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I think they should have tried to undershoot if anything. As someone else said, why is Tim Cook, supposedly the king of operations despite being kinda lame in general, doing a bad job with operations?
 
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I can sum up the iPhone 5c poor sales very simply...

SHINY THINGS! SHINY THINGS!

You can only say that so many times before the kitten gets bored.

People know it's the same iPhone 5 & not cheaper. They're not stupid.

Apple had better come up with an A-GAME for the iPhone 6 because they botched it this time.

This might be the best "botch" ever then. Regardless of if the 5s sales better or not ... The 5c is still pretty much outselling EVERY android on the market in the US.

A complete failure? LMAO I honestly believe people in this forum have nothing better to do then get on these threads and talk *****.

The iPhone 5 and 5s is better to hold then the 5c is an opinion nothing more nothing less.

The 5 is more premium?? Umm maybe to you. Personally I despise the design of the 5/5s so to me there's nothing premium about them.

Like I said Apple sold 51 million iPhones. If the 5s is only outselling the 5c by 2 to 1... Then that translates into a lot if 5c's being sold... It's so damn simple
 
Apple simply priced it too high and too close to the 5S. It's an old iPhone 5 with a plastic shell and they got greedy. Make the 5C $349 unlocked and they will sell like hotcakes!

They'd cannibalize iPhone 5S sales in that case and make less profit.

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I wanted the best so I ditched my iPhone 5 for a Note 3 and never looked back.

Ew

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Purely in terms of aesthetics, the iPhone 4 design was better than that of the iPhone 5. The deep, black or white color on the back under that layer of glass was great, unlike the awkward two-tone metal that feels like it's getting scratched. But it was probably too dense.

And I could see why someone would like how a white or blue iPhone 5C looks.

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You do realize that the 5c was a complete failure, right?

No it wasn't. Compare it to the 5S sales, and look at what happened when Apple was selling the 5 and the 4S. It's basically the old model that is still being sold, as Apple has always done with iPhones. And now it's selling a lot better because it's labeled "new".
 
This might be the best "botch" ever then. Regardless of if the 5s sales better or not ... The 5c is still pretty much outselling EVERY android on the market in the US.

A complete failure? LMAO I honestly believe people in this forum have nothing better to do then get on these threads and talk *****.

The iPhone 5 and 5s is better to hold then the 5c is an opinion nothing more nothing less.

The 5 is more premium?? Umm maybe to you. Personally I despise the design of the 5/5s so to me there's nothing premium about them.

Like I said Apple sold 51 million iPhones. If the 5s is only outselling the 5c by 2 to 1... Then that translates into a lot if 5c's being sold... It's so damn simple

Actually it is not that simple. Apple is in a platform competition with Google. And to be competitive the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c need to sell at least a sizable amount of the volume the hundreds of Android phones combined are selling.

So obviously the iPhone 5c will have sold more than a Sony Xperia or the Samsung Galaxy Note III. I know market share is not everything. But if the day ever comes that the second most sold iPhone sells less than a single Android device, Apple will be in a tough spot.

It is the nature of things. If you carry all by yourself (like Apple) you have to take on a heavier load than the guys (Google) who take the help they can get. And that is how simple it is.
 
buying last years hardware, wrapped in plastic instead of metal only to save about $100 compared to the flagship new model - I´m surprised the 5c sells as it does tbh. That literally is "same ******, new wrapping" :D
 
Every year they sell last year's model at about $100 less than the new high end model...although usually with gimped storage. They do it again this year, except give a cool new look, a bigger battery, 2 viable storage sizes, and the same front-facing camera as the high end model, all for the same price, and now all of a sudden it's a bad thing? I don't get some of you guys. Of course the 5C was never going to sell a lot...they knew that. Sold a little less than they thought...but the 5S sold more. All works out in the end.

I have a blue 5C...and I love it. It's absolutely beautiful. I thought I would never own another plastic phone after my 4, but this thing is made so well and is so perfect I really have no complaints. For free, I couldn't pass it up. I didn't want to spend the money on the flagship with the new screen sizes coming, as I really want a bigger screen. So, I got a free phone until that happens. Then I'll get the next flagship. For now, this thing is still crazy fast, pretty hard to push it to the limit in anything I do.

And I love the colors...hell I had a hard time picking which one I wanted. I too am confused by the lack of black, but I love bright colors. The blue is gorgeous in real life, I think.
 
I think I was a typical first time buyer this Christmas.

I looked at both 5S and 5C. Here, in this part of Europe, I could get about $300-$400 off the price of the phones if bought with contract (about $100/month initially).

Full price at Apple Store for the 32 Gb 5S was about $1200, and about $150 less for the 5C (from memory, the Apple Store is in "back soon" mode).

So, I could get the 32Gb 5S for about $650 with a fairly hefty 4G contract, or the 5C for about $500 also with contract. Both were a considerable expense. I figured if I'm going to blow half a grand I might as well get the Touch ID.

Which is what I did, and I'm very pleased with it. Seemed like everybody had the same idea as the 32 Gb gold was sold out most of December to the New Year in three out of four of the carriers.

