Is the iPhone 5C a flop? Pre-order numbers suggest so…
The annual hysteria that surrounds Apple’s mobile phone launches seems to be waning, if the latest iPhone 5C pre-order figures from UK network sources are to be believed.
Speaking to The Guardian, an anonymous network source said that the iPhone 5C had managed just a tenth of pre-order numbers previous generations had hit:
“It’s been a big disappointment. We are seeing a decline in the number of pre-orders. They are 60% to 70% less than we were expecting, and we didn’t expect them to be massively high given it’s not the flagship model.”
Given that the most successful iPhone launches have racked up between 75,000 and 100,000 pre-orders, it’s a very slow start for the new handset. “This is one tenth of those numbers,” said the source.
So what’s caused the pre-order decline? A number of factors – for starters, this is the first time in iPhone history that two new models have launched simultaneously, so there will inevitably be cannibalization of sales. Keep in mind that the iPhone 5S, not the 5C is the premium device, and yet the price difference is less than £100. With Apple not opening pre-orders for the 5S, and the 5C landing at such an unexpectedly high price, it’s likely many would-be iPhone buyers are holding out until this Friday, when the 5S makes its debut in stores.
