iPhone 5c

Apple didn’t announce these at the keynote today, but you can finally buy first-party docks for your iPhone again. The iPhone 5s and 5c docks are now available on the Apple Store. The ship date is currently unknown but they will be available in stores on the 20th for $29 each. The 5s dock will also work with the iPhone 5.

Ahead of iPhone event, the Apple Store goes down

Benjamin Mayo Sep 10 2013 - 6:01 am PT

Ahead of the iPhone media event taking place at 10AM PST, the Apple Store is down for updates. The expectation is that Apple will announce two new phones at the event, a first for the company, dubbed the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5C, with both models being available in new colour variations. As always, the Store will return after the event is over, with new pages featuring the newly announced hardware.

In preparation for the event, you can read our roundup of what we expect to be announced from yesterday, as well as a roundtable of our staff’s opinions — on a much more speculative basis — from August.

Naturally, 9to5Mac will have full coverage of all the announcements from the event.

iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C, and wildcards for tomorrow’s Apple event

Mark Gurman Sep 9 2013 - 3:17 pm PT

36 Comments

<a href="http://9to5mac.com/2013/09/09/colorful-banners-go-up-at-apple-town-hall-ahead-of-tomorrows-iphone-event/">Image</a> via <a href="http://www.igen.fr"><em>iGen</em></a>

With Apple’s media event scheduled for tomorrow, we have rounded up what Apple is likely due to introduce. We previously published a round-table of 9to5Mac author hopes for the event, but this roundup will focus on our specific expectations for the keynote address. You can find our roundup below:

Colorful banners go up at Apple Town Hall ahead of tomorrow’s iPhone event

Mark Gurman Sep 9 2013 - 12:45 pm PT

4 Comments

Ahead of tomorrow’s iPhone-relate media event on Apple’s Campus, banners promoting the proceedings have gone up at Apple’s 4 Infinite Loop Town Hall. The banners are nearly identical in design to the event’s official invitation, and some have interpreted the colors to indicate that the iPhone 5C (in multiple colors) will be announced at the event.

Also expected tomorrow is an iPhone 5S, an upgraded version of the iPhone 5 that includes a faster processor, improved camera system, and fingerprint sensor for login authentication. We’ll be covering the event live on 9to5Mac.com, and the event begins at 10 AM Pacific/1 PM Eastern. Another photo below (Thanks, iGen.fr):

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Purported (brief) video claims to show light blue ‘iPhone 5C’ in action

Mark Gurman Sep 9 2013 - 6:25 am PT

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Similar in style to the previous purported iPhone 5C hands-on video, website CTech has uploaded a new video claiming to show the light blue/cyan iPhone 5C in action.

It’s unclear if the video is legitimate, but it certainly looks plausible. The video shows no new information, but the leak of the device is notable as it likely means that the product will be shipping sooner than later. The user interface on the low-cost device running iOS 7 appears smooth in the video.

The video shows the Lock screen, Home screen, and a bit of tab organization in the Safari app. The iPhone 5C will be announced at the Apple event tomorrow, and it will launch alongside the higher-end iPhone 5S, which will sport a faster processor, fingerprint scanner, and come in a gold color option.

How will AAPL stock price react to iPhone 5S/5C launch? Let’s look at history

Ben Lovejoy Sep 9 2013 - 6:18 am PT

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A chart posted by Fortune showing what happened to Apple’s stock price for 12 months before and after each new iPhone launch shows that it rose after four of the six launches.

Conventional wisdom says that Apple traders buy the rumor and sell the news, but the series of stock charts Deutsche Bank’s Chris Whitmore shared with clients Monday suggest the opposite.

The brief piece explains the exceptions by observing that the 3G launched just before a major recession and the iPhone 5 when the stock was already at an all-time high, but we wouldn’t suggest investing any money on the basis of those six squiggly lines …

Update: BTIG’s Waltyer Piecyk has posted some more short-term historical data, suggesting that the separation of iPhone announcements from WWDC ended the ‘sell on the news’ phenomenon:

Photos claim to show iPhone 5C logic board and structure

Michael Steeber Sep 7 2013 - 11:10 am PT

Image thanks to iDeviceGuys

Chinese site CTechCN is showing photos of what they claim to be the logic board for the upcoming iPhone 5C. When compared with alleged photos of the iPhone 5S logic board, we can see slight design differences.

WSJ: China Mobile to carry the less-expensive iPhone 5C

Scott Buscemi Sep 6 2013 - 12:46 pm PT

https://twitter.com/iansherr/status/376067936923824128

The less-expensive iPhone, dubbed ‘iPhone 5C’ unofficially for now, will be coming to China Mobile, according to WSJ. Apple’s CEO Tim Cook was in China last month to speak with China Mobile’s executives about the deal. We had heard whispers and rumors from analysts and other spectators about the news, but WSJ’s confirmation adds massive credibility to the news.

