iPhone 5s Outsells iPhone 5c by ~3.5x in Launch Weekend According to Analytics Data

[i.mac]

Seems right to me as i bought 3 5s and one 5c.

Why 3 5s? Because i could't decide between space grey and gold so i got both, and the white one is for my collection, i didn't even opened the box.
Why one 5c? For my collection, i don't plan to use it.

I would like to see your collection. Pictures/movies?

 

[SmoMo]

I like MacRumors a lot, in fact I visit it many times a day, kind of addicted to it I suppose, and I love reading the comments as well.

There is something I don't understand though, and that is why people aren't more respectful of Apple, considering that they are good at what they do.

So, take this current situation "Apple release a ever so slightly cheaper iPhone5c in a plastic case alongside the new iPhone 5s"

Lets, just assume, as a theoretical thought experiment, that Apple did this very specifically and deliberately, and that us humble internet users can learn something about a big global company at the cutting edge of its industry.

Isn't that much more fun than pretending that we are all blessed with some kind of street-level common-sense enlightenment that gives our opinions such awe-inspiring value?

--

I do really enjoy reading these comments, and I wouldn't bother coming to the site if I didn't, but in reality, actually sober made-of-atoms reality, we've got far more to >>>>>>>learn<<<<<<< from watching Apple, than just making up **** ourselves?

 

[MJD Dawg]

I like MacRumors a lot, in fact I visit it many times a day, kind of addicted to it I suppose, and I love reading the comments as well.

There is something I don't understand though, and that is why people aren't more respectful of Apple, considering that they are good at what they do.

So, take this current situation "Apple release a ever so slightly cheaper iPhone5c in a plastic case alongside the new iPhone 5s"

Lets, just assume, as a theoretical thought experiment, that Apple did this very specifically and deliberately, and that us humble internet users can learn something about a big global company at the cutting edge of its industry.

Isn't that much more fun than pretending that we are all blessed with some kind of street-level common-sense enlightenment that gives our opinions such awe-inspiring value?

--

I do really enjoy reading these comments, and I wouldn't bother coming to the site if I didn't, but in reality, actually sober made-of-atoms reality, we've got far more to >>>>>>>learn<<<<<<< from watching Apple, than just making up **** ourselves?

Welcome to MacRumors Phil Schiller!

 

[run1976]

Apple can't predict the future perfectly, the economy might improve dramatically over the next few months ( and this may correlate with more 5s sold than 5c ).

Alternatively the economy might get worse.

Having a 5c and a 5s available may be nothing more than an acknowledgement of a volatile economy.

--

Look at it this way, if Apple could accurately predict the economy 6 months from now, if they could predict it far better than everyone else, well they could just invest all the cash they have sat and make a massive return.

But they can't predict it, so supplying the market with these 2 phones gives them strategic options in a few months time.

A price difference of 100 Dollars means nothing, if the economy tanks again. They planned on increasing their margins with this one. That is a bad defensive move and does not bode well for the mid-term future.

 

[markyr17]

I like MacRumors a lot, in fact I visit it many times a day, kind of addicted to it I suppose, and I love reading the comments as well.

There is something I don't understand though, and that is why people aren't more respectful of Apple, considering that they are good at what they do.

So, take this current situation "Apple release a ever so slightly cheaper iPhone5c in a plastic case alongside the new iPhone 5s"

Lets, just assume, as a theoretical thought experiment, that Apple did this very specifically and deliberately, and that us humble internet users can learn something about a big global company at the cutting edge of its industry.

Isn't that much more fun than pretending that we are all blessed with some kind of street-level common-sense enlightenment that gives our opinions such awe-inspiring value?

--

I do really enjoy reading these comments, and I wouldn't bother coming to the site if I didn't, but in reality, actually sober made-of-atoms reality, we've got far more to >>>>>>>learn<<<<<<< from watching Apple, than just making up **** ourselves?

