A better processor, improved camera, fingerprint sensor, etc. make it well worth the purchase. Personally, I can't see buying the 5C which basically has the same internals as the year-old iPhone 5.
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The Real Reason the 5C Exists
- Thread starter blairh
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A better processor, improved camera, fingerprint sensor, etc. make it well worth the purchase. Personally, I can't see buying the 5C which basically has the same internals as the year-old iPhone 5.
Price, mostly. Storage space is more important to me than processor speed, so I'd rather pay $200 for 32GB instead of $300 for 32GB.
Good thing the "c" series was not out a few years ago because I would not be able hand down my iPhones tony wife.
It doesn't matter at all where the features came from (hardware, software, carrier) the point is that they were all new features with the 3G model.
The App Store was not available on the iPhone until the 3G model release. You are dead wrong.
I realize that the 3G contained most of the original iPhone components. That is irrelevant. I cannot believe you are trying to compare the 5C - 5 to the 3G - 1st gen iPhone. The difference is enormous. Again, like I said before, you are way too hung up on this comparison that both phones in both scenarios shared many components. This is a completely different situation. The 3G iPhone was the flagship in 2008. The lower purchase price plus 3G were huge differences to the original iPhone. The 5C in comparison is not the flagship. It's a mid-range offering and not drastically different to the previous gen iPhone. That was not the case with the transition from 1st gen to 3G iPhone.
The jury is still out as to how well it will do compared to the 5S.
It exists because the iPhone 5 is still a top tier phone. Why abandon that iPhone? What they did is produce the 5 called 5C again, costing them less. They just added colors and a plastic back to make it different than the old 5 & new 5. And that is why the old i5 is now discontinued.
Those who want a litte better camera and faster processor w/ a finger print scanner can purchase an updated version of the 5, the 5S.
Those who want a litte better camera and faster processor w/ a finger print scanner can purchase an updated version of the 5, the 5S.
Carrier subsidy was not an iPhone feature, it was an AT&T feature. I suppose you could argue that the subsidy was a 3G specific feature since the original was discontinued, but you can also argue that AT&T would have offered a subsidy on the original if it sold it next to the 3G because they offered subsidies on almost every phone they sold. And were they to do that, the original would be priced lower.
The App Store was also a new feature on the original iPhone.
I said the App Store was available on both the original and 3G iPhones, not at the launch of the original iPhone, therefore it is not a 3G iPhone specific feature because it was not unique to the 3G. The AppStore wasn't a defining feature of the 3G because you could get it on the original.
So besides those things, what were the drastic differences between the original and 3G iPhone besides 3G data and a plastic back?
All this arguing comes from the fact that Apple did put a plastic back and 3G on a previous gen phone phone and call it a new device.
But at this point, we both think the other is wrong and no amount of discussion will change that so I'm chalking this thread up to "agree to disagree".
I can't see the point in buying a 5S if a 5C exists. The features in the higher model doesn't justify the price.
But I'm still using a 4 so what do I know.
$100 more gets you major changes and much nicer build material...
You poorly worded your previous post. You said the app store was available on the original iPhone. You did not state when that became true.
Again, it doesn't matter if it was Apple offering the subsidy or a carrier. It was there. And it was a huge deal. And a big reason why the 3G iPhone was such a hit with consumers.
The biggest reasons for the 3G's success was the data speeds and price. The fact that it came in a plastic case was irrelevant IMO. So I have no idea why you keep comparing it to the 5C/5 transition. It's a completely different transition.
You can access the App Store from an original phone just as well as you can from an iPhone 3G. iPhone and iPhone 3G have the same screen, same processor, same graphics processor, same RAM, same WiFi, same Bluetooth... That is not "completely different."
I can't see the point in buying a 5S if a 5C exists. The features in the higher model doesn't justify the price.
But I'm still using a 4 so what do I know.
You are spending $2500 over two years what's $100?
I have an impression that Apple sales are going to have a strong increase following this forked strategy.
Lets compare how it used to be, the launches
3GS and old 3G
4 and 3GS
4S and 4
5 and 4S.
Now there are three phones on sale
5S, 5C and 4S.
While many argue that 5C is just repackaged 5, it seems to have new face cover camera (HD) and maybe some other tweaks, so its hardware actually as advanced as original 5's which was quite good, as I remember. I also think that no one doubts advancement of 5S with A7 chip, Motion CPU and various hardware changes, including TouchID.
So the real question:
would it better off if Apple presented us with choice of
5S, 5 and 4S compared to current line of
5S, 5C and 4S.
Even more simplified,
whether 5 in the current line could be better seller than 5C?
The answer is that for Apple 5C is much better earner (drop expensive and costly materials for 5 case, use plastic); higher margins;
For consumers; 5C is intriguing entry into rugged/youth/girly phones. All previous models, especially 5, were dead serious looking business type phones. Now we have some addition of rugged/colorful phones. Since anyone wishing to buy business phones like 5 can buy 5S, inclusion of new types at lower price points must actually increase sales of the 5C(5).
So consumer have more choices, lower prices and Apple has higher margins. Now, thats business strategy!
