“Apple is planning to hold an ‘enormous’ iPhone-related event in its stores this week in order to boost sales, according to a source with knowledge of the initiative,” Mark Gurman reports for 9to5Mac.
“Beginning May 8th, the source said, Apple will be contacting upgrade-eligible iPhone users with older iPhone models via email to come into their local Apple Store to update to a new iPhone 5s or iPhone 5c,” Gurman reports. “This event will be held in multiple states across the United States, and Apple is said to be preparing for an influx of visitors to its stores on the levels of traffic driven to stores for new product debuts. Apple will brief Apple Retail management on the initiative tomorrow, according to the source.”
Gurman reports, “Additionally, Apple is said to be readying various other new marketing and sales initiatives to improve the sales of the iPhone in its retail stores.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers Dan K.,” “Lynn Weiler,” and “Bill” for the heads up.]
I’ve been ‘encouraged’ to upgrade.
Ain’t gonna happen. At least, not until the 6 comes along; I see no point going from an eighteen month old 5 to a 5S when the new phone will be along in a few months.
I haven’t heard from them, and I have an even older 4s. Did they email you? The article stated the program begins on the 8th, two days from now
“Apple will be contacting upgrade-eligible iPhone users with older iPhone models via email to come into their local Apple Store to update to a new iPhone 5s or iPhone 5c,”
Why would people want to upgrade now to the 5S/5C when we’re a few weeks away from Apple announcing new iPhone(s) and those models will be cheaper in the coming months.
Is this event to distract from Tim’s comments that they be products released throughout the end of 2013 and well into 2014?
“Why would people want to upgrade now to the 5S/5C when we’re a few weeks away from Apple announcing new iPhone(s) and those models will be cheaper in the coming months.”
Do you truly believe that Apple will be shipping iPhone 6 models in June, i.e., “a few weeks away”?
While Apple *might* announce availability of iPhone 6 models at the WWDC, it is *extremely* unlikely. I’d put the odds as being as good as you winning one of the PowerBall lotteries. A much, much more likely time frame is September/October as has been the norm for a few years.
If you have a 4/4S/5 then taking advantage of this — especially if there are incentives to do so — may be a good thing, though admittedly less so if you have a 5.
One thing that might be going on is that iOS 8 might be taking more advantage of the 64-bit nature of the A7 in the 5S. I’m sure Apple expects that the majority of upgraders will opt for the 5S rather than the 5c thus moving the majority of them to the A7 chip. Apple has always gotten bashed pretty soundly (often without justification) for advancing its OSes and leaving older hardware behind. (“I just bought my 4S in August of 2013 and it’s already obsolete! Apple screws it’s installed base!!!!!)
If iOS 8 takes advantage of specific capabilities in the A7 and coming A8 chips then getting as many people to move to the A7 as possible will slightly blunt some of those criticisms.
People know what’s coming and a smart consumer will wait.
“If you have a 4/4S/5 then taking advantage of this — especially if there are incentives to do so — may be a good thing, though admittedly less so if you have a 5.”
They would have to be some very generous incentives indeed. Apple isn’t known for this. Apple will releases the next generation 64-bit iPhone with a few months. Then there will be two 64-bit iPhone models. This makes the 5c more of a dud, price wise then before.
What’s been ‘rumored’ is that there will NOT be any new iPhone announced in ‘a few weeks’, meaning at WWDC. Try: A few MONTHS.
As for Cook’s ‘well into 2014’ comment: You caught him. However, I’ll take a delayed superior product over a half-baked not-ready-for-prime-time product any day. IE: Apple Maps. If Tim Cook is being smart, he is NOT going to pull another fiasco like that ever again.
Apple said watch us in late 2013 and all of 2014. To that end all Apple has shown is the very, very late release in Dec of 2013 of the new Pro Mac that only trickled out. Only now in the second qtr of 2014 is this new Pro Mac shipping with a lead time of only 3-4 weeks.