I do think this was a predictable supply chain mistake by Apple, given some carriers' pricing policies and the 30% mark up in Europe. Here it's not a choice of $100 vs $200 (a doubling) between the 2 models; it's $400 vs $500.

But IMHO the main problem is that Apple's release cycle is too late in the year. If they had brought their models out a month or two earlier many more 5S would have been sold. Look at what a success the MacBook Air was (I bought one of those too) - there was plenty of time to review the purchase and decide to buy it well before Christmas.
 
My iPhone 4 from 2010 is still working so I'm not in the market for a new one but if anything I'd get the 5c. I don't want Apple to collect my fingerprints and the 5s looks ugly with a bit of tape over the home button.

Apart from that I don't do too much on that thing. Phone calls, sometimes mails, writing reminders, browsing the web on public transportation and listening to music while on the road pretty much sums it up. I can't even remember the last time I have installed an app. So if I can save anything I'll do it.
 
I got the 5S, but I wish I got the 5C just because it looks cooler. Wish the 5C had the same specs as the 5S but with a different chassis.
 
hehe

stock went down 8%

Should be some people here that enjoy the fact that it means Carl iChan lost (unrealised I presume) at least 100,000,000 USD...

Personally, I see a buying opportunity...
 
I think I was a typical first time buyer this Christmas.

I looked at both 5S and 5C. Here, in this part of Europe, I could get about $300-$400 off the price of the phones if bought with contract (about $100/month initially).

Full price at Apple Store for the 32 Gb 5S was about $1200, and about $150 less for the 5C (from memory, the Apple Store is in "back soon" mode).

So, I could get the 32Gb 5S for about $650 with a fairly hefty 4G contract, or the 5C for about $500 also with contract. Both were a considerable expense. I figured if I'm going to blow half a grand I might as well get the Touch ID.

Which is what I did, and I'm very pleased with it. Seemed like everybody had the same idea as the 32 Gb gold was sold out most of December to the New Year in three out of four of the carriers.

I do think this was a predictable supply chain mistake by Apple, given some carriers' pricing policies and the 30% mark up in Europe. Here it's not a choice of $100 vs $200 (a doubling) between the 2 models; it's $400 vs $500.

But IMHO the main problem is that Apple's release cycle is too late in the year. If they had brought their models out a month or two earlier many more 5S would have been sold. Look at what a success the MacBook Air was (I bought one of those too) - there was plenty of time to review the purchase and decide to buy it well before Christmas.

Nothing personal, but to be honest, Europe and UK prices are extremely high. Cost of living in Europe is amazingly expensive. So do phones and everything else. I don't know what it is, taxes or traditions, but its very very costly place. I don't blame any European for going with cheaper Android phones or tablets, so expensive it is there. Germany is cheaper, but UK is crazy expensive.
 
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Nothing personal, but to be honest, Europe and UK prices are extremely high. Cost of living in Europe is amazingly expensive. So do phones and everything else. I don't know what it is, taxes or traditions, but its very very costly place. I don't blame any European for going with cheaper Android phones or tablets, so expensive it is there.

sure, consumer-goods are typically much more expensive. 21% sales tax is one large contributor. But virtually free education including college and university in most European countries (except for UK) and actually affordable (in many cases free) health-care makes up for a lot of the differences. Nothing personal but I don't get how anyone can afford to run a business in the US. Seems like employee no 1, 2 and 3 have to be lawyers. Then you can start doing whatever it in you do... :confused::)
 
The 5C did not sell well because the colors of the devices are AWFUL.

Get the colors right, Tim and more people will buy it. Let me make this easy for you:

Red
Black
White

You know, non-Barbie/girly colors. I can't believe how wrong all the analysis is of the 5c.

Also wound not hurt to match the front panel to the back color so it doesn't look half baked.
 
Despite the 5c value shortcomings compared with the 5s if it was available in standard (for the lack of a better name do describe it...) colours it would sell a lot better.

It could have more colours but having black (or space gray :rolleyes:) and grey would go a long way towards improving its sales. Besides white all the other offerings are niche options.

The price (outside the USA) is a also a problem. Lot's of people value Apple's experience but there's a limit of how much you can charge for that. 600€ for a 5c is just plain ridiculous. Still and despite considering that the 5c position isn't sustainable I really think that with different colours Apple would see much better sales for its one year run.
 
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Apple have missed the point with the 5C

There was huge demand for the 5c, my high school aged daughter and all her friends desperately wanted one.

But then the price was announced and there was no way anyone was going to pay that much for outdated technology, it was after all just the 5 in a plastic body.

Huge opportunity missed by Apple to grab a whole new generation that have now all gone out and bought the Samsung Galaxy

The touch is a nice gimmick but not why I bought the 5S, I upgrade along the second generation because the accessories exist by then
 
The 5C fits a specific market. Most carrier subsidized customers will opt for the higher end phone since they see no difference in cost
 
Better than expected 5S sales.

Poorer than expected 5C sales.

Best spin ever.
 
