“Apple has now added the 8 GB 5c to its European online stores. In the UK, the device is priced at £429 unlocked — a difference of £40 between it and the 16 GB model,” Mike Beasley reports for 9to5Mac. “It will likely appear on the U.S. site in the coming hours.”
“Earlier today we reported that Apple was planning release an 8 GB version of the iPhone 5c to help support the phone’s lagging sales,” Beasley reports. “Now it seems that U.K. carrier O2 has made that plan official by releasing the phone for sale on its website.”
“Aside from the capacity reduction, there aren’t any changes to the device,” Beasley reports. “This new 8 GB model seems to be designed to help pick up a few more sales in the low-cost phone arena, where the 8 GB iPhone 4s may have seemed like a much less attractive device.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: As we wrote yesterday when this was but a rumor: “Enjoy your 12 apps and 4 songs.”
Currently the 8GB iPhone 5c is available in the UK, France, Germany, Australia and China.
Hopefully, this model doesn’t end up disappointing more customers than it delights and turn them off of iPhones forever.
Related articles:
Rumors of a cheaper, 8GB iPhone make no sense – March 17, 2014
Apple reportedly launching less expensive 8GB iPhone 5c on March 18th – March 17, 2014
Even I never thought they’d do an 8GB phone. Huh, Apple just doing what it wants. Of course the analyst won’t quit whining, they’ll just start complaining about the memory
Wankers…
Steve Jobs would have never have released it. Many people who don’t understand how little 8GB will buy it thinking that Apple would never release something that is useless. Once they use the phone, they will blame Apple. This is a mistake that will hurt more than it will help. Just wait until they try to upgrade to iOS 8 on a full phone!
Used an 8 GB 3GS until the 5s.
I don’t “live” on an iPhone. Any videos, photos and such I want live on my Macs. I’m not alone in this.
You’re the kind of idiot that if Apple sold you a deflated basketball with a hole in it, you’d say that balls aren’t meant to bounce anyway.
You are a”Monkey on a Stick” LOL
FIRE Tim Cook!
Fire ‘the joker’.
Apple under Cook doing what he knows best – cheapening the Apple experience at the expense of the user. When you lack Steve’s visionary abilities, turning Apple into a chop shop is the best he can do.
Cook doesn’t care about user experience or he wouldn’t have let the worse than crap iOS 7 out of the gate.
Get over it personally I find it far less annoying than listening to the whines about it.
You’ll always get losers who try to twist any topic to highlight their particular obsession. Not so long ago it was reflective screens, but that campaign got nowhere. Somebody with a bit of intelligence might have been able to work out that all those tantrums on MDN didn’t change anything then and won’t change anything now either.
Cook cares about maximizing product profit for shareholders. The 5C will be around for a while so this is another way the do that and drop the price point. I think this is a signal the 5S Touch ID will not trickle down to the ‘5CS’ when the 6 comes out.
I guess those rumors yesterday actually made sense after all 😉
Besides Tim, where are those marketing genius in Apple? Phill? They won’t be fired I know, but it’s very disappointing to see this kind of move.
Disgusting.
iPhone 5C = Pig on Lipstick
yep, a regular sarah palin analog product, with no substance and inadequate internal memory.
mdn is exactly right on this one.
so who came up with this ralph kramden idea anyhow, taking a lame product and making it even lamer ?
“After the Russian Army invaded the nation of Georgia, Senator Obama’s reaction was one of indecision and moral equivalence, the kind of response that would only encourage Russia’s Putin to invade Ukraine next.” – Governor Sarah Palin, 2008
“Yes, I could see this one from Alaska.” – Governor Sarah Palin, 2014
Those who bought and continue to buy into the mainstream media’s high tech lynching of Sarah Palin are the biggest fools on earth. You’re proud of being played like a pawn?
I do not like this Uncle Sam, I do not like his healthcare scam.
I do not like these dirty crooks or how they lie and cook the books.
I do not like when Congress steals. I do not like their crony deals.
I do not like this spying man. I do not like, ‘oh yes we can.’
I do not like this spending spree. We’re smart, we know there’s nothing free.
I do not like reporters’ smug replies when I complain about their lies.
I do not like this king of hope and we won’t take it – nope, nope, nope! – Governor Sarah Palin, CPAC 2014
@First 2014, Then 2016
You need professional help, seriously.
What is the actual storage capacity left after iOS 7.1??
Keep in mind a 16 gig Samsung has only about 7.8 gigs of storage left after Kit Kat and then Samsung’s additional software layer on top.
If it has an actual 8 gigs of storage capacity after the OS, then it is the existing 5c and not a lower capacity one.
I own a 16 gig 5c and love it, but the case with the holes in it was a mistake of all mistakes. Somebody should have been fired over that one, with the partial logo peering thru.
on an 8gb iPhone 4 the answer is 5.7gb
All I know is if ye don’t like it, don’t buy. But, MDN take is right on! Hope it won’t turn off a first iPhone experience. I don’t really think it will…
As a full-time college student with 2 full-time jobs, I had an iPhone 4 in 8GB. Rather than carrying a SamDung phone, I went with the most affordable (read: non-debt inducing) available product. The 8GB capacity eventually helped drive my decision to get iTunes Sync and stream my content rather than store it. I still have no shame about that decision. Nowadays I have a newer iPhone but still subscribe to $25/yr iTunes.
Maybe the strategy is to get kids like me to enter the ecosystem, grow into the need for higher capacities over time, and in the meantime subscribe. If you think about it, driving subscriptions is a great business tactic because it generates revenue without selling hardware. No inventory cost for subscriptions, just profit.
If you disagree, I’m all ears. But please be nice about it. Thanks.
