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Why on earth would Apple discontinue the iPhone 5?

We don't know if apple will discontinue the iphone 5 ... And they will not stop them on day one, iphone 5 will stay on the market for some time :rolleyes:
 
Apple has a long history of discontinuing products whenever they see fit. If they discontinue the 5, no biggie.

I see it this way. iPhone 5, discontinued = rare.

I have no plans on selling my iPhone 5 so it really doesn't matter too much to me anyway. It's a great phone, does what I want and need and I have no plans on selling it. I still have my original 1999 cell phone out in the garage and every phone I've gotten since then. The phone my i5 replaced is still next to me on the couch.

So, so what if it's discontinued. There are plenty of people who are still buying and have the iPhone 4 and 4S, so maybe we should look down on them? I think not. I don't care for the 4 or 4S, but they're great phones and do everything (for the most part) that their owners need. That's all that's important.
 
The 5 will not all of sudden stop working if its discontinued. It will still get updates, and there will still be warranty replacements.

In reality you are pretty much buying the same phone over again. Apple is genius in this regard and this is why they are the most profitable company ever.

Convince people they need the same phone again.
 
Why? It serves no purpose in the Apple lineup between the 5C and 5S.

I personally don't care if the iPhone 5 is phased out this year.
 
If you're someone that keeps every phone you've owned forever but has the money to still upgrade every year regardless, that's great, and I'm happy for you, but many of us aren't in that boat. I either part or wholly fund each upgrade by selling on my previous phone, so resale value is important.

Up until now my previous iPhones have held their value very well, but I suspect this is at least partly because they've all still been current models at the time I've sold them. If the 5 is discontinued in a week or so, for the first time that will no longer hold true.

Incidentally, even if you don't need the money, just sitting on old unused phones while you upgrade each year isn't very green..
 
Discontinuing the 5 makes perfect sense. They appear to be streamlining the products, the 5C will take care of the low end, while the 5S will cater the high end. Because they made the choice with these two phones, it makes manufacturing the 5 redundant.
 
Dented said:
If you're someone that keeps every phone you've owned forever but has the money to still upgrade every year regardless, that's great, and I'm happy for you, but many of us aren't in that boat. I either part or wholly fund each upgrade by selling on my previous phone, so resale value is important.

Up until now my previous iPhones have held their value very well, but I suspect this is at least partly because they've all still been current models at the time I've sold them. If the 5 is discontinued in a week or so, for the first time that will no longer hold true.

Incidentally, even if you don't need the money, just sitting on old unused phones while you upgrade each year isn't very green..
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Don't know if you're addressing the OP or someone else, so I'll just comment on this in general.

In my case I have a grand total of five phones. My first one was in '99 and we didn't upgrade until 2005 or so after about a year of not having cell service. Each upgrade after that was every two years (not every year) and all of those phones (except my wife's iPhone 5 I just got her a week ago) got purchased with our tax refund, not because we had the money out of pocket.

No, it's not green, but at least one of my "retired" phones still has a purpose. And the phone my wife was using previously got shipped to someone else because they needed a Touch Pro 2, so that one is being reused.

I don't turn my phones around for resale because I use them and while I am careful, I'm a klutz and I also like to hold on to things. Call it OCD.
 
Why on earth would Apple discontinue the iPhone 5?

eyoungren said:
No, it's not green, but at least one of my "retired" phones still has a purpose. And the phone my wife was using previously got shipped to someone else because they needed a Touch Pro 2, so that one is being reused.

I don't turn my phones around for resale because I use them and while I am careful, I'm a klutz and I also like to hold on to things. Call it OCD.
Click to expand...

Well that's fine, I wasn't meaning to judge really, just trying to point out how Apple's apparent shift from gently retiring iPhones from service, to abrupt discontinuation, will potentially have a big effect on people and the market generally.

I'll be honest, the bit about being green was an afterthought! I still have my very first phone from 1999 (mostly because nobody would want it) but selling on most of my others has kept me happy with the latest thing, and meant that they've carried on being useful for someone else.
 
Krissypantz2828 said:
This may not be even true but I can't help but wonder if this is some attempt to make people buy the 5S? Because if it were me I wouldn't want to buy a plastic phone! Let's be serious here! There will be people who buy it, but for a hundred or two more.. I would buy a 5S! Along with many other people I'm presuming!

Also I have an iPhone 5, so technically Me and whomever else will have a discontinued phone! That's great so now we can walk around with discontinued products! Some of us take pride in our up-to-date apple products, and that would definitely squash that even though the iPhone 5 is a perfectly good phone!

Ok so all this rant over a rumour? Yes because the thought is ridiculous to me! Hopefully it is just a rumour!
Click to expand...

Why are you overrating to a complete rumor? There is zero information from Apple on their plans for the i5. Calm down.
 
Dented said:
Well that's fine, I wasn't meaning to judge really, just trying to point out how Apple's apparent shift from gently retiring iPhones from service, to abrupt discontinuation, will potentially have a big effect on people and the market generally.

I'll be honest, the bit about being green was an afterthought! I still have my very first phone from 1999 (mostly because nobody would want it) but selling on most of my others has kept me happy with the latest thing, and meant that they've carried on being useful for someone else.
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No worries!

This is another reason I hold on to stuff like that. It may be useful to someone I know at some point. Granted, it's old, but well…I'd rather give my son my old Sanyo Katana if he ever needs a phone versus an iPhone or my Touch Pro.
 
