Rumor: Major Foxconn factory to cease iPhone 5c production, focus on Apple's iPhone 5s

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
Foxconn's major factory in the city of Zhengzhou in northern China will allegedly cease production of Apple's plastic-backed iPhone 5c, according to a new report, in order to focus on producing the more popular flagship iPhone 5s.



Taiwanese publication DigiTimes was just the latest news outlet to claim in a new report on Monday that production of the iPhone 5c is being shifted. The report, which cited unnamed "industry sources," suggested that Foxconn will not entirely cease production of the iPhone 5c, but that its weekly output will be slightly reduced.

Foxconn is said to handle about 30 percent of orders for Apple's iPhone 5c, with manufacturing partner Pegatron Technology handling the remaining 70 percent. Recent reports have also suggested that Pegatron saw its orders for the iPhone 5c cut since the device debuted in September.

Monday's rumor suggests that Foxconn's massive factory in Zhengzhou, which home to some 120,000 employees, will no longer produce Apple's mid-range iPhone 5c.

Earlier reports from American publications cited factors such as "weak sales" and "less-than-stellar sales" as prompting Apple to reduce orders for the iPhone 5c. The company does not break down sales figures for its handset business on a model-by-model basis.

This year marks the first time Apple has opted to introduce two new iPhone models. The iPhone 5c has generally the same parts as last year's iPhone 5, but comes in a new plastic casing available in an array of colors.

It's differentiated from the company's new flagship aluminum iPhone 5s, which exclusively sports the Touch ID fingerprint sensor for secure access. Some market watchers have predicted that Apple's iPhone 5c will find greater success in the long-term, as early adopters are more likely to opt for the high-end device featuring Touch ID and the 64-bit A7 processor.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 56
    slurpyslurpy Posts: 5,382member
    The standards of this site are pretty depressing, running to publish every single digitimes rumor and helping to spread the negative FUD, kmowing digitimes pitiful track record. It's so, so sad. Have some damn self respect, and some damn standards.
  • Reply 2 of 56
    slurpy wrote: »
    The standards of this site are pretty depressing, running to publish every single digitimes rumor and helping to spread the negative FUD, kmowing digitimes pitiful track record. It's so, so sad. Have some damn self respect, and some damn standards.


    But, but, but...they have a hot Chairman ¡

    1000
  • Reply 3 of 56
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    slurpy wrote: »
    The standards of this site are pretty depressing, running to publish every single digitimes rumor and helping to spread the negative FUD, kmowing digitimes pitiful track record. It's so, so sad. Have some damn self respect, and some damn standards.
    Yeah it's pretty pathetic. No Apple rumor site should ever quote digitimes for anything. Sigh.
  • Reply 4 of 56
    poksipoksi Posts: 482member

    It's amazing how much crap is being thrown at 5c, forcibly trying to prove right false initial prediction that 5c is Apple's failure. Only a moron doesn't understand that 5c is Apple's major success whether it sells more or less than more expensive 5s...

  • Reply 5 of 56
    drblankdrblank Posts: 3,385member
    Sounds like Apple is just letting Foxconn handle the 5S and Pegatron handles the 5C. Well, that makes sense. I don't see what the problem is. I wouldn't expect the 5C to sell as well as the 5S. Apple typically sells more of their top of the line models of iPhones as the older models ramp down in demand.
  • Reply 6 of 56
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
  • Reply 7 of 56
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    drblank wrote: »
    Sounds like Apple is just letting Foxconn handle the 5S and Pegatron handles the 5C. Well, that makes sense. I don't see what the problem is. I wouldn't expect the 5C to sell as well as the 5S. Apple typically sells more of their top of the line models of iPhones as the older models ramp down in demand.
    The funny thing is the stories have done nothing to Apple's stock price. The only people that seem to care about this are concern trolls, the Henry Blodgets of the world that write about it because it's good click bait and drives traffic to his site.
  • Reply 8 of 56
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Rogifan View Post



    How about AI reporting on this instead:



    http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2013/11/18/apple-android-tv-stick/?source=yahoo_quote

     

    I actually seem to remember a report on this. Might have been that DED article on white box tablets. Too lazy to search for it right now.

  • Reply 9 of 56
    jumejume Posts: 209member
    5C is a good phone but pricing is way off. Why the hell would I even want to buy 5C when I cash in 100$ more and I get a lot more of a phone? If 5C would be half or even 3rd the price of 5S then I guess this would be selling much better as it is currently. I mean it's not a huge difference in price when one costs 549$ and other is 649$ and offers a lot more. No brainier to me!
  • Reply 10 of 56
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    jume wrote: »
    5C is a good phone but pricing is way off. Why the hell would I even want to buy 5C when I cash in 100$ more and I get a lot more of a phone? If 5C would be half or even 3rd the price of 5S then I guess this would be selling much better as it is currently. I mean it's not a huge difference in price when one costs 549$ and other is 649$ and offers a lot more. No brainier to me!
    But Apple's business model has always been to mark down current phone $100 when new phone comes out. Were people complaining that the 4S was too expensive when the 5 came out? If Apple had kept the 5 and dropped the price $100 would people say it's too expensive for what you get? Or is it all just because the 5C chassis is plastic and not aluminum?
  • Reply 11 of 56
    jumejume Posts: 209member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Rogifan View Post





    But Apple's business model has always been to mark down current phone $100 when new phone comes out. Were people complaining that the 4S was too expensive when the 5 came out? If Apple had kept the 5 and dropped the price $100 would people say it's too expensive for what you get? Or is it all just because the 5C chassis is plastic and not aluminum?



