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Well the only major difference between the two is the chip and fingerprint thingy. I'd say that might be $100 difference to build. But I see your point. Apple had an opportunity to give the public a low-cost alternative and failed.

That's not apples way.
 
My point is that Apple chose to replace a good and decent aluminum iPhone with a plastic one and decided that between the 4S and the 5 that the 4S was the better phone to keep around.

Whatever their reasoning, and I get it, they can't tell me that the plastic 5C is a better phone than my metal iPhone 5, especially when the insides are about the same. And that is what they are implying by replacing the 5 with the 5C and not the 4S.

They could have had a iPhone 5 trifecta, but chose not to.
The 5C IS your 5 with a different shell. That's basically it. They're not implying anything.

Apple wants to offer a reduced-price model but can't do that with the 5 because the processes needed to both created the aluminum shell and anodize it cost too much to keep it in a price bracket lower than the 5S. It would literally make NO sense for Apple to sell the iPhone 5 and 5S together. The plastic shell is inexpensive and fast to make, and believe it or not, there really will be a lot of people who want this iteration of the iPhone because it IS different.
 
The 5C IS your 5 with a different shell. That's basically it. They're not implying anything.
Right. And yes, Apple is implying something. They aren't saying anything explicitly, but apparently the iPhone 5 is not good enough to keep, so it gets replaced by the iPhone 5C. But the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4, iPhones as old as 2010 and 2011 AND made of metal as well, ARE good enough to keep because Apple hasn't killed production of those phones.

Apple wants to offer a reduced-price model but can't do that with the 5 because the processes needed to both created the aluminum shell and anodize it cost too much to keep it in a price bracket lower than the 5S. It would literally make NO sense for Apple to sell the iPhone 5 and 5S together. The plastic shell is inexpensive and fast to make, and believe it or not, there really will be a lot of people who want this iteration of the iPhone because it IS different.
So, what you're saying is that a year later, Apple still can't get this annodization process down and it costs too much so rather than fix it, they'll just completely change the shell it comes in, rebrand it with a new moniker and then introduce and sell it as a new phone. Plastic trumps metal, except when it comes to the iPhone 4 and 4S.

I get that the process is expensive and that the process to make the iPhone 4 and 4S is cheaper and that Apple makes far less on the 5 than it expected. But personally, I'd rather have seen the process fixed versus tossing it out all together. It's still apparently good enough for the 5S…oh wait, they aren't annondizing the 5S and so they got rid of black too.

I'm truly hoping the 6 is a game changer because I hate the 4 and the 4S, which is why I waited for and bought the 5. And now Apple drops it, and the black/slate color, the only color I liked about the iPhone 5. Honestly, if I were in the market for a new iPhone now, I'd just try and get a 5.

And yes, I get Apple and it's profit margins and costs/money and all that. But I'm still using PowerPC Macs. So, Apple can drop the iPhone 5, I'll keep using mine and won't be buying the 5S (and God forbid the 5C).
 
This was a strategic move by Apple. You don't like the 5C? Then you're not their target market. Go buy the 5S or a 5 on clearance and call it a day.

1. Profit margin. Cheaper to produce than an iPhone 5, but selling for the same price an iPhone 5 would have been if they kept it in the lineup. Brilliant.

2. Forcing more sales of the high end model. I'm sure with the 4/4S, there were droves of customers that looked at both, and went with the 4. It looks the same. They don't care about specs, didn't care about Siri, so they went with the cheaper option because to them it's the same thing. Apple loses. The 5C eliminates that scenario. $100 difference for a much more premium quality device that doesn't look like a toy? Uh, yeah...no brainer. I'll take the 5S please. Apple wins. Even if they pick the 5C, Apple still wins (see #1).

3. Teens/tweens/hipsters/whatever. Complaining because the 5C colors are not professional looking and you wouldn't be caught dead with one? Well it's not for you. Business people, adults, professionals, what have you...they already have an iPhone. They have money. They're going to get the top of the line model because they know the extra $100 up front is peanuts in the long run. Young people getting their first phone or first smartphone are the target for the 5C. Middle school kids. High school kids. Trendy college students. Maybe a handful of hip/trendy people in their late 20s and early 30s. Parents will be buying them for their children. People that follow tech blogs and are interested in the specs of the phone are definitely NOT the target market. At all. Remember that we are only a very, very small subset of the consumer market.

The 5C was never meant to be a budget iPhone. The full retail price doesn't matter to people that are looking for midrange or low end smartphones anyway, so stop balking about it. If you're bitching about the price, it's not for you. Just buy the 5S and be done with it. People that shop for a midrange or low end smartphone only care about the subsidized price, and Apple has been playing that market with the $0 and $99 on contract models very well. There's no need to create a whole new, dedicated "cheap" model. Apple doesn't do cheap.

