Opinion: Seeing Through Apple's "New" iPhone 5c Illusion

[DryCreamer]

I'm not getting what Adam Overa issue is. (These are contract prices, which is what MOST people in the USA get) and its a rip-off?

The 5C pretty much has the innards of the 5 and 5S. So its not a downgrade from a 5... so the problem is... he doesn't like the colors?

Most people are going to end up paying the FULL price for these phones, because most users aren't off contract in the US and everyone else in the world has to pay full price, too. I think he's mocking Apple customers more than anyone one else for not taking the time to look at what the actual product is VS how Apple is marketing it. Considering the way Apple 'has done things in the past' you are getting a worse product than when they used to release phones.

Dry.

 

[penguintech]

Im sure the fanboys will run right out and snap one up. Personally, Apple and their whole line of gadgets and over-priced toys is just horrible. if this is "low-end" they can keep it. in 6 months it will be obsolete anyways.

 

[gm0n3y]

While I'm not going to be buying an iPhone (or any other Apple product) in the foreseeable future, I actually prefer a plastic case as they are generally more durable and absorb impacts better. Sure they don't feel as 'premium', but they are more functional. Still way too expensive though.

 

[dark_lord69]

I'm gonna pass on all of them and get the Google Nexus 4 for $250.

 

[adamovera]

APPLE HAS ALTERED THE DEAL... PRAY THEY DON'T ALTER IT AGAIN... (obscure adult swim reference)

More like a plagiarised SW EP5 reference. 😗

Finally! I was actually banking on somebody ending that reference - I thought it would have been one of the first comments. BTW, I don't think you can plagiarize a reference, especially a pop culture one, otherwise the aforementioned adult swim would be hurting real bad, no? 😉

 

[doogansquest]

The people who don't understand technology and are willing to pay a premium to stay that way buy Apple.

The people who want real features for their dollar, customization, modifiable software, loads of features, and horsepower under the hood buy something else.

 

[Mousemonkey]

APPLE HAS ALTERED THE DEAL... PRAY THEY DON'T ALTER IT AGAIN... (obscure adult swim reference)

More like a plagiarised SW EP5 reference. 😗

Finally! I was actually banking on somebody ending that reference - I thought it would have been one of the first comments. BTW, I don't think you can plagiarize a reference, especially a pop culture one, otherwise the aforementioned adult swim would be hurting real bad, no? 😉

OK so plagiarized (thank you for the correction) might not be the correct term but it would have been nice to credit it to the right movie.

 

[cypeq]

THe advancements in the 5s were not enough for me to spend another 100 dollars on it. I just got a 5C and I am very happy with it, coming from a 4. Still apple has a lot of catching up to do.

Dude you get dualcore at 1.3 ghz.. for this kind of money seriously ? when samsung drops 8 cores and better quality? 5C is same spec as 5. Released year ago... but build in metal not iPlastic. Great choice.

 

[adamovera]

I'm gonna pass on all of them and get the Google Nexus 4 for $250.

If you can find one. That said, I wish you the best of luck! I've had a good amount of hands-on time with about half of last year's phones, and the Nexus 4 is more or less at the top of my list - and that's before revealing the price. Once that comes into play, it's all over. That thing is the Mendocino Celeron of smartphones, an absurd value.

 

[belardo]

I'm not getting what Adam Overa issue is. (These are contract prices, which is what MOST people in the USA get) and its a rip-off?

The 5C pretty much has the innards of the 5 and 5S. So its not a downgrade from a 5... so the problem is... he doesn't like the colors?

Most people are going to end up paying the FULL price for these phones, because most users aren't off contract in the US and everyone else in the world has to pay full price, too. ~Considering the way Apple 'has done things in the past' you are getting a worse product than when they used to release phones. Dry.

So... what you are bitching about is buying a $500 phone then? I wasn't aware that the Galaxy S4 or HTC ONE were half the price of Apple off-contract... oh wait, they are not... they sell for pretty much the SAME DAMN PRICE.