Right now they have 3 iphones 4/4S/5. This is what I think, not discontinuing iPhone 5, there was a substantial boost in power between 4S & 5, not just an incremental update: these will be the 3 iPhones:

iPhone 5
iPhone 5C
iPhone 5S

I think they will simplify the iOS device lineup (they are making 2 new phones instead of 1 for a reason), no more 4, 4S, no more ipad 2...No more devices that use 30-pin connector, no more Micro-SIMs, just Nano-SIMS. All phones will have LTE (iPads LTE option). A6 or better processors only moving from this point on, (anything less won't be able to support iOS 9 in future, limited support on iOS 8). ...Also, for one thing, AirDrop does not work on those devices, and I think it is something that Apple will use to sell iOS devices. This and iOS 7 overall.

I'm not sure where iphone 5 & 5C will line up as far as memory/pricing, (no more 8GB models), but, that will be the lineup. I might guess:

iPhone 5C 16GB only $50 on contract? 6 Colors
iPhone 5 16/32GB only $99/199 on contract? White/Black
iPhone 5S 32/64/128 GB $199/299/399 on contract? Graphite/Champagne/White (fingerprint sensor here only)

I've been paying more attention to iOS 7 than the new iPhones. I could have things wrong, 5 at bottom, 5C in the middle? :confused:

iPads (ship 3-4 weeks after new iPhones) 16GB only available on iPad Mini:
iPad Mini 16GB may take a lower price ($299?) still have 32/64GB
iPad 4 32GB only
iPad 5 32/64/128/256GB

I'm guessing they'll also stop making the iPod Classic.

I don't have inside information, just intuiting. But, I'm pretty sure Apple will just drop 30-pin connector devices by end of this year completely.
 
benji888 said:
Right now they have 3 iphones 4/4S/5. This is what I think, not discontinuing iPhone 5, there was a substantial boost in power between 4S & 5, not just an incremental update: these will be the 3 iPhones:

iPhone 5
iPhone 5C
iPhone 5S

I think they will simplify the iOS device lineup (they are making 2 new phones instead of 1 for a reason), no more 4, 4S, no more ipad 2...No more devices that use 30-pin connector, no more Micro-SIMs, just Nano-SIMS. All phones will have LTE (iPads LTE option). A6 or better processors only moving from this point on, (anything less won't be able to support iOS 9 in future, limited support on iOS 8). ...Also, for one thing, AirDrop does not work on those devices, and I think it is something that Apple will use to sell iOS devices. This and iOS 7 overall.

I'm not sure where iphone 5 & 5C will line up as far as memory/pricing, (no more 8GB models), but, that will be the lineup. I might guess:

iPhone 5C 16GB only $50 on contract? 6 Colors
iPhone 5 16/32GB only $99/199 on contract? White/Black
iPhone 5S 32/64/128 GB $199/299/399 on contract? Graphite/Champagne/White (fingerprint sensor here only)

I've been paying more attention to iOS 7 than the new iPhones. I could have things wrong, 5 at bottom, 5C in the middle? :confused:

iPads (ship 3-4 weeks after new iPhones) 16GB only available on iPad Mini:
iPad Mini 16GB may take a lower price ($299?) still have 32/64GB
iPad 4 32GB only
iPad 5 32/64/128/256GB

I'm guessing they'll also stop making the iPod Classic.

I don't have inside information, just intuiting. But, I'm pretty sure Apple will just drop 30-pin connector devices by end of this year completely.
Click to expand...

I can agree with this.
 
benji888 said:
iPhone 5C 16GB only $50 on contract? 6 Colors
iPhone 5 16/32GB only $99/199 on contract? White/Black
iPhone 5S 32/64/128 GB $199/299/399 on contract? Graphite/Champagne/White (fingerprint sensor here only)
Click to expand...

I keep flipping between 16/32 for 5 and 32/64:

iPhone 5C 16GB only $50 on contract? 6 Colors
iPhone 5 32/64GB only $99/199 on contract? White/Black
iPhone 5S 32/64/128 GB $199/299/399 on contract? Graphite/Champagne/White (fingerprint sensor here only)
 
They will discontinue the 5 so they can cannibalize the parts for the new low cost 5C models.

Chances are that if you need a replacement you might get the newest one up or a refurb.

Good business move for Apple.
 
benji888 said:
That line of thinking makes no sense...the iPhone 4 and 4S looked identical.

the 4S is still functional, but, not all new function of iOS 7. No AirDrop, parallax, not sure about new siri voices. It will definitely be discontinued.
Click to expand...

4S have parallax. But who gives a sht it's better phone than 5 for me. If 5 gets discontinued, thats because Apple made an error with its production technique. It's too easily scratched. Somethings gotta change.
 
Thierry ba said:
4S have parallax. But who gives a sht it's better phone than 5 for me. If 5 gets discontinued, thats because Apple made an error with its production technique. It's too easily scratched. Somethings gotta change.
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My iPhone 5 is not scratched. It's dinged a bit because I have stupidly dropped it, but it's not scratched. Some of the anodizing has rubbed off but that's because it sits on one edge all day. But it has not scratched.

I don't set it down on it's back or front on rough surfaces nor do I slide it around. No scratches.
 
Tiger8 said:
You'll live, it's ok. I have an iPad3, and unlike what some forum members told me, I actually lived beyond October 24th last year.

You can do it!
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I've got a 2003 17" PowerBook G4 that I take to Starbucks every weekend, and my son brings his 2003 PowerBook too. I own zero Intel Macs, so yeah, this is totally possible, just like Tiger8 says!

You might even get to the point where someone asks you what the hell you have, same way the MB, MBP and Air owners ask us. :D
 
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