Couldn't have said it better myself. In fact, I was surprised to read these sorts of comments on this article. The way I read the article, it was a positive thing! This means that apple sold at least 2.5 million iPhone 5c's during it's opening weekend, which really isn't that bad of a number - forget about comparing it to the 5s for 2 reasons -
1. Nobody every said it was ever "supposed to" outsell the 5s, and
2. As many others have pointed out, the 5c appeals to an entirely different group of customers - the group of customers that walk into walmart, or AT&T, or even the Apple store and buy a phone out of impulse or just because it's cheap. In this case, cheap is relative, and most consumers see $99 as a 2 year contract as $99 - not the true unsubsidized cost of the phone.

I am sure Apple knows what they are doing. and that in the longrun, the 5c will come closer to the sales of the 5s. I'm not predicting that the 5c will ever catch up to the sales of the 5s, but it could happen. And remember, nobody ever said the 5c was supposed to sell more. The 5c was made so they didn't have to sell the 5 (expensive to make) at a lower price. Your idea of the 5c being successful may be completely different than Apple's expectations.

 

[Mark Booth]

I like MacRumors a lot, in fact I visit it many times a day, kind of addicted to it I suppose, and I love reading the comments as well.

There is something I don't understand though, and that is why people aren't more respectful of Apple, considering that they are good at what they do.

So, take this current situation "Apple release a ever so slightly cheaper iPhone5c in a plastic case alongside the new iPhone 5s"

Lets, just assume, as a theoretical thought experiment, that Apple did this very specifically and deliberately, and that us humble internet users can learn something about a big global company at the cutting edge of its industry.

Isn't that much more fun than pretending that we are all blessed with some kind of street-level common-sense enlightenment that gives our opinions such awe-inspiring value?

--

I do really enjoy reading these comments, and I wouldn't bother coming to the site if I didn't, but in reality, actually sober made-of-atoms reality, we've got far more to >>>>>>>learn<<<<<<< from watching Apple, than just making up **** ourselves?

Fans of other operating systems (or just Apple haters in general) are more readily entertained by coming to an Apple fan area to bash Apple and its fans. The main reason for this is many (most?) of them are teenagers or 20 or 30 somethings that still live with mommy and daddy. But beyond that, they can't have any fun in the forums of their respective favorite OS because, frankly, those places are BORING.

The best way to get it to stop is to COMPLETELY ignore them. If every Apple fan or satisfied Apple customer resisted the temptation to argue with these haters, the haters would get bored and go away.

Mark

 

[run1976]

Apples 9 million include sell-in. The channel is stocked up under the roof with iPhone 5c. That means actual sell-through numbers may be a lot lower. They offer 5 colors in two storage variants so it is ten models vs. last tears two 4s-models. They also added carriers for this years launch. Orders for the 5s that are not shipped yet are not included in the 9 million. These variants make estimates for real-world demand for the two iPhones almost impossible and certainly not comparable to any previous years numbers. Holiday sales will show where Apple is truly headed. Could still be both ways.

 

[milo]

Actually, it is amazing what they were able to do with your perception.

Or maybe different people just have different opinions, imagine that. I do stand by my suggestion that people actually check one out in person before writing it off as "plastic junk".

Also, Apple only counts sales as sales, not phones shipped but not sold. They have been making that clear for years.

Per Apples specs, it is identical in function and performance to my 5

False, there is improved camera and more frequencies supported. Not huge changes, but changes nonetheless.

Apples 9 million include sell-in.

And you make that claim based on what? Apple has always given sales numbers based on actual sales, not sending them out to stores.

 

[mdelvecchio]

Hopefully Apple realises that they priced the iPhone 5C too high and we actually get the low-cost iPhone we all wanted.

apple doesn't and won't do low-cost.

there's a great song you should look up -- "You Can't Always Get What You Want..."

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BREAKING NEWS! Apple can't sell the same product 2 years In a row.

you must be new. theyve been doing that for many years...last year's new-phone has always been this year's discounted phone. always.

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Only because the 'cheap' phone was also very expensive. If it was priced at ~£300-350 off contract, it would sell like hot cakes.

this weekend saw more S because the S came out this weekend, and because early adopters want high end.

the C will see sustained strong sales. watch and see.