So... you buy a phone that is cheaper, lots of $100 off-contract phones out there. So you really really want an iPhone5C but want it to be $350USD off contract?

Many years ago I bought my SONY slider for $240 because my old phone had problems (damage) and my renewal wasn't up and what was available I wasn't interested in. I still have that phone, it works - mostly. I made the choice. Nowadays, you can get an Android 4.x phone at $100 at Walmart.

 

[belardo]

Reluctantly bought my daughter a 5C to upgrade her 4S with a cracked screen for $377 not eligible price for upgrade not cheap by any means. Shes real happy with it and it seems to be better than her 4S but I refuse to buy another until there is a much bigger leap instead of just a shady marketing deal like was said above.

So how is it Apple's fault your kid broke her phone? My phone is well over a year old, looks new and I don't use a protector case. I don't drop it much.

My EX... she tends to kill phones. she's now on MetroPCS because a replacement phone is always $100 or so. Perhaps its YOUR fault for not making sure she had a protector? Perhaps you should have spent the $5 monthly insurance for the iPhone..

Lets take a look for non iPhone OFF-Contract phones. / (Contract price)
Samsung Galaxy S3Mini = $285 / $1
Samsung Galaxy S3 = $465 / $1
Samsung Galaxy S4 = $640 / $200
Lumia 925 = $430 / $100
Lumia 1020 = $610 / $200
Moto X = $570 / $200
iPhone 5s = $650 / $200
iPhone 5c = $550 / $100
iPhone 4s = $450 (8GB) $1

Okay... Apple Charges $10 more over the Galaxy S4 and $80 more than the MotoX. On contract, they are all the same. ITS your responsibility for damaged phones and replacing them. And in countries without contracts... the people there PAY LESS for the service.
A typical USA service is $50 with 3GB limit.
A typical Euro Country is $25 with no data limit.

Lets do 2 years with unlimited text and time:
USA = $2500 (with any $100 phone, but lets say iPhone5c & 3GB data plan)
UK = $1108 (iPhone5c with 4GB data plan) - But O2 (UK carrier) gives a discount if you buy the 2 years + phone up front for $850!

So you see... in the USA... WE PAY MORE money... hence, the phones are "free" or very cheap. So in the UK... sure you broke your phone... but hey, you buy another and ITS STILL CHEAPER than at&t or Verizon, etc.

But they do offer monthly insurance at $20(UK at USA rates).
at&t is $7 a month + deductible which is $200.

So Lets say your phone goes for a swim or stolen within a year: UK = $240. USA = $284

 

[JimmiG]

It's pretty simple - SoCs get cheaper over time. Precision machined aluminium does not. Their strategy worked fine when the iPhone4 came out, because the previous two phones were the 3GS and 3G, both featuring the cheaper plastic shell. Even when the 4S came out, at least the low-end 3GS featured a plastic shell. However their strategy was doomed with the iPhone5, because now all phones would feature the upscale glass/metal shell. Clearly not ideal if you're into maximizing profits (Apple is not a charity organisation).

 

[sulanis]

Apple relies on people who don't look at what they are buying, they just see a "new" feature and this case the color plastic case.

Apple is absolutely brilliant at play that people's ignorance of technology. Physiologically speaking we are drawn to color or new numbers to draw us away from the facts, this IPhone 5c is a waste of money and tactic to get ignorant people to buy a product that is worse then the IPhone 5, but pay just as much.

When it comes down to business, you do what works, right? Well Apple hasn't change at all and they still sell massive amounts of devices, sue other companies for the pettiest things for greed (even though they say its because of innovation, which most of us know is crap.)

As long as people don't research what they are buying and just buy it because it Appears "NEW" Apple will always sell a lot of phones.

 

[DryCreamer]

I wasn't aware that the Galaxy S4 or HTC ONE were half the price of Apple off-contract... oh wait, they are not... they sell for pretty much the SAME DAMN PRICE.

