Apple’s ‘cheap’ iPhones launched globally
Apple started the rollout for its new “cheap” iPhones 5C and 5s on September 20. The double debut will see around-the-world sales of the iPhone 5S and 5C, beginning in Australia before moving through Asia, Europe and North America.
The phone is targeted at emerging markets where some users won’t be able to afford a full-size iPhone model. However, the prices of the phones are still perceived as high, with the iPhone 5S, a slick new top-end model featuring a speedier chip and a fingerprint sensor, starting at $199 with a contract in the US.
Apple also missed out on a cooperation with China largest mobile phone operator, China Mobile, and its 700 million subscribers. Currently, Apple has sales contracts with China Unicom and China Telecom.
The iPhone 5C is a polycarbonate version, supposedly aimed at budget-conscious smartphone shoppers, with a minimum $99 price tag with contract in the US and widely trailed as Apple’s answer to the onslaught of cheaper, Android-powered models, led by Samsung. But its hefty $700 ticket price in China will put it out of reach of most consumers in the world’s biggest mobile market. Many domestically-made smartphones in China are priced as low as $100.
The launch was looking brighter in Japan, where diehard fans who began queuing last week sat out a weekend typhoon. A new deal with Docomo, the mobile unit of NTT, has opened up a much wider cross-section of Japan’s cash-rich, gadget-loving consumers after years in which both companies lost market share.
Apple started the rollout for its new "cheap" iPhones 5C and 5s on September 20. The double debut will see around-the-world sales of the iPhone 5S and 5C, beginning in Australia before moving through Asia, Europe and North America. The phone is targeted at emerging markets where some users won't be able to afford a full-size iPhone model. However, the prices of the phones are still perceived as high, with the iPhone 5S, a slick new top-end model featuring a speedier chip and a fingerprint sensor, starting at $199 with a contract in the US. Apple also missed out on...
Apple started the rollout for its new “cheap” iPhones 5C and 5s on September 20. The double debut will see around-the-world sales of the iPhone 5S and 5C, beginning in Australia before moving through Asia, Europe and North America.
The phone is targeted at emerging markets where some users won’t be able to afford a full-size iPhone model. However, the prices of the phones are still perceived as high, with the iPhone 5S, a slick new top-end model featuring a speedier chip and a fingerprint sensor, starting at $199 with a contract in the US.
Apple also missed out on a cooperation with China largest mobile phone operator, China Mobile, and its 700 million subscribers. Currently, Apple has sales contracts with China Unicom and China Telecom.
The iPhone 5C is a polycarbonate version, supposedly aimed at budget-conscious smartphone shoppers, with a minimum $99 price tag with contract in the US and widely trailed as Apple’s answer to the onslaught of cheaper, Android-powered models, led by Samsung. But its hefty $700 ticket price in China will put it out of reach of most consumers in the world’s biggest mobile market. Many domestically-made smartphones in China are priced as low as $100.
The launch was looking brighter in Japan, where diehard fans who began queuing last week sat out a weekend typhoon. A new deal with Docomo, the mobile unit of NTT, has opened up a much wider cross-section of Japan’s cash-rich, gadget-loving consumers after years in which both companies lost market share.