 

[questioner76]

As others have noted, everyone keeps comparing sales of the 5S and 5C when the real comparison is sales of the 5C versus what Apple would have sold if it retained the 5 as a lower end phone. I think Apple make a genius move replacing the 5 with the 5C and sales of the 5C will be a lot higher than they would have been with the 5, the 5 being over a year old.

 

[xitongzou]

Most people do a contract model, though, in the US.

So it's okay.

That's only in the US. In countries like China, where this phone is targeted, it still costs > $700. Like another poster said, there's only two groups in China: the rich ones who would just buy the 5S, and the middle class which cannot afford the $700 5C. Who would pay that much money for a phone thats essentially the same as last year.

 

[elev8d]

The difference is this is a new product, that's not the same as just selling off old stock. Apple can do what they like, but you get the impression they wanted to sell a lot of the 5c. However these sales figures appear to suggest that the public have realised buying a 5s or even a 5 is a much better option. They didn't have to make the 5c super-cheap but in my country it's almost the same price as the 5s on contract and that's just crazy.

The 32GB 5C is the same price as the 16GB 5S. Most people are going to take the smaller hard drive and the phone with a fingerprint scanner and better camera.

----------

As others have noted, everyone keeps comparing sales of the 5S and 5C when the real comparison is sales of the 5C versus what Apple would have sold if it retained the 5 as a lower end phone. I think Apple make a genius move replacing the 5 with the 5C and sales of the 5C will be a lot higher than they would have been with the 5, the 5 being over a year old.

I agree with this. The iPhone 5 wouldn't have sold any where near as many on launch for the 5S, but they were able to convince people to buy the iPhone5 just by providing color variety.

 

[Max(IT)]

Apples 9 million include sell-in. The channel is stocked up under the roof with iPhone 5c. That means actual sell-through numbers may be a lot lower. They offer 5 colors in two storage variants so it is ten models vs. last tears two 4s-models. They also added carriers for this years launch. Orders for the 5s that are not shipped yet are not included in the 9 million. These variants make estimates for real-world demand for the two iPhones almost impossible and certainly not comparable to any previous years numbers. Holiday sales will show where Apple is truly headed. Could still be both ways.

Apple isn't sony: the numbers are phones actually sold.

 

[Chatter]

You missed the point. The 5C makes good sense from a business point of view, not from a consumer point of view. Part of running a successful business is selling what your customers want, even if it defies logic. It's not your job to educate customers.

So far it seems like consumers disagree with this premise. People are and will continue to but the 5C. Ergo a win-win for business and consumers. Just because some consumers disagree does not make them right - it makes them non-buyers and there will always be more of those for any product in the world.

 

[3282868]

Read this excellent "Forbes" article from April of this year (I quoted the relevant part as I don't believe Apple is "doomed" but certainly teetering):

7 Reasons Apple is More Doomed Than You Think

4. A cheaper iPhone marks the end of Apple’s leadership

Blodget argues that a cheaper iPhone is in the works and that’s good for Apple shareholders. But if Apple goes ahead with that cheaper version, its margins will shrink and that will mean further profit declines.

If a company is going to attract capital, it must have a competitive advantage. There are two ways to get that — Differentiation — delivering a better product for which customers pay a price premium or Low Cost Producer — making an adequate product, charging customers the lowest price and profiting by lowering costs below competitors’ levels.

Apple’s competitive advantage used to be Differentiation – it made better products for big existing markets like MP3 players, smart phones, and tablets – that caused Apple’s appeal to investors and customers to soar.

A cheaper iPhone marks a fundamental shift in strategy to Low Cost Producer. And it is highly unlikely that Apple — with its enormous fixed costs including a $5 billion headquarters complex under construction in Cupertino – will be able to lower its costs below competitors’ in order to win as the industry’s low cost producer.

Much of this relies on public response, projected and actual figures and future trading.

I'll leave you with a few quotes from Steve Jobs on innovation, design and leadership.

