Apple has told iPhone suppliers in China to cut iPhone 5c orders for the fourth quarter following lower than expected demand for the device, The Wall Street Journal reports. Foxconn has been asked to cut orders by one-third, while Pegatron will reduce its shipments by 20%, sources claim.
Apple reportedly made the cuts earlier this month, just weeks after the iPhone 5c made its debut, because the handset isn’t selling quite as well as the Cupertino company expected. This comes as little surprise given how easy it was to get hold of the new device on launch day, and the reductions some carriers and retailers have already made to its price tag.
But it’s not necessarily a bad thing. Apple has also increased orders for the iPhone 5s, according to two Foxconn executives, and so it appears the company may have simply expected more consumers to opt for the cheaper model — which is just $99 on contract — rather than the new high-end one.
As it turns out, everyone wants the iPhone 5s and its Touch ID sensor, 64-bit A7 processor, and improved camera instead.
Apple sold an incredible 9 million iPhones during their first three days of availability back in September, but of course, it’s hard to tell just how many of those were the iPhone 5s and how many were the iPhone 5c. We certainly shouldn’t be labeling the latter a flop just yet, then.
It’s still early days, and enthusiasts upgrading early are more likely to be doing so for the latest technology in the iPhone 5s. With that said, the iPhone 5c could still do very well over the course of the next 12 months as smartphone users to look to upgrade to a new iPhone without paying so much for the iPhone 5s.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
