Sales

Fry’s undercuts everyone with a $126 iPhone 5

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 28, 2016

Fry's, an American big-box store and electronics retailer, has beaten Walmart with a nice holiday discount on the iPhone 5. The entry-level iPhone 5 with sixteen gigabytes of storage and a two-year contract will set you back $126. That's a buck less than Walmart and the lowest price we could find for Apple's latest handset. If you're in the market for a new iPhone, this could be the best deal yet to get your hands on the super fast, thin and light iPhone 5, arguably the best phone in the world...

Walmart discounts iPhone 5 to just $127, starting December 17

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

Just in time for my birthday, retailer Walmart is shaving $72 off the entry-level iPhone 5 with sixteen gigabytes of storage. Beginning December 17, you'll be able to purchase the device for just $127, that's $22 less than the lowest price we could find at RadioShack, Target and Best Buy, which all offer Apple's phone with a cool $50 discount (and some gift cards). Walmart is also offering the previous-generation iPhone 4S for just $47 and a fourth-generation iPad for $399, a $100 saving...

iPad mini now outselling iPad 4, 100M Apple tablets predicted for 2013

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 14, 2012

When I come to think of it, technology buyers often times are an unpredictable bunch. Seven out of each ten told iDB they would never buy a non-Retina iPad mini, lots of folks appeared disappointed post-announcement and more than half told us they would never buy and iPad mini. Heck, even kids haven’t fallen for Apple’s advertising blitz as they want full-size iPads for Christmas.

Fast forward to today, when NPD DisplaySearch estimates the iPad mini is now outselling its bigger brother as Apple doubles display panel orders with LG Display and AU Optronics to more than twelve million units, up from the previous estimate of six million holiday units...

Apple rolls out iPhone 5 in 33 new countries, here are launch videos

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 18, 2016

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6FiR76k7Yw

Following an important debut in China yesterday, Apple on Friday rolled out the iPhone 5 to an additional 33 countries. In addition to the 1.33 billion people market of China, the device is now available in Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Ecuador, Grenada, Indonesia, Israel, Jamaica, Jordan, Kuwait, Macedonia Malaysia, Moldova, Montenegro, Panama, Paraguay, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Venezuela. Go past the fold for nice launch clips from around the world...

iPhone 5 hits China to reclaim Apple’s lost market share

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 13, 2012

Following the iPad mini's debut in China a week earlier and the iPhone 5 arrival in South Korea, Apple today like a clockwork started sales of the iPhone 5 in China. While the handset is scheduled to launch in an additional 31 markets on Friday, including Russia, China is the top priority. Home to population of 1.33 billion people, China is a huge opportunity for the California-based company.

The company has only a few stores in China, but the country now accounts for fifteen percent of Apple's fiscal 2011 revenue, second only to US.

Monday, China Unicom announced more than 300,000 pre-orders for the device and rival China Telecom is thought to have similar figures. Unfortunately, China Mobile, the largest carrier in the world, will once again be sitting on the sidelines, thought its president is adamant that the iPhone deal is in the works.

Hopefully the iPhone 5 launch in China will help recover some of market share losses Apple suffered during the third quarter over an avalanche of inexpensive Android handsets and local brands...

RadioShack price-matches Best Buy, knocks $50 off iPhone 4S/5 on any carrier

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

RadioShack previously lowered its asking prices for the iPhone 5 by a cool $25, but that was only for the AT&T version of the popular handset. Sweetening its holiday deal, the American franchise of electronics retail stores has now shaved $50 off both the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5, regardless of your preferred carrier. The retailer is basically price-matching Best Buy's promotion where they also knocked $50 off all iPhone 5 models. Go past the fold for additional terms and conditions...

Reuters scolds Americanos for spending way too much money on Apple gear

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 11, 2012

Whenever one parts with one's hard-earned cash in order to get one's hands on a shiny Apple device, there's always people questioning the buyer's sanity.

The inevitable 'Apple tax' every now and then raises its ugly head through click-bait blog posts.

Even more worryingly, this non-topic somehow manages to find its way into write-ups of traffic-hungry newspapers. You can now totally put Reuters on your list of sensationalist media outlets. The otherwise respectable news gathering organization yesterday published an article titled 'Your Money: The "Apple Tax" - America's costly obsession'.

Here's what's wrong with their story and why I'm bitching about it on a lazy Tuesday afternoon...

Best Buy offering a $25 gift card with iPhone 5 purchase

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

Best Buy, a specialty retailer of consumer electronics, has just sweetened the iPhone 5 deal by throwing in a $25 Gift Card with every purchase. You can select any iPhone 5 model with a two-year activation on Verizon Wireless, Sprint or AT&T to receive your $25 credit. And should you choose in-store pickup, your gift card will be provided in store when the phone is activated. For online orders, Best Buy will send an electronic gift card within 3–5 days of the phone ship date...

No new 27-inch iMac for you this Christmas

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 7, 2012

So, you've been a good boy and are now keeping your fingers crossed that Santa will deliver your brand spanking new 27-inch iMac in time for Christmas? Not so fast. According to the online Apple store, deliveries of Apple's top-of-the-line iMac model have just been pushed back to as far as January of next year. So, you're looking at a minimum three-week delay, likely even more.

It's not clear whether Apple is facing production difficulties such as low yields or perhaps it underestimated demand for the all-in-one computer, but clearly there will be no 27-incher for you this Christmas. Of course, you could be better served visiting one of Apple's brick-and-mortar stores or retail outlets of Apple's authorized distributors who may have a few 27-icnhers in stock...

You can now buy as many new iPhones as you like

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 4, 2012

As the holiday season kicks into full swing, a report reveals Apple's now lifted restrictions on the number of iPhone 5 purchases allowed. Previously, a customer was allowed to buy just two unlocked iPhone 5 units per transaction. The company further limited purchases to ten units per lifetime. But with the supply chain catching up to demand, Apple has finally relaxed its sales policy.

Starting today, only the sky is the limit as the iPhone maker lets you buy an unlimited number of its latest handsets, though its web store still processes only ten units in a single transaction. The removal of restrictions applies to Apple's web store, as well as brick-and-mortar outlets...

Strong sales of older iPhones hurting Apple’s astronomic profit margins

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Apple might need to rethink its decision to roll-out older iPhones at cheaper prices at the same time it introduces its latest version.

Compared to previous roll-outs, the iPhone 5 accounted for a smaller percentage of overall iPhone sales, according to one market observer.

The iPhone 5 comprised just 68 percent of overall iPhone sales, compared to as much as 90 percent for the iPhone 4S when it was released in October of last year. And as a result of more lower-priced iPhones selling, Apple could face a smaller profit margin - and nervous Wall Street investors...

Apple announces that iPhone 5 hits Korea and 50 additional markets in December

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 3, 2012

Apple has just announced via a media release that the iPhone 5 will launch in South Korea this Friday, December 7, with 50 additional markets to follow later this month. Next week, the iPhone 5 will go on sale in Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Ecuador, Grenada, Indonesia, Israel, Jamaica, Jordan, Kuwait, Macedonia, Malaysia, Moldova, Montenegro, Panama, Paraguay, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Venezuela.

The third wave of the global expansion will follow a week later, December 21, and will include Barbados, Botswana, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Egypt, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Morocco, Niger, Senegal, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St.Vincent & the Grenadines, Tunisia, Uganda and Vietnam...