Apple's iPhone 5c 'failure flop' outsold Blackberry, Windows Phone and every Android flagship in Q4

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  • Reply 61 of 299
    herbapouherbapou Posts: 2,228member
    $550 is not mid tier, its still high end. Fact is Apple is doing very poorly in lots of countries because it lacks a mid-range phone.
  • Reply 62 of 299
    flaneurflaneur Posts: 4,526member
    deleted
  • Reply 63 of 299
    radarthekatradarthekat Posts: 3,842moderator
    asdasd wrote: »
    It's a great phone but I see far more of the 4Ss around. The problem is, or rather was, the price. Had it replaced the 4S then it would have been a huge hit.

    The new price in the UK, which is not really understood here ( it's a 61% drop in the sticker price) will make a big difference to the 5C sales.

    Off contract prices are a different matter.

    What kind of statement is that? First there was the iPhone 4, sold as a new model. Then came the 4S, selling as a new model while the nearly identical looking 4 remained on sale Asa second tier model. Then came the 5, with the 4S as a second tier model and the 4 as the third tier model. Now, with the 4 finally no longer sold in the U.S., the 4S is still sold as a third tier model. So of course you're going to see more of the 4 series handsets out there than the 5c, which in its multiple colors handset has been on the market for only six months. Even if you could tell the difference between the 4 and 4S from a distance, in a case (the only visual difference is the places along the edge where the antenna gaps reside) then you would still expect to see many more 4S models versus 5C models.
  • Reply 64 of 299
    droidftwdroidftw Posts: 1,009member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post



    If sportswriting were as disingenuous and misleading as the tech industry's bloggers, it'd be really hard to tell what teams were wining versus who was simply the team favored by a particular observer of the games being played.

     

    Does DED include himself in the 'disingenuous and misleading tech industry blogger' category?

  • Reply 65 of 299
    asdasdasdasd Posts: 5,686member
    What kind of statement is that? First there was the iPhone 4, sold as a new model. Then came the 4S, selling as a new model while the nearly identical looking 4 remained on sale Asa second tier model. Then came the 5, with the 4S as a second tier model and the 4 as the third tier model. Now, with the 4 finally no longer sold in the U.S., the 4S is still sold as a third tier model. So of course you're going to see more of the 4 series handsets out there than the 5c, which in its multiple colors handset has been on the market for only six months. Even if you could tell the difference between the 4 and 4S from a distance, in a case (the only visual difference is the places along the edge where the antenna gaps reside) then you would still expect to see many more 4S models versus 5C models.

    I agree with the points about the 4 and the 4S looking similar. And it's true that the 4S was the top selling top end model for a while, and the 5C was never designed to be the top end. In fact I was about to edit my post to make that point.

    But to go back to actual visual data I see maybe 10 times as many of the 4/4S than the 5C here in Ireland. And the UK.

    That's provably what the sales data would show. The reduction in prices in these markets may change things, I am one of the few who thinks the reductions are fairly substantial on the sticker price.
  • Reply 66 of 299
    mwhitecomwhiteco Posts: 112member

    I purchased the 5c a couple of weeks ago for my ex at Walmart for only $29 it replaces the 4 and she loves it, she put a lifeproof case on it and you can''t tell it's plastic.

  • Reply 67 of 299
    radarthekatradarthekat Posts: 3,842moderator
    chipsy wrote: »
    It wasn't a real faillure as in sales numbers, if you want a cheaper iPhone you only have one choice right? But it is a faillure as an idea because I have no doubt that the majority of the people who bought a 5c actually rather would have bought a normal iPhone 5 for that price (like was the case the previous years) than having to buy an 5c. I know I would.

    If those folks instead bought the 5S, then the 5C was a success. Well, we investors see it that way.
  • Reply 68 of 299
    alfiejralfiejr Posts: 1,524member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by brlawyer View Post

     

    Notwithstanding AI's great efforts above, the fact is: the 5C is a FLOP, aka the IIvx/IIvi of the iPhone world.

     

    Even Apple itself admitted that sales were not "in line" (euphemism for "sorry, we haven't sold that many") - besides, they were absolutely sure that it would sell well in emerging markets and lower strata of industrialized markets; but they did not realize that the 5S was just marginally more expensive, particularly when such phones are sold in instalments or with more expensive plans.

     

    In other words, Cook completely misinterpreted demand trends just like what Apple did with the PowerBook when it didn't produce enough units of the specific notebook model really wanted by the public.

     

    I have never seen anyone with a 5C - and I can assure you that the 5C will go down in history as one of Apple's major market failures ever; it will be quietly discontinued in the coming months (or, more appropriately, "superseded" by revamped non-5C models). 


    you forgot the /s

  • Reply 69 of 299
    alfiejralfiejr Posts: 1,524member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by brlawyer View Post

     

     

    Is this enough or you need more?