According to a post on 9to5Mac, Cook said yesterday that the 5C is selling better than the 4S was at this point last year. And that the 5C was attracting new to iPhone buyers. If that's the case I don't think it can be considered a failure. Seems to me Apple just underestimated the demand for Touch ID.

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Every year they sell last year's model at about $100 less than the new high end model...although usually with gimped storage. They do it again this year, except give a cool new look, a bigger battery, 2 viable storage sizes, and the same front-facing camera as the high end model, all for the same price, and now all of a sudden it's a bad thing? I don't get some of you guys. Of course the 5C was never going to sell a lot...they knew that. Sold a little less than they thought...but the 5S sold more. All works out in the end.

I have a blue 5C...and I love it. It's absolutely beautiful. I thought I would never own another plastic phone after my 4, but this thing is made so well and is so perfect I really have no complaints. For free, I couldn't pass it up. I didn't want to spend the money on the flagship with the new screen sizes coming, as I really want a bigger screen. So, I got a free phone until that happens. Then I'll get the next flagship. For now, this thing is still crazy fast, pretty hard to push it to the limit in anything I do.

And I love the colors...hell I had a hard time picking which one I wanted. I too am confused by the lack of black, but I love bright colors. The blue is gorgeous in real life, I think.

These kind of posts matter because they are from actual 5C owners. Most of the hate on the 5C is from people who never had any intention of buying it. If Apple keeps it around this year, introduces new colors and makes it their low end offering I think it will be very popular.
 
I think the way Apple presented the 5C also had something to do with it's poor reception. The coloured home screen combined with those crock inspired cases just look terrible.
 
Whilst I agree with the above, I still reckon that the 5C’s 'low' sales figures will still outstrip some other manufacturers’s primary handset sales many times over, so I doubt that Apple will be too stressed by it all.

Weren't we seeing numbers a month or two ago to the effect that while the 5S was the #1 selling model overall, the 5C was 3rd. Hardly a failure when you're the 3rd best in a crowded market.
 
Nothing personal, but to be honest, Europe and UK prices are extremely high. Cost of living in Europe is amazingly expensive. So do phones and everything else. I don't know what it is, taxes or traditions, but its very very costly place. I don't blame any European for going with cheaper Android phones or tablets, so expensive it is there. Germany is cheaper, but UK is crazy expensive.

UK is only crazy expansive, if you live in London. Outside there are many places with affordable cost of living. Being a European living in the United States to me it is quite the opposite. But I live in the NYC metropolitan area and therefore cannot speak about other regions which are certainly a lot cheaper.

Basically there are some things that are cheaper in the US (like consumer products, fashion) and others that are cheaper in Europe (TV, phone, mobile internet, decent food, property taxes). But the main differentiating factor in the cost of living is - to me - that there are a lot of services included or heavily subsidized in Europe (via tax money) that you have to pay in the United States.

For Germany that is:
- All Highways and bridges
- lower cost of health-care (especially for families)
- lower cost of childcare/daycare
- free junk lugging several times per year
- cheaper trash pickup service

So there is no reason to say life is cheap here and expansive in Europe. That is actually unfair to those struggling in this country. If I happened to be poor (Low income or no income) I would much prefer being poor in Germany, France or Britain to the United States.

Edit: This is not meant to be one of those Europe is better posts. The United States has great characteristics about it that I much prefer over Europe. It is just that cost of living is not one of them.
 
The thing is there are other smartphones on the market that don't have the latest and greatest or best specs but they're not labeled as last years tech. IMO the problem with the 5C is all the rumors that the "C" stood for cheap and Apple never did anything to quell those rumors. Second, this is the year they should have done away with the numbering scheme. Call it iPhone color or something else, anything but iPhone 5. Don't let the meme be its last years phone repackaged in a colored shell. I doubt the average consumer knows or cares whether their phone has "last years tech".

What's interesting is the 5C actually got good reviews. Even here most 5C owners are happy owners. It seems like one of those products where the people who hate it are ones that never had any intention of owning it in the first place. Who knows if Apple will keep it around. I actually think they should keep it as the 4S replacement and reduce the off contract price if necessary. But they may decide to scrap it. It's not like this is the first dud from Apple since Jobs 2.0. We had the buttonless shuffle, and the fat nano. And of course the cube. If nothing else perhaps the 5C experement told Apple that customers prefer metal over plastic and we won't see future plastic products from Apple. That's not a bad thing is it?

I agree.

They ditched the numbering on the iPad.
IMHO, the iPhone 5S should be named something that doesn't simply represent "the expected update".
The reason why the iPhone 3G was named so, was simply to underline the compatibility with 3G network data.
The 3GS as "okay" IMHO.

But the iPhone 4 started this mess. Something like "iPhone Glass" could have worked (insert another -and better- name before I get hammered here...)

After 4 comes 4S. Then 5.... and 5S .... 6 .... and 6S? I surely, surely hope not.

iPhone Colo(u)r and iPhone Touch (orso... I understand the issue with the iPod Touch)

Maybe a new and thinner iPhone will be called iPhone Air.

So, next gen iPhones: iPhone Air and iPhone Colo(u)r?
 
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