Told ya so...
S = Social
C = Cheap
I supposed it's not a bad problem to have, as problems go.
Apple has failed to conquer the Chinese market with the iPhone 5C, its (slightly) cheaper and more garishly coloured release. Despite the gold version of the iPhone 5S selling out across the massive nation, Chinese consumers have not warmed to the other versions of the flagship phone and appear to have entirely rejected the 5C …
It's amazing that, with all the Apple executives flying back and forth to Asia, they would have noticed this upmarket-reaching characteristic of the admittedly-stereotypical (but ~75% true) consumer in Asia.
If Apollo 13 was a "successful failure" then this marketing boondoggle is a "failed success".
The 5C looks more cheesy than any other phone in memeory. Even those plastic bar Windphones from Nokia looked better.
Not to mention that several Chines companies make rather elegant looking Smartphones with high quality materials.
Trying too hard to keep a distance between the 5S and the 5C, but not nearly enough of a distance in price, this shouldn't surprise anybody at Apple.
Jasper Hamill continues his Peak Apple claims against the facts. Weren't The Register claiming Peak Apple for the last launch? Funny the figures are up AGAIN:
http://www.asymco.com/2013/09/23/iphones-5c-and-5s-launch-performance-illustrated/
Also not sure how this fits with The Registers ongoing wholly unsubstantiated claim Apple are restricting supply to make it appear their handsets are more popular than they are. Apple have obviously had substantially more handsets ready to ship at every launch and yet again have sold out in record time.
here's some of the Reg article after a few translations:
Apple has surpassed the Chinese market launch color iPhone5C cheaper and more open (a bit).
According to local media, although gold version through major national sales iPhone5S, Chinese consumers do not have boot version of the phone seems to be completely excluded the main 5C.
"Not only in China, the world's gold version is basically working," said Foreign Ministry spokesman telecom company China Unicom Xinhua
"Simulating the true styles and making carefully." - This makes www.engrish.com seem mild in comparison.
What's worse is that anime translations seem to be going that route also, with speech-to-text run through something like Google Translate. Imagine when "okasan" gets picked up as "kuso".
I like the 5C phones. I can afford a 32GB model now where the 5s would be like $399 for 32GB including the Apple Care. $100 off works for me. From looking at the tear down, the plastic back is metal lined/reinforced, no? I was looking at the HTC One as well, supposed to be all metal, whoops, upon closer inspection it has a poly frame an a metal back panel. Oh well.
This post has been deleted by its author
Gold coloured stuff always looks cheap and nasty to me to be honest.
Is the colour now going to be the equivalent of the nano shape change each year just to show the other guy/gal on the train that you have the latest model and they don't...?
Bit sad really when a new colour becomes the major selling factor for a new device...