    Well didn't understand that pricing scheme as well, but mostly I didn't think about it because I thought nobody is buying that anyway... Now the 5C phone is not just an 'old' phone. It's a neat looking NEW device that might be attracted to lots of (new) people. Sure I guess it's worth the money it's sold for, but I think they would sell way more if the price was like 150-200$ off. If nothing else I would bought 1 for my sister and one for my girlfriend :).

  • Reply 12 of 56
    simtubsimtub Posts: 277member
    I've actually not seen a single iPhone 5C yet out in the street in Hong Kong. 5S's are very popular here but that's probably because the demographic for new and top of the line phones and gadgets are more commonplace.
  • Reply 13 of 56
    ridiculos
  • Reply 14 of 56
    akqiesakqies Posts: 768member
    jume wrote: »
    ...but I think they would sell way more if the price was like 150-200$ off.

    Well, yeah, pretty much anything that is made significantly less expensive will appeal to more buyers, but in no way does that mean that it's not priced appropriately for its market.
  • Reply 15 of 56
    akqies wrote: »
    Well, yeah, pretty much anything that is made significantly less expensive will appeal to more buyers, but in no way does that mean that it's not priced appropriately for its market.

    While you are correct, the issue is that Apple still doesn't have a product for the off-contract market.

    I think the 5c was uniquely placed to be that product (considering how much of a jump the 5s is over the 5c) and I am surprised Apple did not take that opportunity.
  • Reply 16 of 56
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Jume View Post



    5C is a good phone but pricing is way off. Why the hell would I even want to buy 5C when I cash in 100$ more and I get a lot more of a phone? If 5C would be half or even 3rd the price of 5S then I guess this would be selling much better as it is currently. I mean it's not a huge difference in price when one costs 549$ and other is 649$ and offers a lot more. No brainier to me!

    Again you are confusing what you want with what apple wants. Selling a lot of 5c is not their goal. They would much rather sell a lot of 5s than 5c, which is what is happening currently.

     

    What you need to consider is, would you rather buy a Galaxy S4 or an iPhone 5c? Both cost the same, both have plastic backs, and 5c performs much better. 5c is designed to take away a portion of the high-end android sales of non-techie users (because techie android users tend to be the fanatic android fanboys). I think it is succeeding in that.

  • Reply 17 of 56
    akqiesakqies Posts: 768member
    addicted44 wrote: »
    While you are correct, the issue is that Apple still doesn't have a product for the off-contract market.

    I think the 5c was uniquely placed to be that product (considering how much of a jump the 5s is over the 5c) and I am surprised Apple did not take that opportunity.

    What surprises me is the 5C wasn't a repackaged 4S in a plastic case and with a larger display so they could eschew the last remaining 3.5" display from their lineup. I was surprised when the 4S remained and the 5 was replaced.

    I personally wouldn't go for the 5C but I also wouldn't go for a previous gen iPhone that had dropped by $100. Whomever these buyers are they are not the same people that care about getting the latest tech so we shouldn't expect 5C sales to be anywhere close to the demand for the flagship device.
  • Reply 18 of 56
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,801member

    I still say, wait until after the holiday buying season ends and then draw some conclusions. It appears as if the 5C is pretty simple to assemble compared to the 5 and 5S. So its most likely a lot easier to build a bunch and get some inventory than it is the 5S. 

  • Reply 19 of 56
    Consumers have spoken. They want TO SPEND MORE ON APPLE IPHONES. They want more expensive iPhones, not cheaper iPhones.
  • Reply 20 of 56
    jumejume Posts: 209member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by iamnemani View Post

     

    Again you are confusing what you want with what apple wants. Selling a lot of 5c is not their goal. They would much rather sell a lot of 5s than 5c, which is what is happening currently.

     

    What you need to consider is, would you rather buy a Galaxy S4 or an iPhone 5c? Both cost the same, both have plastic backs, and 5c performs much better. 5c is designed to take away a portion of the high-end android sales of non-techie users (because techie android users tend to be the fanatic android fanboys). I think it is succeeding in that.


     

    Yes I know that, but looking at the over-stock problems that Apple has with 5C, I see they would more then love to sell much more of 5C's.

     

    Agree on your 5C vs Samsung thing, but it's not working. Would work if the 5C was cheaper then Samsung Galaxy. I don't think 5C appeals to S3 or S4 users... 5C most likely appeals to all other android devices, but looks like not much as the pricing is not right on 5C. The one who will switch from S3/S4 will for sure go for iPhone 5S, but even that is not likely because of the small screen. I have seen more iPhones users switch from iPhones to Samsung these days just because of the big screen...

     

    Anyway I'm not switching anywhere. Just saying Apple has a tough competition these days and should be working more aggressively. They are good at earning profits for sure, but as a consumer I see their updates more for building up their profit margins then doing good for us.

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