You're the only one that gets it. Everyone needs to read your post, it's the only one that is true and makes sense. The 5C was never going to be a cheap iPhone, that rumor was started by the analysts who, as we all know, know nothing.
 
Sure :confused:

That's why TV cost $2000 today, instead of a few hundred. And we pay for cable instead of free TV service. And 3D movies are priced higher.

Fact is the iPhone price hasn't changed since the 3G. Nor has my 850 min family plan price changed in nearly 7 years. :rolleyes: but the iPhone has gotten better each year and I went from TDMA through gsm 2G to LTE with AT&T

Lets take into account inflation and the fact that more and more features are added to products. If you compared the same functionality you got 10 years ago with what you can get today prices have generally dropped a lot. TV's can be had for a couple hundred dollars that are basically as good as a TV from 30 years ago except that they cost much less. If we are looking at computers the average price of a computer has dropped tremendously over the years.

Bottom line is that with Apple giving you more each year you shouldn't have to expect the price to increase as the price to give you so much has dropped.
 
That's all fair enough.

Cash in the bank is incredible, but their stock price is quite a different story.

The flagship continues to go up in price every year (in the UK, certainly) and the 5C is basically charging what a 5 would have costs, except they can scrimp on the materials - so their margins are even better.

Again, it will lead to cash in the bank but I'm betting that as a more cost-effective phone, the 5C will bleed even more ship-jumpers to Android.

Apple need to start fighting to get their user base back, that's honestly more important long-term than $50-100 on the 5C.

Melodramatic cliche time but this is Apple v Microsoft all over again, with Apple refusing to learn enough lessons (other than minting money!!)!

Let's just wait and see the outcome first. You're speculating and these your own opinions. Opinions, no matter how much sense they make don't equate to reality. 99% of the time when someone here says, "Apple Blew it", they really didn't. In fact it was just the opposite. The world isn't as "price conscious as you think". Not everybody wants cheap.
 
I never understood why people say this. Whether you pay full price or subsidized price, you're still paying the same amount for wireless service, are you not? And for those that have no problems fulfilling a contract, they have saved hundreds of dollars in the end, unlike what is said above.

They're ignorant europeans who don't understand that americans get raped regardless of contracts or phone subsidies. Only T-Mobile has challenged this and even still the cost of the subsidized isn't more over the term of the contract than unsubsidized.
 
Let's just wait and see the outcome first. You're speculating and these your own opinions. Opinions, no matter how much sense they make don't equate to reality. 99% of the time when someone here says, "Apple Blew it", they really didn't. In fact it was just the opposite. The world isn't as "price conscious as you think". Not everybody wants cheap.

What's the point of the 5C? It's "ewww plastic" as most people here used to say for other phones AND it's certainly not cheap.

It's an iPhone 5 with better margins for Apple. That's it.
 
What's the point of the 5C? It's "ewww plastic" as most people here used to say for other phones AND it's certainly not cheap.

It's an iPhone 5 with better margins for Apple. That's it.

The 5C isn't Apple's first plastic iPhone. In terms of better margins for Apple, if you think any other company truly cares to pass the savings down to the customer while lowering their own margins you're sadly mistaken.
 
I haven't read all these posts but a lot of them are defending Apple's decision with pricing the 5C in between the 4S and 5S by saying it makes sense for the company. Sure, but I say; since when did you start thinking of the company first? Surely, it's what makes sense for me as a consumer? No, I am not going to look at the 5C and think "ah, but the 5S is only a little bit more, I'll just buy that". I'm going to say "The 5C is over-priced, the 5S is too much for my needs, and the 4S is old. I want none of them"

Apple had the perfect opportunity here to have their entire phone line-up with the same screen size, same charging cable with a line-up consisiting of a basic iphone 5C, mid-range iphone 5 and premium 5S. Now it's (still) dis-jointed and alientating. I was genuinely looking forward to the 5C but now I've jumped ship and got myself a Nexus 4.

Buh bye, Apple.
 
The 5C isn't Apple's first plastic iPhone. In terms of better margins for Apple, if you think any other company truly cares to pass the savings down to the customer while lowering their own margins you're sadly mistaken.

I know and I don't disagree. And I also don't mind plastic, I was just poking fun at the various trends I see in this forum.

But I also believe that if they want to sell something to a consumer, there should be *some* benefit for the consumer.

Every time they sold a new phone, they sold previous year's model 100$ cheaper and the new phone at full price.

This year, they are doing exactly the same, but now last year's model is made from cheaper materials.

