Best Buy slashes iPhone 5c pricing to $50 with in-store gift cards
After being on sale for only two weeks, Apple's iPhone 5c is getting a promotional price cut from Best Buy, with the big box electronics retailer handing out $50 store gift cards to put toward the handset's $99 retail cost.
According to ABC News, Best Buy will be offering the plastic-shelled iPhone with a $50 gift card applicable to the handset's retail price of $99, effectively bringing the out-the-door cost down to $50.
The deal is not limited to the iPhone, however, as Best Buy is extending the $50 gift card to the Samsung Galaxy S4, which normally sells for $199. When asked why the discounts were being instituted, a company spokesman said the move is meant to drive traffic to those specific devices.
Apple launched the iPhone 5c on Sept. 20 alongside the new flagship iPhone 5s, which is not part of Best Buy's promotion. Over their launch weekend, the two new iPhones racked up a record 9 million unit sales, though Apple declined to give a model by model breakdown of that figure.
At least one analyst believes sales may have been split 50-50, as supply of the iPhone 5c reportedly outstripped that of the higher-priced iPhone 5s.
Those looking to take advantage of Best Buy's offer will have to visit one of the chain's brick-and-mortar stores, as the sale pricing is not available online. The deal runs today through Sunday.
According to ABC News, Best Buy will be offering the plastic-shelled iPhone with a $50 gift card applicable to the handset's retail price of $99, effectively bringing the out-the-door cost down to $50.
The deal is not limited to the iPhone, however, as Best Buy is extending the $50 gift card to the Samsung Galaxy S4, which normally sells for $199. When asked why the discounts were being instituted, a company spokesman said the move is meant to drive traffic to those specific devices.
Apple launched the iPhone 5c on Sept. 20 alongside the new flagship iPhone 5s, which is not part of Best Buy's promotion. Over their launch weekend, the two new iPhones racked up a record 9 million unit sales, though Apple declined to give a model by model breakdown of that figure.
At least one analyst believes sales may have been split 50-50, as supply of the iPhone 5c reportedly outstripped that of the higher-priced iPhone 5s.
Those looking to take advantage of Best Buy's offer will have to visit one of the chain's brick-and-mortar stores, as the sale pricing is not available online. The deal runs today through Sunday.
Comments
I think the channels are still pretty loaded with 5C and that's why we're seeing deals like this.
Retailers want these phones off the shelves, and not surprisingly the S4 is in the same predicament.
Does this mean my GF can take her (POS) Sprint feature phone (her contract is up) and get a 5c for $50? And still be on Sprint?
Thx
Does this mean my GF can take her (POS) Sprint feature phone (her contract is up) and get a 5c for $50? And still be on Sprint?
Thx
Yah... as long as you use bb gift card
I think the channels are still pretty loaded with 5C and that's why we're seeing deals like this.
You do? Based on what information exactly? It couldn't possibly be a promotion to drive more people to come into Best Buys, right? No, it has to be because the 5c is not selling. Riiiiiight.
Yah... as long as you use bb gift card
Oh right...thanks. We never go to BB. They sell to much plasticky crap products!
Oh right...thanks. We never go to BB. They sell to much plasticky crap products!
Uh, I've bought every single Apple product I own from BB aside from my iPhones, and have never had a problem. They have a better return policy than Apple, plus they have this crazy thing called a "Rewards Program" that actually rewards you for shopping there.
You do? Based on what information exactly? It couldn't possibly be a promotion to drive more people to come into Best Buys, right? No, it has to be because the 5c is not selling. Riiiiiight.
Mike, promotions like this happen to get rid of stock. You may not like it, but this is another sign that the 5C is overstocked. Carriers in China are also offering discounts; the following is a quote from Caijing:
"IPhone5c, Apple's newly-launched lower-end phone, is selling at discounts as sales remain stagnant overshadowed by the intensively popular iPhone 5s."
You do? Based on what information exactly? It couldn't possibly be a promotion to drive more people to come into Best Buys, right? No, it has to be because the 5c is not selling. Riiiiiight.
From the article:
"When asked why the discounts were being instituted, a company spokesman said the move is meant to drive traffic to those specific devices."
Please excuse my ignorance, but can the iPhone 5c be used in iPod-like fashion before being activated by a carrier?
As in, I will buy my daughter a kick-ass $50 iPod until/unless I choose to activate it as a phone?
Thanks for any response.
Please excuse my ignorance, but can the iPhone 5c be used in iPod-like fashion before being activated by a carrier?
As in, I will buy my daughter a kick-ass $50 iPod until/unless I choose to activate it as a phone?
Thanks for any response.
In order to get it for that price you have to sign up for a carrier contract and have it activated with that carrier.
Please excuse my ignorance, but can the iPhone 5c be used in iPod-like fashion before being activated by a carrier?
As in, I will buy my daughter a kick-ass $50 iPod until/unless I choose to activate it as a phone?
Thanks for any response.
I could be wrong, but I doubt that such an obvious arbitrage opportunity exists. I don't think you can get past the 'emergency call' screen unless you activate. That, in turn, automatically enrolls you in a two-year plan.
I would not be surprised if demand for IPhone 5C will drop. I know there are the initial lines, etc. but when the dust settles, I don't think the 5C will do well. And yes, I do think that Apple after such a great streak of success can make mistakes. I know the general sentiment on this forum, but as a longtime Apple fan, I'm disappointed in their decision with the 5C and with IOS7. I don't like where they went with them. You and Tim C. can say all you want that they don't care about market share. They do, and it's important to keep the ecosystem in place, users locked in, and developers coding for it. You can't do that if you don't have a certain critical mass of market share. And this is something forward-looking. You can't wait until it actually starts happening and developers code for Android first and iOS second. That will be too late. Hope Apple doesn't make the same mistake as Ballmer did. Oh, iPhone is a rounding error, oh we don't care about market share, we care about usage share...
I LOVE iOS 7 honestly.
I find new conveniences and features everyday, and it is so much more beautiful and functional than previous iOS'.
The 5C is simply overpriced for what's offered, but at this point it is too late for Apple to backtrack on the price. The one benefit I see is that the 5C is driving 5S sales. People no longer have the option to settle for last years "good enough" iPhone. Now there is a clear distinction and people are deciding to pay up the extra $100 to get the higher end iPhone.
Upsale is good, and the 5C seems to appeal to some customers as well. It's not the break out success it could have been, but it seems to be serving a purpose.
Please excuse my ignorance, but can the iPhone 5c be used in iPod-like fashion before being activated by a carrier?
As in, I will buy my daughter a kick-ass $50 iPod until/unless I choose to activate it as a phone?
Thanks for any response.
No, the $50 iPhone price mandates that you commit to a 2 year contract up front.
Mike, promotions like this happen to get rid of stock.
Not this one, though.
What's wrong is it's overpriced. Not massively so. But it's just too near the 5S, I'm not surprised we're already seeing discounts.
We don't have Best Buy in the UK so I wouldn't know what they are like. But it seems kind of weird for you to use the word 'plasticky' in such a derogatory fashion on a thread about an unashamedly plastic phone.