The tradition continues, with Apple announcing price cuts for the older iPhones that precede the brand new ones that launched today. The 5c, when it launched, had an unlocked price of 549$, while the 4S at the same time had its price cut to 450$. Now it’s the iPhone 5c’s turn, with it getting the same price cut to 450$ for the unlocked 8 GB version. Long rumoured to be a cheaper version of the iPhone, the 5c launched to poor reception last year. Apple was constantly pushing 5c through incessant marketing in several markets, especially in the past few months. This price cut will hence be the last stretch of shelf time for the iPhone 5c.
Last year, it was evident from our poll on 5c’s unlocked prices that consumers were certainly misled with expectations of a cheaper iPhone. Apple tried to steer the conversation towards the 5c’s design, the use of high quality plastics and so on, but it was clear that consumers didn’t like a re-hashed iPhone 5 in a plastic shell. The 5s ended up selling more than Apple could have expected, signaling the dislike for the other iPhone, but the company still went with many marketing campaigns to generate interest. We are not sure how well that worked out for Apple, but this price cut definitely brings 5c into the previously-expected price bracket. It’s certainly the cheapest iPhone from Apple now, serving its final moments as a possible stepping platform for iOS.
The SIM-free factory unlocked version or the one with a T-Mobile SIM costs 450$ on Apple Store in the US. We are sure it’ll reflect soon in India, too. What do you think about the price cut? Is 5c finally the cheap iPhone it was meant to be? Sound off in the comments section below.