It isn’t clear if Apple and China Mobile have signed an official sales agreement, but the fact that Apple is planning to ship phones implies a deal has been struck.

Apple has asked Foxconn, its longtime contract manufacturing partner, to add China Mobile to the list of carriers slated to receive a new low-cost iPhone, one of these people said. It isn’t clear when the phones would be delivered. Apple is shipping two new iPhones this September, according to people familiar with the company’s plans, including a new high-end model and a cheaper version.

Apple will be holding a satellite media event in China for the first time, joining events in Tokyo and Berlin (and Cupertino, of course). It looks like this upcoming iPhone launch will be the biggest ever across the globe, and analysts are expecting that the new carriers – which includes DoCoMo, Japan’s largest carrier – will double launch week sales.

Update: Bloomberg says that the China Mobile iPhone, while coming, won’t be announced at the September 10th event.

https://twitter.com/markgurman/status/376081475730300928

Analysts predicting record iPhone launch, China & Japan deals adding up to 38M extra sales

Ben Lovejoy Sep 6 2013 - 6:03 am PT

Photo: mshcdn.com

Analysts are predicting the the launch of the iPhone 5S and 5C will set new records for Apple with the company selling up to 13M handsets in the first nine days following the predicted availability date of 20th September. That’s close to double the 7M phones sold in the first nine days of the iPhone 5 launch.

The prediction is made by Pacific Crest analyst Andy Hargreaves, cited by AllThingsD:

For Hargreaves, that means fourth-quarter iPhone sales of 31 million iPhones. Of those, he figures 10 million will be the new models. That’s a big number considering the limited number of selling days left in the quarter, but Hargreaves feels it could go higher still — to 13 million, with some “extremely efficient supply chain management” …
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Japan’s largest carrier DoCoMo & Apple reportedly agree to iPhone partnership, sales start this fall

Mark Gurman Sep 5 2013 - 11:43 am PT

Japan’s largest mobile carrier, DoCoMo, will finally begin selling the iPhone this fall, according to Nikkei. Apple and DoCoMo reportedly recently came to an agreement, and reports regarding the discussions emerged late last month.

With Apple announcing two new iPhones next week, it is likely that DoCoMo will carry the new devices. Apple will be announcing a successor to the iPhone 5 (the iPhone 5S) as well as a lower-cost, plastic backed iPhone 5 geared towards emerging markets.

Earlier today, chatter increased regarding other next-generation iPhone launches in China, including debuts on China Telecom and China Mobile…

China Telecom apparently slips iPhone 5S, 5C arriving in China at launch, temporarily offers pre-orders

Mark Gurman Sep 5 2013 - 11:28 am PT

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“Gold” iPhone 5S backplate

China Telecom, one of the carriers in China to carry Apple’s iPhone, posted a message on microblogging website Weibo indicating that it will soon carry both of Apple’s upcoming iPhones: the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C. The message has since been deleted.

With Apple holding a satellite stream of the September 10th media event in China, it is already likely that the country will see a promoted launch of both of the new iPhones. However, the information from China Telecom seems to indicate that the launch will occur early in Apple’s new iPhone release cycle. With past iPhone launches, Apple saved the China debut for weeks or months after the device’s first hit countries like the United States, Germany, and Australia.

A post on Sina indicates a September 20th launch, a date forecasted by some reports.

Perhaps corroborating a launch soon after the unveiling, major China-based retailer Dixintong is said to begin carrying the new iPhones on September 25th. It’s unclear if this is a general launch date for China, or just the date that this specific retailer has chosen.

In addition to seeing the device early-on in the release plan, recent chatter seems to indicate that China Mobile, the largest mobile carrier in the country, will gain the iPhone with the launches of the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C. The lower-cost, plastic backed iPhone 5C seems to have been developed with markets such as China in mind…

What did Apple have to concede to get the China Mobile deal?

Ben Lovejoy Sep 5 2013 - 7:50 am PT

8 Comments

Photo: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg

Bloomberg is running an interesting piece speculating that Apple may be having to concede far more than it might wish in order to sign the all-important deal with China Mobile.

“In this relationship, China Mobile has all of the power,” said Edward Zabitsky, chief executive officer of Toronto-based ACI Research. “China Mobile will offer the iPhone as soon as Apple gives in on price.”

It is, as the piece observes, rather an unusual position for Apple to find itself in: the weaker party in negotiations with a carrier.