As a consumer I feel like this year specifically, I am getting a significantly worse deal.
 
Apple stock went down a bit with the "C" announcement, and the flack over this, my prediction will be, Apple will either have to lower the cost of this pretty soon, drop it all together, or end this "C" model next year. Who ever came up with this dumb release might be in for a rough time. If its Tim Cook, the share holders will jump all over him. Just a common sense guess.

Nope. The stock often drops when Apple releases something. The market shakers love to trash whatever it is, and then scoop up the stock after it tanks. You'd think small investors would wise up but no, they join the panic and so now it's a fairly reliable gig. Everybody piles on to sell it, then the big boys buy it back in a week or whatever.

Me, I stick to buying the PRODUCT if I like a rollout. I'm going up from a 4S and I like the 5C this time. I like the fun colors. I like the one-piece back and sides. I love the funky cases. I know I'll like the step up to the A6 chip.

I predict the 5C iPhone will go like hotcakes, mostly on contracts, either new customers or upgrading and taking a new contract. Not everyone needs the specs and power of the 5S with its A7 chip. I could be a candidate for that next time.

So I upgrade with a new contract for $200 plus two cases up front, on a 32GB phone, what's not to like. I had a contract and data plan anyway. I've always had contracts, so the unlocked price is always irrelevant to me. I already get how the pricing works over the life of the contract. I pay the bills. I know there's no free lunch. My secondary line is upgrade-eligible so we'll see what Apple shakes us up with next year; meanwhile I just keep a dumb phone on that one.

I'd rather have had a 64GB phone, but I did not want the 5S and I do understand that Apple's not going to invite cannibalization of the top end model. Anyway I'm keeping my 32GB iPod touch 5G so that can hold movies or whatever else doesn't fit on the phone. It's good to be a girl with a handbag and room for multiple mobiles. And, the 4S can remain in the kitchen speakerdock as a very fine WiFi-only device.

So bottom line I'm good with this rollout, quite surprised I like the 5C so much and I will NOT be surprised if Apple sells zillions of them.
 
You guys are so prissy!

Every year Apple gives you more stuff with each phone- with no price increase,and no one admits that.


Technology tends to get cheaper with time, so...
And the 5C is this years 5, at 33% less subsidized price!
I am under the impression that people complain more about the un-subsidized price. At least I am.
It's not a cheap phone, but I'm thinking the critics here are cheap. Your complaining that you might as well spend $100 more for the 5S because the 5C isn't cheap enough?

I am complaining because I would be interested in a cheaper iPhone and while it is made from cheaper materials, it's still not cheap enough for something that has last year's hardware.
 
They're ignorant europeans who don't understand that americans get raped regardless of contracts or phone subsidies. Only T-Mobile has challenged this and even still the cost of the subsidized isn't more over the term of the contract than unsubsidized.

wrong there are a lot of choices. Even att has cheaper no contract plans
 
These forums are terribly broken. I may just stay on the home page moving forward. Shame, they used to have respectful and intelligent discussions now we get spoiled brats and #firstworldproblems.
 
I know and I don't disagree. And I also don't mind plastic, I was just poking fun at the various trends I see in this forum.

But I also believe that if they want to sell something to a consumer, there should be *some* benefit for the consumer.

Every time they sold a new phone, they sold previous year's model 100$ cheaper and the new phone at full price.

This year, they are doing exactly the same, but now last year's model is made from cheaper materials.

As a consumer I feel like this year specifically, I am getting a significantly worse deal.

Well I'm not saying the 5C is the best "deal" but I don't think that was Apple's intention. Unfortunately that's why I got frustrated at so many leaks on the front news page. Those leaks were putting the wrong idea into people's heads. The 5C was misconceived as a cheap phone. The leaks gave out that idea, not Apple. I will say this, I think their only intention (and it's plainly obvious) with the 5C was to appeal to a very young crowd or someone very fashion conscious. Young people such as kids will handle the phone with much less care than adults so the plastic made sense and those colors can't pop using aluminum materials. That's why I was saying the 5C wasn't positioned to be a cheap phone, the plastic had to be used to get make those colors work and to cater to a young crowd. With the holidays coming up this was a smart business move from Apple. They will sell tons and reclaim much of the market penetration.
Legacy iPhone 5 owners are viewing this phone with mixed responses when they shouldn't be, it's not for them. The 5S is. :)
 
I never understood why people say this. Whether you pay full price or subsidized price, you're still paying the same amount for wireless service, are you not? And for those that have no problems fulfilling a contract, they have saved hundreds of dollars in the end, unlike what is said above.

This is true for Verizon, Sprint & and AT&T. T-Mobile always costs less if you bring your own device.