     

    http://bgr.com/2014/03/13/iphone-5c-sales-china-market-share/

     

    http://bgr.com/2014/01/28/iphone-5c-sales-flop-q1-2014-earnings/

     

    http://www.cultofmac.com/270297/sorry-iphone-5c-youre-flop-china/

     

    Main reason apart from I have already mentioned? In previous times, Apple would lower the older model's price to 99 USD or so, or exactly what has NOT happened to the 5C, which carried a much higher price tag - and don't even come with the nonsensical excuse that Apple deliberately created another product line just to drive up sales of the 5S - no company is THAT stupid. 

     

    Just clear evidence that Cook should have stayed as COO, not CEO.


    you keep forgetting the /s

  • Reply 70 of 299
    radarthekatradarthekat Posts: 3,842moderator
    quamb wrote: »
    You start to feel like a crazy fanboy trying to defend this stuff.... this non stop hate and hyperbole thrown Apple's way. It's unrelenting. What is going on? Who is behind all this? A simple (albiet very successful) company that makes phones and computers receives so much riducule it's as if they are doing something terribly wrong in the eyes of these editors and hoard of geeks on the forums.

    I guess in some respects, they were the same in the 90's with hating on the Macintosh. Still doesn't explain why though.

    There's a hint in my fake article headline: iPhone found to be favored by girls named Kim, but Samsung Galaxy still number one with guys named Kim
  • Reply 71 of 299
    mhiklmhikl Posts: 471member

    Apple has a hair in its eye, doesn’t meet expectations with iPhone 5c and it’s doomed. Google has an orchiectomy, gives up on Google Glass and no one seems to care. Go figger.

  • Reply 72 of 299
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,926member
    asdasd wrote: »
    At this stage in the upgrade cycle I would expect to see far fewer 4Ss. Still it's all pent up demand. Apple will get our dollars soon enough ( I have a 4s)

    Not really. The 4S has been sold for 2+ yrs while the 5C has been on sale for 6 months. 2 yr contracts are expiring/have expired for only a potion of the 4S set. I also have a 4S and my contract expired already. Perhaps when the 5C is a year old, you'll start seeing them more than the 4S.

    brlawyer wrote: »
    Is this enough or you need more?

    http://bgr.com/2014/03/13/iphone-5c-sales-china-market-share/

    http://bgr.com/2014/01/28/iphone-5c-sales-flop-q1-2014-earnings/

    http://www.cultofmac.com/270297/sorry-iphone-5c-youre-flop-china/

    Main reason apart from I have already mentioned? In previous times, Apple would lower the older model's price to 99 USD or so, or exactly what has NOT happened to the 5C, which carried a much higher price tag - and don't even come with the nonsensical excuse that Apple deliberately created another product line just to drive up sales of the 5S - no company is THAT stupid. 

    Just clear evidence that Cook should have stayed as COO, not CEO.

    You're quoting bgr and cult? Those guys fit the story to the headline instead of writing a story first.
    mj web wrote: »

    Cook also said the 5C sold more than the 4S did last year during the same timeframe.
  • Reply 73 of 299
    slurpyslurpy Posts: 5,382member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by brlawyer View Post

     

     

    Is this enough or you need more?

     

    http://bgr.com/2014/03/13/iphone-5c-sales-china-market-share/

     

    http://bgr.com/2014/01/28/iphone-5c-sales-flop-q1-2014-earnings/

     

    http://www.cultofmac.com/270297/sorry-iphone-5c-youre-flop-china/

     

    Main reason apart from I have already mentioned? In previous times, Apple would lower the older model's price to 99 USD or so, or exactly what has NOT happened to the 5C, which carried a much higher price tag - and don't even come with the nonsensical excuse that Apple deliberately created another product line just to drive up sales of the 5S - no company is THAT stupid. 

     

    Just clear evidence that Cook should have stayed as COO, not CEO.


     

    I took the time to read those links, unfortunately, which was a waste of time. So you link to 2 blogs from the same website- one of which contains the word "flop" in the headlines, but then not a single # to back that up, pretty much an opinion piece on why the 5C sucks and other random tangents. The 2nd one is nothing but commenting on the exact same graphs as the third, which is incredibly incomplete and lacks proper context, not to mention being based on a single country. Not a single link is any real "evidence" of anything. And recent metrics have shown that 5C sales are now increasing, after the initial early adopted went for the 5S. 

     

    "Just clear evidence that Cook should have stayed as COO, not CEO."

     

    What a fucking joke. Yeah, let's ignore all of Apple's incalculable successes and excellent products since Cook has been CEO, including smashing all sales records and revenue records almost every quarter- these 2 blog posts from 3rd tier websites are "clear evidence" that Cook is unfit to lead. Because, under Steve Jobs, every fucking product was utterly perfect and immaculate, right? I love how people like you revise and twist history, and raise the bar to ridiculous heights that did not even exist under Steve, so that you can bash Cook. The 5C "failure" (because it isn't, its a success) does not even come close to approaching many of the duds under Jobs- from software to hardware failures- and you know that. Stop being so purposely obtuse, it creates for some pretty shitty trolling, even by your standards. 

