Apple’s iPhone 5C Struggling As Shipments Cut

According to reports Apple has told its Taiwanese suppliers that it is cutting shipments of the plasic-clad iPhone 5C, sparking rumours that the handset is not as popular as expected.

When the iphone 5C was launched in September it was supposed to be the affordable model. It went on sale alongside the higher-end 5S model in 11 markets for the first time and was priced $100 less than the 5S.

Despite Apple’s attempts cover the middle ground, it seems that it has failed to provide an affordable handset that people want to buy.

Those in the know told the Wall Street Journal that Pegatron and Foxconn, Apple’s suppliers, had been told of the shipment cuts. Apparently Pegatron were told that orders would have less than twenty percent shaved off, whereas Foxconn’s orders would be cut by a third.

Another company that supplies bits and bobs for the iPhone 5C has also been told that its orders will be slashed by half, so it could be that we see a slowdown on production for next year too.

Apple was under pressure to produce a cheaper version of the iPhone and was encouraged by analysts and investors to look at the lower end of the mobile market but it doesn’t look as though the tech giant has been able to deliver on this one.

However it is a different story when it comes to the iPhone 5S. Apple have said that new orders of the model will be delayed for weeks, suggesting that the more expensive model is outselling the slightly cheaper “budget” one.

[Image via iPhone News]

Source: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/10/16/apple_cuts_iphone_5c_order/