So... you buy a phone that is cheaper, lots of $100 off-contract phones out there. So you really really want an iPhone5C but want it to be $350USD off contract?

The S4 and the HTC One are VASTLY different phones than an iPhone and many people would argue offer a different (better or worse isn't the point of my post) product for, realistically, the same cost as an iPhone. My point was reiterating that the author was trying to point out that, historically speaking, Apple customers are worse off now than in previous launched before, using merely the 'tier' of phone vs. the price the customer pays for it and that Apple uses fancy marketing to cloud that fact.

Dry

 

[gseguin]

"Apple took away a premium feature in exchange for a couple of minor things"

Really, I didn't spot the missing premium feature. This seems to come from someone who wanted an iPhone 5 and wanted it with a free 100$ rebate, and now that he didn't get that rebate, he feels sour about it.

If you're talking about the finish, the iPhone 5's finish was criticised for being easy to scratch, which hasn't been mentionned as much on the new 5s either because it is better or simply reviewers have gotten used to it.

The premium coating matches the demographics of those willing to pay the extra 100$, and the color coating matches the tons of other people out there that just want a great phone. According to the reviews I've read, the plastic coating is not a cheap plastic case like you get from Samsung and older HTC cases, but a sturdy feeling carbon reinforced beautifil feat of engineering.

If this allows apple to save 20$ per unit AND add 20% sales because it better targets its audience, then I say why not... buy the one you like, obviously if you need the metal bling, it will be a golden iPhone 5.

A quick correction to the article: I don't believe the iPhone 4 was all metal.. I think there was a glass finish on the back, but I could be wrong... no product is perfect, the iPhone 5's biggest problem was that it was prone to scratching, kudos to Apple for fixing it for us without pointing it out.

 

[AlCar]

Its a breath of fresh air to read this article. It's nice to see that someone in the media is just not regurgitating the Apple press release but actually dissecting what's going on.

One thing that you left out is the horrible cases filled with holes. Apple sells this to the rubes as great styling when in fact it's an attempt to save a couple of cents worth of plastic on each sale and add to their bottom line. Evil company with mostly fools for customers.

 

[ExpertNovice]

Good grief. Tom's Hardware has been a go-to source of information for me for since last century. Hopefully, the attitude in this article doesn't begin to permeate Tom's research articles.

While Adam clearly states this is an editorial it is sad to see an article, any Apple Basher would be proud of, appear on this site. The best way read such articles is to assume their case is an exaggerated overstatement with a fact or two thrown in for “proof of validity”.

For the record, I did own and loved an Apple ][+ a "few" years ago. Jobs went to a closed architecture for the Macintosh in an effort to control our horizontal and our vertical. Preferring freedom over being controlled,
I have never owned another Apple.

PS. The article was read only because my son has been an Apple fan (laptop, phone, and pad) but the new phone has him turning away from, at least, their phones.

 

[Pangapanga]

As a dedicated Apple customer, I must say that those who claim this review is "Apple hating", or argue about the merits of plastic, are red herrings. What is salient, and that no one can argue, is that Apple believes that a plastic case is an improvement. Quite the contrary; Apple has repeatedly argued that the case- its feel, look, and the quality conveyed by the attention to craftsmanship and detail- are significant features distinguishing the iPhone from other products. Other than the OS, the case and mechanical controls are the only distinguishing features in day-to-day use.

Consider: on the 5, much ado was made of the machining of the chamfered aluminum frame, the proposition being that the care and attention Apple puts into the construction of a durable and beautiful case, rendered in an undeniably more luxurious material, is the defining element of the product. Apple didn't advertise the phone's guts, they advertised: 1) the OS, and, 2) the physical interface between the user and the technology.

