The tech community had collectively declared the iPhone 5c as being a flop, but given the increased attention that Apple seems to be paying to its lower-end, polycarbonate-clad handset, the reality of the situation appears to be quite the opposite. A short while back, the Cupertino company began rolling out an even cheaper, 8GB version of its smartphone line-up’s second-in-command, and today, the handset has begun retailing in a further 16 nations.
Having been announced and subsequently released in September alongside the iPhone 5s, the iPhone 5c not only represented the first occasion to which Apple had even considered the possibility of releasing an inferior-to-flagship device, but also offered a bunch of color configurations to break the monotony of black, white, and a more recent tinge of gold.
Sure, to iPhone fans who like to look beyond the mere aesthetics, the iPhone 5c was essentially a rebranded, re-housed iPhone 5, with very little technical differences between the two. However, the fact that it was markedly less expensive than the iPhone 5s meant that budget-conscious consumers took the bait, and having enjoyed seemingly reasonable sales (Apple doesn’t release figures for the iPhone 5s or iPhone 5c, only the collective “iPhone“), the release of the 8GB version has brought an even better deal to the table for those who don’t wish to spend extortionate amounts on a new handset.
Let’s not kid ourselves – the iPhone 5c is not a power-seller, and even if the 8GB model, launched today in the Netherlands, Italy, Sweden, Belgium, Poland, Czech Republic, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Austria, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Hungary , manages to pick up, it’s still questionable as to whether the device can be considered a success. Moreover, aside from one schematics leak, there’s not been much by way of reports pertaining to an eventual iPhone 5c successor, and with talk of two new, larger iPhone 6 handsets on the horizon, it would seem less than likely that the iPhone 5c will remain beyond the fall.
Last month, the 8GB iPhone 5c was pushed to consumers in the UK, Germany, France, China and Australia, but even though today’s addition of 16 nations brings the grand total up to 11, the U.S. still misses out.
It seems unlikely that a U.S roll-out will now occur, however, especially given that the iPhone 5c is now seven months into its cycle.
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