"Innovation has nothing to do with how many R&D dollars you have. When Apple came up with the Mac, IBM was spending at least 100 times more on R&D. It's not about money. It's about the people you have, how you're led, and how much you get it."
-- Fortune, Nov. 9, 1998

"The products suck! There's no sex in them anymore!"
-- On Gil Amelio's lackluster reign, in BusinessWeek, July 1997

"The cure for Apple is not cost-cutting. The cure for Apple is to innovate its way out of its current predicament."
-- Apple Confidential 2.0: The Definitive History of the World's Most Colorful Company, by Owen W. Linzmayer

"Apple has some tremendous assets, but I believe without some attention, the company could, could, could -- I'm searching for the right word -- could, could die."
-- On his return as interim CEO, in Time, Aug. 18, 1997

 

[thebluepointe]

While I don't like the 5c's, I think its smart of them to make a budget phone from a financial standpoint. Historically they've been bumping down the price of last year's models, but as these devices get more and more complex, that has to start hurting the profit margins.

Now they have a budget line that they can tweak for cost and keep profit margins high for their flagship. To Apple, so what if the 5c has underwhelming sales. It most likely costs them much less to produce than the original 5. In fact they'll probably sell more 5S's if the lower cost option has less aesthetic appeal. But if the original 5 was still around, I think more people on a budget would skip the latest S-model.

 

[cheesyappleuser]

The 32GB 5C is the same price as the 16GB 5S. Most people are going to take the smaller hard drive and the phone with a fingerprint scanner and better camera.

Don't forget the 2x faster processor, the co-processor and a-lew-mee-num body. Just because those two aren't differentiating enough.

 

[AaronEdwards]

Once both of you move past a 101 level business class in your undergraduate studies, you will get the aha moment on why the 5C makes sense. Stay in school.

And that would be?

 

[mrsir2009]

It'll probably level out as time goes on. Because really, who are the people who buy an iPhone on launch day? The vast majority are Apple enthusiasts, who want the latest & greatest and therefore will obviously be going for the top-of-the-range. Normal people who want to spend less won't be rushing to buy the weekend it comes out.

 

[xofruitcake]

And you make that claim based on what? Apple has always given sales numbers based on actual sales, not sending them out to stores.

Go back to 4Q12 conference call. I think they discussed that issue in the conference all. All sales to carrier and retailer (bb, walmart) are considered sales once the merchandize is shipped. All sale to customer are marked as sales when the mechandize is shipped. Samsung account sales the same way. A big part of the 9M is inventory build up. And in this launch (compare to Sept 12 launch), they add China and Japan Docomo. The two China carrierd have rougly 250-260 3g users and Docomo has about 61M 3g users. And the 9 M (with 5s constrainted) should be compared to 5 and 4s sales combined last year at the same time. After you make all kind of adjustment with additional carrier and country and some estimate to the pending 5s demand. The yoy sales in number is something in the order of 10-15% better than last year. The sell through number is going to be important for 4Q13. Obviously 5s is in a great shape but who know how many inventory build up for 5C at this point and how does it compare to 4s last year.. The 3.7 to 1 (5s to 5c) number does not look good. It need to drop to about 2 to 1 (5s to 5c) or 1.8.1 to match last year 5 vs 4s ratio.. A tell tale sign here is that Apple release 3q13 guidance also and the revenue and gross margin number are within the July guidance (at the high end). And the July guidance is nothing spectacular for 3Q (when compare to last year). Apple won't make the same amount of money in fiscal 2013 (10/12 - 9/13) as compare to fiscal 2012. So at best, the launch number show us that the sales decline is arrested for now and may be reverse a little bit. But not a very dramatic change..

The real question is what are they going to do with Iphone 5 inventory. Do they need to make allowance for the return and reuse the internal?

 

[Count Blah]

Fans of other operating systems (or just Apple haters in general) are more readily entertained by coming to an Apple fan area to bash Apple and its fans. The main reason for this is many (most?) of them are teenagers or 20 or 30 somethings that still live with mommy and daddy. But beyond that, they can't have any fun in the forums of their respective favorite OS because, frankly, those places are BORING.