Lets compare how it used to be, the launches
3GS and old 3G
4 and 3GS
4S and 4
5 and 4S.
Now there are three phones on sale
5S, 5C and 4S.
While many argue that 5C is just repackaged 5, it seems to have new face cover camera (HD) and maybe some other tweaks, so its hardware actually as advanced as original 5's which was quite good, as I remember. I also think that no one doubts advancement of 5S with A7 chip, Motion CPU and various hardware changes, including TouchID.
So the real question:
would it better off if Apple presented us with choice of
5S, 5 and 4S compared to current line of
5S, 5C and 4S.
Even more simplified,
whether 5 in the current line could be better seller than 5C?
The answer is that for Apple 5C is much better earner (drop expensive and costly materials for 5 case, use plastic); higher margins;
For consumers; 5C is intriguing entry into rugged/youth/girly phones. All previous models, especially 5, were dead serious looking business type phones. Now we have some addition of rugged/colorful phones. Since anyone wishing to buy business phones like 5 can buy 5S, inclusion of new types at lower price points must actually increase sales of the 5C(5).
So consumer have more choices, lower prices and Apple has higher margins. Now, thats business strategy!
I'm aware of this. The person I was aiming this at poorly worded a statement that the original iPhone had access to the app store. He meant with 2.0 but it wasn't clear.
Again, you are doing the very same thing the other person is doing. You are comparing components and implying that both phones were very similar when in reality they were not. The important factors that caused the 3G to be such a large leap forward for the iPhone franchise were what I listed prior. It was in fact a completely different phone purchase than the original iPhone despite being so similar with respect to internals. You seem to not realize that.
If I understand correctly, the argument is whether "the iPhone 3G was simply an original iPhone in a plastic shell. Oh, and it had 3G." And that's true. When the iPhone 3G was released on July 11, 2008, Apple also released iOS 2.0. For both the 3G and the original. The 3G and the original were identical in terms of software and hardware - except for the 3G radio and plastic shell. The fact that Apple changed the pricing of the 3G to a subsidized model doesn't change that. Apple took the original, put a plastic case on it, improved it a bit, called it new, reduced the price, and it sold very well. Just recently, Apple took the 5, put a plastic case on it, called it new, reduced the price - and now we wait to see if it will sell well. The main difference is that when the 3G was released, there was no higher-up model, while the 5c has to compete with the 5s.
3G and pricing made all the difference in 2008. Plus the market was completely different back then. The 5C has to compete with the 5S and strong competion. We'll have to see how it does. I have no idea what it will do. My only point, and this only being debated because someone directed it at me in this thread, is that there is a big difference between the move from original iPhone to 3G versus 5 to 5C.
The 5c is essentially a 5 with a plastic backplate cover. It exists for one reason, and one reason only: to get anyone with a 4 or 5 that develops an issue requiring a replacement to buy a new phone. No one wants a refurbished phone, but since the 4 and 5 are now out of production, that is all you will get if you get a replacement through warranty/AppleCare service.
Apple wants to boost sales, and this was their chosen way to do it. Everyone that drops a 4 or 5 in water, which happens millions of times per year, will now wind up buying a new phone instead of getting a warranty replacement. It's as simple as that. I'm not saying it's right or wrong, but this is why it exists.
Apple wants to boost sales, and this was their chosen way to do it. Everyone that drops a 4 or 5 in water, which happens millions of times per year, will now wind up buying a new phone instead of getting a warranty replacement. It's as simple as that. I'm not saying it's right or wrong, but this is why it exists.
5c exists to upsell customers to the higher priced phone.
It wouldn't make sense to have the 5 alongside the 5s. Apple knows plenty of people upgrade each year for subtle design differences. They learned this with how well the 4 sold alongside the 4s.
Offering a discounted metal 5 would cannibalize 5s sales because you can get a phone than looks pretty much the same for a lower price. Those wanting a metal phone have to buy the more expensive one now.
Apple was never going to compete with cheap phones. They do not do this for any products, so why would they start now? People expected the iPad mini to be less to compete with cheap/smaller android tablets. Didn't happen.
The cheap 5c rumors were made out of people wanting something to be real when it didn't make sense. Just like when we were expecting a larger screen and teardrop design 2 years ago and got the 4s. Rumor sites and analysts add opinions to leaks to make it what they want it to be.
It wouldn't make sense to have the 5 alongside the 5s. Apple knows plenty of people upgrade each year for subtle design differences. They learned this with how well the 4 sold alongside the 4s.
Offering a discounted metal 5 would cannibalize 5s sales because you can get a phone than looks pretty much the same for a lower price. Those wanting a metal phone have to buy the more expensive one now.
Apple was never going to compete with cheap phones. They do not do this for any products, so why would they start now? People expected the iPad mini to be less to compete with cheap/smaller android tablets. Didn't happen.
The cheap 5c rumors were made out of people wanting something to be real when it didn't make sense. Just like when we were expecting a larger screen and teardrop design 2 years ago and got the 4s. Rumor sites and analysts add opinions to leaks to make it what they want it to be.