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iPhone 5C - Why the hell is it so expensive?

Hustler1337

Hustler1337

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Dec 23, 2010
1,856
1,612
London, UK
I thought the iPhone 5C was supposed to appeal to a more 'mass-market' or for emerging markets, typically aimed at those who couldn't afford the standard iPhones and for Apple to gain a greater market share.

At $549 / £469 for the 16GB version, it certainly isn't cheap. In fact, you could get a Samsung Galaxy S4 at a similar price. So why would someone want to buy a plastic iPhone at an extortionate price, even though it may essentially be an iPhone 5 in a plastic housing?

Apple have certainly got their pricing wrong on this one. What was the purpose of the iPhone 5C? If anything, it's ruining their premium, high-end brand image.
 
Hustler1337 said:
I thought the iPhone 5C was supposed to appeal to a more 'mass-market' or for emerging markets, typically aimed at those who couldn't afford the standard iPhones and for Apple to gain a greater market share.
Click to expand...

Did Apple ever promise this?

I can't find a link anywhere of Apple ever stating that this was their intention.
 
they're ********** mad, 599 euros for a plastic iphone - and how much does it cost them, 100, 150 euros to make? and even lifting the 5S's price even higher, they have to be mad. but then it's apple, they can do whatever they want and people will still buy their products
 
Hustler1337 said:
In fact, you could get a Samsung Galaxy S4 at a similar price. So why would someone want to buy a plastic iPhone at an extortionate price, even though it may essentially be an iPhone 5 in a plastic housing?
Click to expand...

Oh and the SGS4 is not a plastic phone? :rolleyes:
 
The issue is the pricing difference between the two models.

5C base model is $99 on contract.
5S base model is $199 on contract.

That is only a difference of $100. If you can afford the monthly cost of having an iPhone, you can afford an extra one time payment of $100 for a waaay better phone. I'm very surprised the difference is only $100. I would have expected the 5C to be $49 base model and the 5S to be $199 base model. Or, even have the 5C base model be free on contract.

$100 between "low end" and "high end" for a smartphone is nothing considering how much you pay each month to the carrier.
 
I'm disappointed with this for sure. If the 5S didn't impress me the 5C off contract was going to be my next phone. But not at that price.
 
I will buy galaxy note 3 this time and see how it works out for me. Hopefully apple will release something more reasonable next year. In worst case, if I don't like note, I will keep my 4s :D
 
saving107 said:
Did Apple ever promise this?

I can't find a link anywhere of Apple ever stating that this was their intention.
Click to expand...

saving107 said:
Did Apple ever promise this?

I can't find a link anywhere of Apple ever stating that this was their intention.
Click to expand...

I don't think Apple ever officially stated that this was their intention, but the whole idea behind creating the iPhone 5C was to release a cheaper iPhone. Consequently, the assumption would be that the intention of Apple was to aim this product at those who typically buy lower-cost phones, e.g. in emerging economies, for teenagers, students etc. The general view that seemed to be circulating was that Apple was long planning on releasing a low-cost iPhone in order to increase their market share lost to Android/Windows/Blackberry and other users.

What other plausible intention could Apple have had in releasing the iPhone 5C? Plastic certainly isn't their style.

At that price point, people with common sense are just going to buy a different device. There isn't much of a price difference between the 5C and 5C. If they can afford to buy a 5C, then they can generally afford to buy a 5S.
 
"Analysts" and rumor sites claimed a cheaper iPhone. No one at Apple mentioned it, officially. No one can be pissed that a rumor didn't pan out or that Apple isn't handing over a plastic iPhone for pennies off contract.
 
Well, Apple will find out soon enough if this pricing will take off or not. If not, apple will have to make an adjustment or take a hit. If the other markets think its doable, than Apple has another winner. It is a real stretch with this pricing
 
ABC5S said:
Well, Apple will find out soon enough if this pricing will take off or not. If not, apple will have to make an adjustment or take a hit. If the other markets think its doable, than Apple has another winner. It is a real stretch with this pricing
Click to expand...

I don't think apple will sell a single 5c in foreign market if people are not stupid.
 
Bit of a fail on Apple part on the 5C prices, they had a real opportunity to lure some new customers by producing a low price phone. They aren't going to do that with a overpriced 5C and a spec bumped 5S.
 
intentional said:
Like I said for months, Apple doesn't make cheap products.

There was no low cost.
Click to expand...

How much are iPod nanos/shuffles? They are CHEAP. They get young users using Apple products. Once Apple released the iPod Nano at about £100, they started shifting a lot of units.

Looks like Apple can't make enough margin on a low end phone yet without too many compromises. So they will never capture the teenage phone market/emerging markets until they do.
 
Apple's intent was never to create a low cost device as most people thought. Their intent was to get rid of the iPhone 5 and have something that seperates itself from the 5S. I think a lot of people will get these colors after everything is said and done because it's still a solid device.
 
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