As a result, returning to the plastic of the initial iPhones of years past is a step backwards judged by Apple's own criteria, and runs specifically contrary to the justifications Apple has provided for the cost of the product. The author correctly points out that Apple's intentions are demonstrably evident when one looks at their past business model of making the previous generation's phone the middle or lower-end model in the current generation. One may ask: why stop selling the iPhone 5? There seems to be only one reason, and that is a significant number of people would not buy the 5c if the 5 was an option. I know that I wouldn't, and I love Apple products.

In terms of value, lets face it; the cost of upgrading the camera is insignificant when compared to the savings of no longer having to provide the premium case and frame. The battery "upgrade" is hardly something that would even be considered an upgrade, but happens to be the only other change to the product.

Additionally, the notion that Apple itself even believes the 5c is an upgrade is undermined by their own actions. I bought an iPhone 5 for my daughter recently, which she dropped and broke the screen. When we replaced it, I asked about upgrading my iPhone 4 to a 5, but was told that the 5 was no longer available-the day after the 5s was introduced. What did they do with all their surplus? Simply, they removed all of it, so that consumers would have the option of buying a 5, even from remaining surplus. That, my friends, is both knowledge and fear that consumers, making up their own minds, would not determine the 5c is an upgrade.

If Apple introduced the entry model 2014 Macbook Pro with a modestly upgraded camera and 5% more battery life, but put it in the plastic case of a Macbook, no one would argue that the plastic allows for better wifi reception, and that the camera battery "upgrades" made it a superior product. Especially so if Apple simultaneously discontinued the 2013 Aluminum MBP. That is essentially the argument presented in the article, and it is, in my opinion, a valid one.

 

[vertexx]

Here is my take on the 5c.... Apple is seeing the tea-leaves of losing it's "coolness" among the younger generation. I mean, what high school or college aged kid wants the same phone as their mom? And according to the prevailing views of this forum, Apple should continue to market mom's last-year's smart-phone to those who are going to be looking for something new?

Here is a Forbes article that articulates it best: http://www.forbes.com/sites/larissafaw/2013/01/09/is-apples-iphone-no-longer-cool-to-teens/

If you study the marketing on the 5c, it becomes clear that Apple is marketing this phone to fill a couple gaps. First, the younger generation, especially teen-age and 20-something girls. Second, this is also a global market play. So, something a little lower cost AND something FRESH makes sense from a marketing standpoint. Take a look at the videos here (http://www.apple.com/iphone-5c/videos/). It becomes clear that the Iphone 5s is the "Serious" phone, and the Iphone 5c is the "Fun" and "Fresh" phone. Make no mistake, though, it's no Samsung cheap plastic phone. Apple is going to make plastic cool again.

Two different target markets - two different phones. My bet is that Apple has it nailed. Why offer yester-year's phone when you can offer something new. Value, to the consumer, is more than just bits and flops. I think it's brilliant, and I also think it needs to be done, or they risk becoming stale.

 

[belardo]

As a result, returning to the plastic of the initial iPhones of years past is a step backwards judged by Apple's own criteria, and runs specifically contrary to the justifications Apple has provided for the cost of the product..~~ One may ask: why stop selling the iPhone 5?

I bought an iPhone 5 for my daughter recently, which she dropped and broke the screen. When we replaced it, I asked about upgrading my iPhone 4 to a 5, but was told that the 5 was no longer available-the day after the 5s was introduced. What did they do with all their surplus? Simply, they removed all of it~~

Bwahahaha... you're a silly fool. It costs money to make two high end phones... just like when a NEW top-end video card comes out, the previous one is instantly out of production - the market doesn't want it. But mid-lower range vid cards will last for months or years. There is no need for a 5 anymore. The 4S is regulated to a $0~50 phone, so expect it to fade away soon.

Really... the only thing you are bitching about the 5C is that its no longer a metal case. So? Don't buy it. The 5S is a $200 phone... as usual and the same as the OTHER plastic $200 phones from Samsung, Samsung and Motorola. Apple is after the market of users WHO DON'T want a metal phone. Plastic has some benefits.

