This article is based upon a previous Take I wrote earlier, but I wanted to get your feedback in case I might be missing something:
Apple’s iPhone 5S costs $100 more than an iPhone 5C — or $4.17 per month over the life of a typical two-year contract or, in other words, a completely negligible amount if you’re actually in a financial position to be able to buy and use a smartphone.
Let’s get real: If $4.17 per month means anything at all to you, you really can’t afford a smartphone to begin with. Over a two-year contract, the difference between the two iPhones is less than 14-cents per day!
The iPhone 5s is separated from iPhone 5c in many ways: Touch ID fingerprint recognition, materials quality, the camera’s larger 8MP sensor with 1.5µ pixels, ƒ/2.2 aperture, dual LED True Tone flash, Burst mode, slo-mo video, improved video stabilization, a 64GB option, and, of course, the A7 chip with 64-bit architecture and M7 motion coprocessor.
Unless you’re allergic to aluminum and/or fine craftsmanship, there is no reason why anyone who can afford an iPhone would not buy an iPhone 5s (unless you’re buying a first iPhone for your son or daughter). Even then, if you want a brightly colored polycarbonate phone or some feeling of extra protection from drops and dings, slap a plastic case on the iPhone 5s. There, it almost weighs as much as the 5c now.
The bulk of any smartphone cost is the data, not the phone.
Am I missing something or is the price difference between the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 5c too insignificant to ever consider opting for the 5c?
Why the hell would anyone buy an iPhone 5c instead of an iPhone 5s?
It seems to me that Apple is using the iPhone 5c as a tool to push buyers to the 5s (well, at least those buyers who can grasp a simple value equation).
Once Apple gets the customer to the websites or into the stores and the prospective buyer can see and/or hold both phones and learn that they’re only separated by a mere $100, my guess is that Apple figures they’ll have plenty of upsales occurring. Upsales that will boost Apple’s iPhone margins nicely.
Oh, BTW, Apple’s going to sell a boatload of both models (and millions of 4S units too)!
Are you listening, margin-loving Wall Street?
SteveJack is a long-time Macintosh user, former web designer, multimedia producer and a regular contributor to the MacDailyNews Opinion section.
Well, it comes down to this…
for the next year, an hereon, You can get the current iPhone for $100 bucks.
“We’ve got a Motorola Q, it does email, it does messaging, it does internet, it does things, for NINETY NINE DOLLARS, it’s a VERY capable machine, etc. ,etc. (paraphrase of BALLMER) 🙂
That ninety-nine dollars means a lot to the REST of the world.
If I decide to stick with an iPhone, it will be a 5c precisely because it lacks touch Id.
I would get a 5c just so I didn’t have to have the invasive, privacy violating touch id on my phone.
I would really not care about the 5S. My daughter saw the 5C and was just ooing over how cool it was and she was going on and on about oh i want that color and dad you get that color. Yea i know you can put a case on a 5S do the same thing but i dont need a fingerprint sensor sure might be cool but i dont NEED it. Considering i had an iphone 4 till 2 months ago and now i have a 5 i am just thrilled to have something faster and a bigger screen.
The 5S yea its super fast and all this but i dont play many games on my phone. Not games anyway that would take advantage of the 5S. I think the 5C makes people think wow this is cool and they did upgrade a few things from the 5. BUt the plastic shell is more durable and what do lots of people do drop their phones right? so its better.
The 5S is for those who do want to spend the extra and want the TOP. the 5C is for those who just want an iphone and want the coolness the 5C has seem to make.
Android has many phones and apple needs to do that too and not be in the rut of ok 5S $199. 5 (last years model) $99 and 2 year old 4S is free.
4S has got siri can run ios 7 and for some people it will work. If someone wants an iphone but doesnt care about the bigger screen but wants iOS 7 and siri they got it.
the 5C fills that teen and young group that wants colors and cant afford the extra $100. Also the moms and even dads like me and anyone who wants the newest iphone but doesnt care about the 1080P camera and fingerprint and all that.
Yes they are nice things but if you dont HAVE TO HAVE them and your budget is limited considering there is no unlimited data plans anymore that costs more then 5C works. I would bet its got some newer compoents in it. They didnt just take a 5 throw it in a plastic case and go here ya go. Better batter life, new camera.
