designed specifically for the 90% of people who put a stupid 3rd party plastic case on their iPhone. It's for you, you, and you! The iPhone as is, being slightly too pricy for some; they feel compelled to put a protective case around it and cover up the actual apple device and its logo.
Click to expand...

And this is a good move IMO. While people may be upset about a plastic unibody, it is undeniable that plastic usually does not shatter like glass or dent like metal. High quality Plastic has great ability to withstand impacts and retain original shape.

This is great for kids, and adults with butterfingers. A more damage resistant phone means less worry. For those of us who want the more premium materials, the iPhone 5S will still be there.

My guess is that 5C will have worldwide LTE capability, Siri, and nearly the same internals as the iPhone 5. Carriers do NOT want non-LTE devices today. This will not be a "cheap" phone, but I think it will be excellent value for the midrange.
 
swish2351 said:
What terrible ideas... The camera would probably save $5 per phone, no LTE would make it a phone that nobody wants, and drop Siri? Really? Does Siri charge apple every time it's used? It's software, that wouldn't save them anything
Click to expand...

Those were questions, not suggestions that would save money.

So, is changing the case material the only way Apple can make the iPhone 5 cheaper?

You didn't comment on dropping the IPS screen question.
 
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