When Apple announced that the pricing for the plastic iPhone 5c would only come in $100 less than its flagship 5s, the entire tech world let out a harmonious gasp. The handset, which we had all known about for months prior, was supposed to retail in the $300 range.
A lot of folks predicted that the higher pricing would lead to the device’s downfall. And it may have. Apple didn’t announce any sales numbers after the 5c’s opening weekend, and today, a new report is out claiming that the company is cutting production in half…
Chinese web site C Technology (via CNET) is reporting that Apple has cut its production orders for the iPhone 5c from 300K units per day, to 150K. The report is, of course, unconfirmed, but it’s worth noting that the site has offered accurate Apple intel in the past.
While the precise reason is unknown, it’s believed that Apple cut production due to dismal 5c sales. Keep in mind that the company uses multiple suppliers for its products, so this in no way confirms the theory, but it’s no secret that the iPhone 5c is still very available.
The iPhone 5s on the other hand, has been flying off the shelves. Since its launch late last month, the handset has been nearly impossible to find in retail stores, and at the time of this writing, shipping estimates from Apple’s online store still show a vague ‘October.’
I personally think there are way too many unknown variables here to say definitively that the iPhone 5c isn’t selling as well as Apple expected. It’s very possible that things are going exactly as planned. The only problem is that either way, ‘production cuts’ make for bad PR.
What do you make of all of this?