1. There’s no such thing as “iTunes Sync.”
2. You must be a community college student because basic math shows that you blow far more on pizza and beer every week than the TINY additional amount it costs you to get a real iPhone with real capacity. Not to mention the $25 / year cost for your mythical “iTunes Sync” subscription.
3. As for your “be nice” requirement: “Have a lovely day!” Now read this:
(WARNING: Basic math included within)
Why would anyone buy an iPhone 5c instead of an iPhone 5s?
funny to hear everyone getting their panties in a bunch over this. 8GB is just fine with me. All it is is another option. That’s all. RE-LAX.
Apple, strike two.
Apple is shaving about $60.00 and 8gb of storage off the 5c based on the European price for the new 5c 8gb iPhone.
In the meantime, about 3-1/2 months from now Apple will release the second generation 64-bit iphone 6. We will then have two iPhone 64-bit models and no doubt the price of the 5S will drop.
This makes the entire 5c lineup and especially the 8gb model and even worst buy then before. This will only put a spot light on the sales figures of the 5c as we approach June and the announcement of the new 64-bit iPhone 6.
Apple would have done better taking all the 5c and crushing them. That would send a better signal to wall street then introducing a still far to expensive 5c with less storage. On the bright side, it will a good time to buy some Apple stock after it drops.
Wrong. The 5s will be reduced in price, but it will be done so by being placed into the current 5c case. Oh, yeah and it will have Touch ID.
Apple is not going to place the elegant 5s in a plastic case and charge $50 less then the iPhone 6. The marketing of the 5c (price) is a disaster next to the 5s. Apple will be repeating disaster.
I just called Apple to ask about the 5c 8gb model. They knew nothing about it. It maybe this model is only meant for the Europe and developing world which Apple apparently thinks is more gullible the it’s US customers.
To add further; this will be done because the manufacturing process is simpler and less costly. Have a nice day ruminating on reality, instead of invective wrongness.
Simpler, less costlier, to whom?
The 5c is not selling because it is a bad buy.
Dude, do you think they came out with a different casing as a one off, one year thing. Think man!
The only reason for them to do this is to make a case which can continually reduce pricing as manufacturing cost decrease. This is how they will continue to maintain their margins, while selling iPhones at decreased pricesY/Y.
Only this next years C model will cost $100 less. Next years another $100 less. Mark my words. This has always been the plan. And the reason is that the 5/5s model is too expensive to manufacture at increasingly lower price points. Again, I say to you; THINK!
The 5c is a poor seller because it is too expensive for what it is. Apple will now have three 5c models available, at least in Europe. I believe Apple is just re-tooled the 5c with lower specs just to get rid of parts inventory before canceling the 5c.
In a few months time Apple will come out with the iPhone 6 and have at least two 64-bit iPhones. The 5c in its current price point won’t survive.
I watched a segment on CNBC today and just by chance they were talking about the iPhone, the up coming iPhone 6 that is and nothing about the 5c 8gb iPhone in Europe.
The entire 5c is a gross misstep by Apple. Apple’s competitors and well as wall street has taken notice.
My wife has a 4S with 16GB and has to delete stuff everytime there’s a system update. (I got 64, 128 for my iPad.) I always say, “get more than you think you’ll need.”
“Apple doesn’t release crap.” With only 8GB, this is crap. It’s a barely functional demo. For people with Chromebooks.
Other people are not you and your wife. You are applying your views and habits to other people. Speak for your self, even 4GB is plenty for many people.
Remember when iPhones didn’t have apps and people didn’t have GB’s of music ? (Pepperidge Farm remembers)
Those who choose to buy an 8Gb model are the sort of people who rarely listen to much music, don’t bother much about filling it up with apps, and probably use it mostly for web, Fb, Instagram and Twitter.
While I yearn for a 128Gb phone, or even better 256Gb, I know people who would find 8Gb extravagant.
The 5c is the guts of an iPhone 5…I am thinking Apple has alot of parts laying around in inventory…once iPhone 6 hits the 5c may be discarded, so, in the meantime, they are using up the last of their inventory parts to make one last batch run for the 5c…makes sense to not waste anything.
Yes, it feels like a move to reduce inventory of 5c specific parts.. Namely the plastic casing/covers.
Also using up the last of their eight gig hard drives
The real complaint here should be the fact that it doesn’t have a memory card slot. 64GB for $17 on ebay, free shipping. Problem solved.
iPhone 5c was clearly a test before kill iPod.
MDN take is completely out of touch. Its like people forget the primary function of this thing is a PHONE.
Many many people could get by with 4 GB let alone 8. People like my wife NEVER install any apps or music at all. They use the internet and messaging, GPS and other built in apps and nothing else. I still got her a 64 GB model for resale purposes later (it was only $200 on promo and we will sell it for more than that in 2 years!). But its pretty much got 64 GB free minus the O/S overhead, almost a year later !
Outside of the USA, the most typical model is not to have an upfront payment but to pay off the handset over the life of the contract – usually 12 or 24 months. This amount is added to the monthly plan payments.
I notice that Vodafone Australia is now selling the iPhone 5c 8GB with no additional payments on top of the plan commitments, making it easier for those on a low income eg. teenagers, pensioners, welfare recipients, low-paid workers to afford an iPhone.
It also makes sense to many who aren’t really interested in the iPhone for anything much more than a communication device.
Assuming Apple continues this kind of offering, I will switch my Mum to an 8GB 5s when they move it into a plastic body later this year with the release of the 6 as an upgrade to her 4s. She only uses it for calls, texts and photos and has no interest in additional apps. She prefers the larger screen of her Mac for anything more detailed such as emails and browsing. As such 8GB is plenty for her.