So, a year later at WWDC 2014 if Apple doesn’t announce something new after a small trickle of new Pro Macs, the marketing price debacle of the 5c and a very dry pipe line, Apple will be viewed as weakening.
Obviously the ‘Apple is weakening’ meme is eternal. I point that out constantly. It’s just a death wish from those with no imaginations or love of creativity.
But it’s entirely fair to say that Apple is in Delay Mode with what’s up next. And as I stated around here somewhere, I’ll take finished superior products that are late ANY day. Half-baked, rushed, version 1.0 Syndrome junk is NEVER welcome.
So take your time Apple and Get It Right.
Unfortunately Apples’ Tim did say just watch us in late 2013 & 2014 and nothing happened. The Pro Mac barely shipped almost 6 months after first being introduced. It’s still only trickling out today. That’s the reality of the situation. If Tim had not made that comment then it would be a little different.
Well, they surely didn’t get it right with the 5c. We’ll just have to see what WWDC 2014 brings or doesn’t.
No. To be fair, they previewed the Mac Pro way early. I totally disagreed with this strategy at the time as it is NOT what Apple does. This move was totally a publicity stunt and it bit them, as expected.
Then they felt they’ve kicked themselves in the ass to release the Mac Pro before adequate manufacturing facilities were ready. Thus the STILL late Mac Pro shipment. – That’s somewhat debatable I know as the sales of the Mac Pro have indeed been beyond expectations. It’s officially popular. But if you look at what happened on the release date, Apple seriously was NOT ready to fulfil demand even at that point, before the rush.
As for the 5c: I have yet to see ANY valid argument that Apple didn’t get the 5c EXACTLY right. It’s been a terrific product for Apple. All the Apple Bear Bullshit about the 5c has been proven total crap.
The 5c is a terrific product. Unfortunately it is also a terribly overpriced product compared to the 5s. Apples’ folly continued when they released an 8gb 5c for the European or Asian market at about a $50 saving and it went nowhere.
To all this add the story or rumor of Apple wanting to get an extra $100 for the new upcoming iPhone 6 from a weakening market with savvy consumers and a changing market place and you have to wonder a little about what Apple is thinking, to be fair.
I’m going to leave the 5c issue as is. It does speak for itself.
As for that $100 more rumor, I can clearly see that as a wise request regarding any iPhone iPhablet Apple may wish to sell. It’s more hardware, so pay for it. I cannot imagine Apple requesting more money for a same-size iPhone 6. We’ll find out in the fall!
your a dumb-ass if you think the pro is a fiasco. Did you buy one or order one? Didn’t think so. The reality of the situation is if you want one you can get it. The other reality is the 5C is doing exactly (actually better) than Apple wanted. Go pic up your check from Samsung. It will probably bounce.
With the update of the MBA, and WWDC coming up this makes me believe the iWatch will be announced at WWDC. Apple usually announces some hardware at WWDC so there is some press buzz afterword. Having more phones that can use the iWatch will help sales. If I remember correctly all they did last year was announce an MBA update and that was a big disappointment.
No actually, it’s very rare for Apple to announce any hardware at WWDC. It’s more common for hardware to be quietly upgraded during of after WWDC as an afterthought. WWDC is ALL about software, specifically the FUTURE of Apple software in order that developers can:
A) Get ready for the API changes and learn how to take advantage of them.
B) Participate in the changes.
I can’t imagine you’ll see any hardware anything at WWDC this year.
Just release the damn 6 already and the business will explode. Thats what people are waiting for. Cook isn’t stupid. He knows this . Go back to the old pattern of releasing products in the summer. or release the fabled watch – people are sitting on their money waiting for new products
Your comment would sound more reasonable *if* Apple had already reduced iPhone 5s/5c production and retail inventory ahead of the iPhone 6 release *and* stockpiled ten or twenty million iPhone 6 units for rapid distribution and sale. Apple will release the iPhone 6 as soon as possible.
