“Since I first set foot in Asia more than 25 years ago I’ve become highly aware of the many cultural superstitions; perhaps the most pronounced of these revolve around colors,” Tim Bajarin writes for PC Magazine. “For example, in China and much of Asia, red represents good luck so the more red people have in their homes and businesses, the luckier they will be.”
“Another color often present is gold — you’ll see gold trimmings and gold-and-red striped wallpaper everywhere. I’ve visited during the Chinese New Year and observed parents giving their kids red envelopes with gold paper coins in them,” Bajarin writes. “In this tradition, the gold represents wealth and prosperity so naturally people want to be surrounded by it. And if you ever go shopping in Hong Kong, you’ll see gold jewelry stores almost everywhere in the core-shopping district of Chim Sha Chui.”
Bajarin writes, “Now Apple wants to capitalize on this custom. Some analysts expect the new brightly colored iPhone 5Cs will thrive in emerging markets and especially in China, but I believe the gold iPhone 5S will become the biggest seller among China’s growing upper-middle class. In fact, once it ships in China, I suspect it will become the most aspirational smartphone in the higher-end market.”
Much more – recommended as usual – in the full article here.
Related articles:
Why I’m buying the iPhone 5s – in gold – September 13, 2013
Apple’s new iPhone 5s is the world’s first and only 64-bit smartphone – and it will be king of the hill for quite some time – September 13, 2013
Conan O’Brien: Apple’s gold iPhone 5s was designed in Miami Beach (with video) – September 12, 2013
Apple is playing a very wise cultural game as well as the technical tour de force they just unleashed on Samsung. The art of war played out in the phone market.
Totally agreed with you: Apple has been researched the Chinese and India cultures before launching the gold 5S , colorful 5C. Chinese like reds represents for lucky, the Emperor, Empress all wearing reds. The red envelops giving to kids for Lunar New Year with lucky money inside. The Indian worships gold represents for wealth, they wearing a lot of gold on their bodies to show off their wealth.
Told ya!
http://appleinsider.com/articles/13/09/16/reservations-for-gold-unlocked-iphone-5s-quickly-depleted-in-beijing
Boom
There may be a billion people in China but there aren’t a billion suckers willing to pay $550 (or whatever the unlocked price is in China) for last year’s phone that is competing among a sea of smartphones from China’s own brands.
Yes, I get it that Apple (and iPhones) is an aspirational brand but Chinese consumers will assess the price differential and make up their minds whether or not the smoothness and functionality of iOS is enough to compensate for Android’s rough edges. I still think that the 5C is priced too high to be the front of a flying wedge to spread iOS ownership in China simply because to many, price is the number 1 factor in deciding which phone to buy
I guess all those Chinese folks buying BMWs should smarten up and start buying cheaper Chinese cars, well because they’re cheaper. Apple does not want to bottom feed, neither does BMW or Mercedes. No one is telling BMW and Mercedes they must compete with Kia or any of the Chinese brands at the bottom. I don’t want Apple to make cheap phones. I don’t want Louis Vitton to start selling cheap goods at Wal-Mart either. Apple is a brand, not a commodity. Even if Apple came out with a $350 phone, the cheap folks are still going to buy a sub $100 Android.
But how many of those BILLION are upper middle class? My guess is the number is pretty close the number of Americans who can afford an iPhone.
I suspect the colors of the 5c will be popular in India as well. Do an image search for “India fashion” and you’ll see alot of very similar colors.
Thanks for the suggestion. It’s as if Apple chose their colors based upon India fashion.
It is believable, no doubt Apple sees a large untapped market in China. The part the gold 5s I agree with. To me, the “red” 5c is pink and all the 5c colors, including the white one, seem feminine. I would think that there would be a bright red one if the post was totally true. I, of course, have not seen the new 5c in person.
Colors are important- so why haven’t they made the 5C in red besides the yellow? That would have been a smarter move if China is that important to them
Because they want the Chinese to buy the gold one, not a red one.
Rob – Are you colour blind ?
Apple do offer a red iPhone 5C.
The gold should have a model with black as well as white. IMO it would look better than gold/white. I would buy that but won’t buy the gold/white one.
I rikey it!
NDN, ehy don’t you leave an ittybitty square in the middle for artcles. Right now you do not have enough ads to cover every square inch. What an ugly site on my iPad.
Gold, maybe (and even that’s doubtful). The colors, though, come from the antioxidant families of pigmented fruits and vegetables (ie food). Apple would understand that in humans: color = food, and that gloss / transparency = water.
They’ve used the same trick before in the original Apple logo and the early iMacs, plus nanos and shuffles. Steve was a vegan after all and named his company after a famous fruit, he didn’t need to go skulking around in the far east to learn what was attractive to people.
I am in Shanghai, China for a business conference. Every Chinese national in attendance-without exception-has an iPhone. Many also have iPads and some also have MacBook Airs. Quite amazing.