I was surprised at the non agressive 5C pricing!
I hoped pricing would have been in the ipod touch zone which would induce ipod touch customers and induce more iphone cisters!
I was surprised at the non agressive 5C pricing!
I hoped pricing would have been in the ipod touch zone which would induce ipod touch customers and induce more iphone customers
Whether someone buys the iPhone 5c or the 5s, WHO CARES!?! People should do whatever is best for them. If they can’t afford a 5s but can get the 5c, WHO CARES!?!
Based on the effeminate color scheme of the 5c, Apple must be primarily aiming for the women and children sector of the market with their downscale phone line. Their research may have shown that they could do better with that demographic than they have up until now, and if it’s a ripe market, why not?
As for the top-of-the-line phones, some bolder, richer colors would be nice for next time, and either with matching faceplates or black ones (no white): Deep blue, emerald green, and chile red (and stop with that insufferable “product RED” nonsense).
I’m getting a 5C cos I’m allergic to sharp edges. Haven’t liked the boxy design since the iPhone 4.
1. If the phone stores your fingerprint dat anywhere on the phone – which of course it must, the NSA can or will be able to access it.
2. As most have said the phone costs differential isnt great. Similarly the telcos devise ‘premium’ contracts for iPhones in comparison with others – or at least the do in UK. So ultimately it will be the contract price over 24 months that decides which is better. The 5C needs a ‘kids’ orientated contract that is significantly cheaper than the 5s contract offers.
Every time I see an opinion piece by SteveJack, I know there’s a dumb idea/misunderstanding on its way. Seriously, MDN – drop this guy. He’s clueless. The obvious bias of MDN is one thing, but stupidity is another. There’s a market for high-end, maximum performance, business friendly (i.e. secure) smartphones – the 5S has this covered. There’s a market for entry-level devices that are cheap but more than powerful enough for most people – the new 8GB 4S has this covered (and THIS is the low-cost iPhone: quite how every tech site out there has missed this is beyond me – the 4S is still fast, has a great screen, great battery life, will run iOS7 without breaking a sweat, has a great camera and will run everything in the App store and 95% of the stuff coming to the App store in the next year or so). There’s also a market for mid-range, fun and lively phones that are cheaper up front but not bargain basement. The Lumia range tapped this, and the Moto X tapped this – but throw in the best ecosystem out there with the best build quality, and you have a killer option. The 5C has this covered. Apple’s lineup is now stronger than ever and has mass appeal to the global market too. The only missing piece of the puzzle is a mega-screened iPhone for those who like that sort of thing, and that’s doubtless coming.
I usually agree with SteveJack 99% of the time, but he missed it here.
If a family has 3 kids all wanting iPhones, it’s much easier to put down $300 rather than $600.
I don’t see how anyone could miss that fact. Also it can appeal to first time smartphone users who don’t necessarily need the latest tech or largest capacity storage.
SteveJack #fail
SteveJack often seems as clueless about Apple as Enderle. Or perhaps he’s just very forgetful. Remember this question from nearly a decade ago?
“Why would anyone buy iPod mini over iPod?”
and more recently…
“Why would anyone buy iPad mini over iPad?”
SteveJack doesn’t represent everyone and Apple knows this and makes a ton of money by knowing so.
If the 5C does everything that a person needs it to do, and if the look is one that satisfies, then couldn’t the argument be made that it’s actually MORE foolish to spend the money on a 5S that is actually overkill??
iPhone 5C designed for the Third world countries and China, India, Africa etc.
Apple will close in ten years time.
Exactly the same decisions that almost destroyed Apple between 1985 and 1997.
Selling bad products at lower prices.
Big mistakes: Mac Book Air 2013 without retina display
Iphone 5c is such a poor decision that is even comic
I’m a 15 year old girl and I could careless about the colours of the 5c. Maybe I would of thought different if they had purple, but I chose a gold iphone 5s and love it. Beautiful camera and the ID scanner works magnificent. My 12 year old sister got the pink 5c and loves it and I personally think it’s meant for middle schoolers since apparently all her friends want them too. Haven’t seen anyone from High school own them, but who knows?
I use My iPhone5c 32g
But don’t worried IOS 8 is almost
Here….
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