The best way to get it to stop is to COMPLETELY ignore them. If every Apple fan or satisfied Apple customer resisted the temptation to argue with these haters, the haters would get bored and go away.

Mark

Yes, because Apple fans, by definition, do not dare say anything but glowing praise for almighty Apple. amirite?

Having two very expensive phones, where one would be an idiot to choose the less expensive(can't call it cheap in any way) one over the more expensive one,if buying on contract, all the while Apple's market share is continuing to slip, is the most brilliant thing since sliced bread.

Am I doing it right?

 

[3282868]

I believe the iPhone 5c was a byproduct of the success of the iPad Mini. It required a lot of convincing before Steve Jobs agreed to produce a 7" iPad Mini. The iPhone 5c is essentially the iPad Mini for iPhones; roughly the same technology in a different form/material.

Certainly there have been impressive hardware improvements, but the base technology has remained the same. To quote Steve Jobs from one of his amazing keynote presentations, the iPhone (2007):

"An iPod, a phone, an internet mobile communicator. An iPod, a phone, an internet mobile communicator.... these are NOT three separate devices!"

"So let's not use a stylus, we're going to use the best pointing device in the world -- our fingers. We have invented a new technology called multi-touch. It works like magic, you don't need a stylus, far more accurate than any interface ever shipped, it ignores touches, mutli-finger gestures, and BOY have we patented it!"

An excellent presentation that resulted in millions lining up for purchase a ~$600 device - at that time subsidized iPhone [pricing] didn't exist. Later Apple gave those who paid $600 with a $200 store credit. That is amazing.

Since Steve Jobs returned to Apple ~1998, in the course of a decade Apple has impacted the world:

OS X, The iPod, iTunes Music Store, iMac, Mac Mini, Intel processors, and lastly the iPhone, iOS, and App Store.

In the course of a decade, Apple became a multi-billion dollar technology company. The iPad followed, but the iPhone was technology based on an already established 2004 multitouch tablet that later became the iPad in 2010.

Numerous rumors of various products since Tim Cook took helm have yet come to fruition. Only one completely redesigned product has been announced to mixed reviews: the Mac Pro. Speculation on television products or wristwatches aren't impressing analysts and consumers; unless you're a diehard techie like us, most don't know of such "rumored" products. Even so, it may not be enough to revive Apple:

A new TV or wristwatch won’t revive Apple’s growth

Blodget suggests the possibility that Apple could be working on a ”revolutionary new product like a TV or smartwatch that will suddenly get people jazzed.” Even if Steve Jobs were still running Apple, I would be skeptical that people would pay a huge price premium to replace their existing TVs or buy a watch when they are already carrying a smart phone that tells them the time.

Essentially repacking and selling the same technology with improvements (64-bit 5S is impressive for a mobile device), Apple is in dire need of another Steve Jobs, not just an innovator or perfectionist or dreamer, but an amazing presenter and salesman. Innovation is half of the "magic", the other half is the "wow" factor presentations, aka the "Steve Jobs Reality Distortion Field".

Aaron Sorkin, well respect screenwriter and director, is penning a Steve Jobs film with three half hour segments focusing on behind the scenes launches of Apple well known and received infamous products: the Mac, NeXT, and the iPod.I'm surprised the iPhone didn't make the list. It will be interesting to peek behind the curtain and have a glimpse of what may have happened during those pivotal moments in the relationship between Steve Jobs and Apple, the other "woman" in his life.

 

[Breckenridge]

I didn't like the iPhone 5c, it felt cheap. it will be interesting to see how it does in the international market.

 

[OrangeInc]

You can compare the 5S and 5C to apples old way of selling their laptops. The 5S would be the macbook pro, and the 5C would be the white/black macbook. When I was doing undergrad I saw way many more white macbooks than macbook pros but now the base macbook pro is at the same price point as the old white macbook. I can totally see the cheaper iphone being apples biggest selling phone in the near future.

 

[violaboy]

Happy holidays!

Just wait until the holidays...

The kids will get the 5C's as gifts over the more expensive 5S.