If you are on Verizon it makes no sense to pay full price if you intend to stay with them. My son just gets a new phone every few years when the contract is up.

T-Mobile is really cheap if you source $129 Windows phone or used Android devices so that 5 lines only cost $180 /month if you want unlimited everything and significantly less if you can live with 4G limited to 500MB or 2.5GB per month.

I don't know about the 5C. I thought this was the inexpensive iPhone that would allow all of China to afford one. Still waaayyy to expensive.

Cheers,
 
Well I'm not saying the 5C is the best "deal" but I don't think that was Apple's intention. Unfortunately that's why I got frustrated at so many leaks on the front news page. Those leaks were putting the wrong idea into people's heads. The 5C was misconceived as a cheap phone. The leaks gave out that idea, not Apple. I will say this, I think their only intention (and it's plainly obvious) with the 5C was to appeal to a very young crowd or someone very fashion conscious. Young people such as kids will handle the phone with much less care than adults so the plastic made sense and those colors can't pop using aluminum materials. That's why I was saying the 5C wasn't positioned to be a cheap phone, the plastic had to be used to get make those colors work and to cater to a young crowd. With the holidays coming up this was a smart business move from Apple. They will sell tons and reclaim much of the market penetration.
Legacy iPhone 5 owners are viewing this phone with mixed responses when they shouldn't be, it's not for them. The 5S is. :)

You've made sense, thank you.

I still don't like the 5c though :p
 
. That's why I was saying the 5C wasn't positioned to be a cheap phone, the plastic had to be used to get make those colors work and to cater to a young crowd. With the holidays coming up this was a smart business move from Apple. They will sell tons and reclaim much of the market penetration.
Legacy iPhone 5 owners are viewing this phone with mixed responses when they shouldn't be, it's not for them. The 5S is. :)

I totally disagree. I think the 5S may sell OK, but the 5C is a complete enigma. Yes there will be a number of people who buy it simply because of it's colour, but when you take into consideration the high cost of the 5C vs the old technology, is it going to attract that many people? The Iphone has always been fashionable and has always been able to attract people, young and old. Slapping a coloured plastic back on an old model phone and then pricing it only slightly lower than a much higher spec phone has fail written all over it.
 
I totally disagree. I think the 5S may sell OK, but the 5C is a complete enigma. Yes there will be a number of people who buy it simply because of it's colour, but when you take into consideration the high cost of the 5C vs the old technology, is it going to attract that many people? The Iphone has always been fashionable and has always been able to attract people, young and old. Slapping a coloured plastic back on an old model phone and then pricing it only slightly lower than a much higher spec phone has fail written all over it.

What you're saying holds some validity, however how many years have we all been talking about this? (Rhetorical). Apple is well known for many things but being cheap isn't one of them and if people are still complaining about their prices that's quite baffling to me. Their pricing scheme on any of their products have never scared people away. The iPhone lacks market penetration lately due to a lack of choices from Apple, not high prices. There are so many more choices with an Android phone. Are they better, not really, but people that don't want Samsung can choose HTC or something else in a different size, brand or Color.
Apple is now offering choice, we'll just have to wait and see how the consumer market accepts it.
For now, going by what internet lurkers, bloggers and CNET says isn't enough to predict the future of the iPhone.
 
Apple is now offering choice, we'll just have to wait and see how the consumer market accepts it.
For now, going by what internet lurkers, bloggers and CNET says isn't enough to predict the future of the iPhone.

Well I agree that they need to offer choice. Not sure the 5C is the right path. I think they should have 3 models:

- high spec model
- budget model
- bigger camera model, with 5" screen & a camera that competes with cheap P&Ss.
 
iPhone 5c: cheaper materials, cheaper build, cheaper components, yet it's only $100 cheaper than the flagship aluminum phone?

Really. You consider aluminum high quality compared to plastic?

ALL the materials are the same as the current iPhone 5 except for the new plastic shell. You save $100 by switching from aluminum to plastic.
 
Honestly... I think Apple has made a big mistake making the iPhone 5c so expensive. In Australia it is $739, only $60 cheaper than the iPhone 5! I was expecting somewhere in the range of $500-600.

Apple made the 13" rMBP too expensive initially and dropped the price only a few months after its release and I bet the same thing will happen again with the iPhone 5c.... Just you wait.
 
Honestly... I think Apple has made a big mistake making the iPhone 5c so expensive. In Australia it is $739, only $60 cheaper than the iPhone 5! I was expecting somewhere in the range of $500-600.
.

Yeah they've definitely got the pricing wrong. There is plenty of 5 stock and even 4S stock in Australia, the 5C needs to be much cheaper than the 5S.
 
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