I, too, favor a late summer product release. That provides a buffer to absorb the rush of early adopters as well as time to produce additional units to satisfy the holiday season. The August timeframe also engages the back-to-school crowd. It seems like a logical time to release new iPhone/mobile products.
I agree with the August time frame.
But Apple has this odd habit of delaying new product releases until AFTER school starts. There may be a strategy there, but it’s not one I comprehend.
With iPhones it could simply be that they can’t make enough in the first few months to feed demand anyway, so why launch right before back-to-school? Students wouldn’t get a hold of a the latest iPhone before school starts either way… and students are really more candidates to pick up a discounted model of the current generation anyway, which fits perfectly with Apple’s desire to clear old inventory before introducing the new model.
The latter part also explains holding off Mac announcements til after back-to-school too. If they introduce new ones right before, people still expect to see *some* discount in August, even if it’s throw in a printer or something. Again, far better (from Apple’s perspective) to do that on a model that’s just about to refresh.
Logical.
However, I’ve been concerned that Apple loses sales during back-to-school specifically because people are aware that they’re buying ‘last year’s model’ if they go with Apple.
They’d lose sales either way. If they release but can’t make enough to supply BTS season, then people *know* there’s a newer model that they can’t get… and then they get to whine on social media how Apple can’t manage their supply chain for back to school properly.
If they don’t release, then the models available are still the “latest” ones, they may or may not know that it’s about to be replaced, and they might not even care because “hey, they’re on sale!” (might not work this year; I’m seeing sales left right and center on the 5s and 5c the last few weeks, which is unusual… then again, last year we didn’t have a split between lower- and higher-end of the latest model, so it’s slightly uncharted waters).
Either way, some who aren’t dedicated Apple users will buy something else.
I think I’ll stick with Cook instead of some anonymous coward know-it-all named ‘rob’.
Sorry Tim, not the ‘enormous’ iPhone upgrade event in your retail stores that I was looking for!
Perhaps they should do this in fall or at least beginning of winter maybe January. Not near June
I’m just not interested in a phone the size of the 5. I’m waiting for the 6 and if it isn’t bigger I guess I’m going to look for an alternative to iPhone. I’m not happy about this but that’s the way it is for me.
I hate walking into a store when there are new products out, or new products coming out and seeing people buying last years model. I understand people do it to themselves, by not knowing. And Apple will no doubt blow these phones out, because people dont really know. Ive had 2 friends in the past week upgrade to a 5S. I buy mine a week after they come out every year, and thats if I dont order it to be delivered on release day. I go into a store, and the new MacBook Airs came out last week, and there is a line of people buying the old airs thinking they are the new ones, and the best buy kid, didnt even know new Airs were out. I love walking in and watching 3 people put laptops back because I spoke up and said they were the old units.
So many commenters seem to assume that the majority of retail buyers have a certain consumer profile — the shrewd, discerning, early adopter — one that eschews last year’s models, analyses price points like an economist, studies spec sheets whilst pretending otherwise, cites anecdotal evidence from one’s kinship group and generalizes it willy-nilly.
I believe in a less monolithic distribution — consumers segment into several profiles with different buying characteristics. Apple makes what sells, and sells what they make.
If they are holding an uncharacteristic “blow-out” sale, I expect it’s to clear the way for a “blow-out” new product that is nearer than usual to release.
This program will have takers, of several types: people living in the present; budget-minded Android switchers, older iPhone trade ups, even iPhone 5 trade-ins recovering some of their value. And making phone changes friendly and convenient is a way to draw customers into Apple’s own stores and away from the vampiric carrier outlets.
It’s possible they are not expecting enough units of iPhone 6 to be ready by launch so this promotion might be a way of bleeding off some of the pressure. The dedicated will wait while other may jump in now see here goo.gl/JLzueu
More evidence that I think Apple is releasing the iPhone 6 at WWDC! When pictures start showing up the release is near! And now we have this news, trying to get rid of the older models all of a sudden!
I don’t want an enormous phone.