Also you seem to have plenty of money to buy a child a top-end phone... so waaaaa. You should have bought her a PLASTIC protector... oh yeah, most iPhones I see come with rubber/plastic protectors anyway to protect the beautiful case YOU CANNOT SEE anymore.

Your carrier ran out of iPhone 5... no great mystery there. Many at&t locations still have the for available at $100 (same as the 5C)

Other note /OT:
If I was up for a Phone upgrade/replacement today, I'd get the Moto-X. I thought I wanted the HTC ONE which is sexier and awesome looking than the iPhone5. I don't use case protectors... never have. But that bare metal is rather cold... it didn't feel comfortable - but felt better than iPhone4~5. Holding the Moto-X with its special backing material feels very nice to the touch and comes in tons of colors and designs. When I'm ready for my next upgrade, I'll get Moto-X 2 next year.

 

[Pangapanga]

As a result, returning to the plastic of the initial iPhones of years past is a step backwards judged by Apple's own criteria, and runs specifically contrary to the justifications Apple has provided for the cost of the product..~~ One may ask: why stop selling the iPhone 5?

I bought an iPhone 5 for my daughter recently, which she dropped and broke the screen. When we replaced it, I asked about upgrading my iPhone 4 to a 5, but was told that the 5 was no longer available-the day after the 5s was introduced. What did they do with all their surplus? Simply, they removed all of it~~

Bwahahaha... you're a silly fool. It costs money to make two high end phones... just like when a NEW top-end video card comes out, the previous one is instantly out of production - the market doesn't want it. But mid-lower range vid cards will last for months or years. There is no need for a 5 anymore. The 4S is regulated to a $0~50 phone, so expect it to fade away soon.

Really... the only thing you are bitching about the 5C is that its no longer a metal case. So? Don't buy it. The 5S is a $200 phone... as usual and the same as the OTHER plastic $200 phones from Samsung, Samsung and Motorola. Apple is after the market of users WHO DON'T want a metal phone. Plastic has some benefits.

Also you seem to have plenty of money to buy a child a top-end phone... so waaaaa. You should have bought her a PLASTIC protector... oh yeah, most iPhones I see come with rubber/plastic protectors anyway to protect the beautiful case YOU CANNOT SEE anymore.

Your carrier ran out of iPhone 5... no great mystery there. Many at&t locations still have the for available at $100 (same as the 5C)

Other note /OT:
If I was up for a Phone upgrade/replacement today, I'd get the Moto-X. I thought I wanted the HTC ONE which is sexier and awesome looking than the iPhone5. I don't use case protectors... never have. But that bare metal is rather cold... it didn't feel comfortable - but felt better than iPhone4~5. Holding the Moto-X with its special backing material feels very nice to the touch and comes in tons of colors and designs. When I'm ready for my next upgrade, I'll get Moto-X 2 next year.

Resorting to ad hominems is a sure sign of a feeble mind. Typical of a troll such as yourself, you failed to address the content of what I wrote, nor do you come across as capable of doing so, for you seem blinded by a name-calling impulse. Unlike yourself, I actually work in industrial design, and happen to know what I'm talking about when it comes to materials, tooling up, machining, and finishing a product. The foolishness is all yours if you believe the production of a plastic case, including the tooling up, equals that of an aluminum one. More likely, increasing costs in Alu had an effect on the design decision, but go on, troll away...

 

[Mike Amiro]

If Hitler was a live guaranteed he would own apple everything, something about

Aryan peoples personal luxury electronics ...

IDIOCRACY : thanks to entities like apple Were all getting A little stupider and easier to heard through the gates of the apple store

 

[teh_gerbil]

Haha, Godwins law in motion..

 

[olaf]

Its an easy way of not having to use the more expensive and harder to manufacture aluminium hoeing for a cheaper phone when you can sell that very same part at a better price...

GZ now you can pay more for plastic phone that is now exactly like a Samsung 'cept for the price logo and software its running

 

[16bit]

Wow apple, you had to find a way to increase your profit margins even more.