     

    I can't imagine what would happen if stuff like the iPod Boombox, MobileMe, Ping, Antennagate, G4 Cube, etc came out under Cook- people like you would probably want to have him lynched, because you've invented insane standards that did not even exist under SJ. You call for Tim's head because the 5C is only the 2nd most popular smartphone in the world- after the 5S- and contributed to record iPhone sales in the last 2 quarters, and expanding the base. Oh no, what a fucking disaster. 

  • Reply 74 of 299
    newbeenewbee Posts: 2,055member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by DewMe View Post



     ........ Why so many formerly respectable business publications like WSJ have allowed themselves to be collected up in this mass dumbing down battle against business success in America boggles the mind......

    To paraphrase Phil Schiller ..... tearing down others is easy, building one's self up is hard.

  • Reply 75 of 299
    radarthekatradarthekat Posts: 3,842moderator
    brlawyer wrote: »
    Is this enough or you need more?

    http://bgr.com/2014/03/13/iphone-5c-sales-china-market-share/

    http://bgr.com/2014/01/28/iphone-5c-sales-flop-q1-2014-earnings/

    http://www.cultofmac.com/270297/sorry-iphone-5c-youre-flop-china/

    Main reason apart from I have already mentioned? In previous times, Apple would lower the older model's price to 99 USD or so, or exactly what has NOT happened to the 5C, which carried a much higher price tag - and don't even come with the nonsensical excuse that Apple deliberately created another product line just to drive up sales of the 5S - no company is THAT stupid. 

    Just clear evidence that Cook should have stayed as COO, not CEO.

    I really think you don't understand what Apple did to create the 5C or why it did what it did. Simply put, Apple didn't want the old 5, with the same metal case as the 5S, hanging around confusing the market as to which iPhone they should choose. It decided to differentiate the two models by putting the 5 in a plastic case, tweaking a couple minor internals, and slotting it at the exact same price that it would have slotted the 5 had it kept the 5 unchanged as the second tier iPhone. The goal of differentiation was successful and Apple got a minor bonus of of the change in the fact that the cost to produce the 5C in its plastic case is slightly less than the cost of producing the 5 had been. A win/win given the goals. The fact that the iPhone 5C sells in its position as second tier iPhone at higher percentages of total iPhone sales versus the 4S when it occupied the second tier position in the line-up is just one more win for Apple. And the fact that the 5C tends to push more of those buyers who don't opt for it up to the 5S versus down to the 4S is yet another win for Apple. Is there anything else you need explained, or are we done here?
  • Reply 76 of 299
    sudonymsudonym Posts: 233member

    Why is everybody so unfair to Apple?  

  • Reply 77 of 299
    radarthekatradarthekat Posts: 3,842moderator
    apple ][ wrote: »
    apple ][ wrote: »

    I'm not a lawyer, so have no bias in defending them. However, I do have a lifelong friend who after a successful career in industry went to law school and became a criminal defense attorney. She told me why defense attorneys take the position they do with respect to clients they either know or strongly suspect are guilty of even the most horrible crimes. And that reason is that by putting up the most rigorous, best defense possible, a guilty verdict, should it come, will be less likely to be overturned on appeal or thrown out on technicality. Defense attorneys feel a great weight of responsibility to society to provide the best defense in order that those jailed for heinous crimes stay locked up.
  • Reply 78 of 299
    sudonymsudonym Posts: 233member
    .

  • Reply 79 of 299
    flaneurflaneur Posts: 4,526member
    droidftw wrote: »
    Does DED include himself in the 'disingenuous and misleading tech industry blogger' category?

    No, again no "moral equivalence," just like with Apple's sales and marketing vs. that of run-of-the-mill lifestyle advertising.

    DED's us-against-them theme in many of his strategy pieces like this one comes from the fact that a big chunk of the tech and financial press is aligned against and attacking Apple.

    They started it and are the aggressors and so sites like this and DED's general approach are defensively biased. I wouldn't confuse that with the lying campaigns put on by BGR and CNBC, Forbes, etc. Someone should make a list of sites and writers.

    What has Apple done to deserve this? Answer: succeed beyond all expectations at making great disrupting stuff that follows their own protected system, smiling all the way to the bank.

    Apple plays Othello in this drama, the anti community is playing Iago. Jealousy mostly, hatred of success, and particularly hatred for what they perceive as elitism.
  • Reply 80 of 299
    ipenipen Posts: 410member

    The title forgot to say:  in the U.S.

    I wonder what's the data for the global market?

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