Speculation has encompassed significant discounts, a contribution to marketing spend and even a share of App Store revenue.

“China Mobile certainly believes they should be able to get a part of the content pie,” said HSBC’s Tucker Grinnan in Hong Kong. “Apple is going to have to be a bit more flexible on how they approach that.”

We’d be pretty astonished if Apple were willing to go that far, but it does need to bring this deal home, and its press event in Beijing on 11th September (the day after its global media event) creates a deadline it has to hit.

Other possibilities are offering exclusives on new models for a limited time, or exclusive colors. Neither would be at all likely in normal circumstances, but these circumstances are far from normal.

We may never get to learn the precise terms of the deal, but one thing will be very visible: the cost of the handsets. In a country where low-cost handsets proliferate, the expectation is that China Mobile wants price concessions not to boost its margins, but rather to make the iPhone 5C in particular sufficiently attractive to local buyers.

Alleged Apple Supplier Jabil Circuit accused of numerous labor law violations [update: Apple responds]

Ben Lovejoy Sep 5 2013 - 4:48 am PT

Photo: STR/AFP/Getty Images

China Labor Watch, the organization behind the report accusing Apple supplier Pegatron of poor treatment of workers (that, in passing, seemingly confirmed that the iPhone 5C was plastic-bodied), has now made fresh allegations against Jabil Circuit, a company it says is also involved in production of the 5C.

Among the infringements uncovered by CLW include millions of dollars in unpaid overtime wages; over 100 hours of monthly mandatory overtime, three times in excess of legal limits; more than 11 hours of standing work every day with no rest outside of 30-minute meal breaks; illegally inadequate pre-work training; hiring discrimination; and more.

Apple previously responded to the Pegatron report with a lengthy statement on the steps already taken and the further steps it planned to take. Apple publishes an annual Supplier Responsibility Report and conducts frequent audits of its suppliers, along with commissioning the independent non-profit Fair Labor Association to conduct independent audits.

Jabil Circuit has not yet been confirmed as an Apple supplier. The iPhone 5C is expected to be unveiled on 10th September.

Via TNW

Apple announces its September 10 iPhone event in Cupertino: ‘This should brighten everyone’s day’

Benjamin Mayo Sep 3 2013 - 9:04 am PT

65 Comments

Apple has just sent out invites for their September 10th event, scheduled for 10 AM PST, via The Loop. Apple is hosting the event on campus in Cupertino.

The invite reaffirms expectations that Apple will launch two new models of iPhone for the first time, dubbed the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5C. As indicated by the numerous case leaks over the last few months, the iPhone 5C is expected to be available in a variety of colors. The invite seems to back this up, showing many different colored dots and uses the strapline “This should brighten everyone’s day”, which further hints at the possibility of different colors.

For the 5S, the design will be similar to the current iPhone 5, with improved internals (such as a faster, more efficient A7 processor), a possible fingerprint sensor and be offered in a gold variant, alongside the usual black and white color choices.

Apple will announce the official launch dates for these new devices at the event. Apple’s behaviour in the previous years would suggest that the new iPhones will be available to buy on the 20th September, two weeks after their announcement. On Friday, we reported that Verizon is blocking employee vacations between the 18th and the 22nd of September, a very good indicator that new iPhones will be released in this timeframe.

Case-Mate’s iPhone 5C designs ‘evleak’ out, including September 20th ship date

Ben Lovejoy Sep 3 2013 - 5:12 am PT

12 Comments

Update: A bunch more cases have been added below.

Evleaks, a source with an excellent reputation for reliability, has tweeted two photos of aftermarket iPhone 5C cases, together with a very specific shipping date: 8am on 20th September.

It’s widely expected that Apple will announce the 5C (along with the iPhone 5S) on 10th September, and that it will go on sale on the 20th. Both T-Mobile and Verizon have blocked employee vacations around this date.

The photos as posted were rather small – we’ve enlarged them to give a better look …
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Photos claim to show ‘iPhone 5C’ packaging, color-matched wallpapers

Mark Gurman Sep 1 2013 - 11:02 am PT

57 Comments

As Apple’s September 10th iPhone event approaches, a few new photos claiming to show packaged “iPhone 5Cs” and accompanying materials have surfaced online. The first photo comes from website iApps.im, and it purports to show several “iPhone 5C” units in packaging. The “iPhone 5C” is what many are calling Apple’s upcoming lower-cost, plastic-backed iPhone. The packaging in these photos appears to line up with a purported packaging leak from earlier this year…

Higher-capacity iPhone 5 seeing shortages as Verizon blocks Sept. 18-22nd vacations

Mark Gurman Aug 30 2013 - 9:13 am PT

As Apple’s September 10th iPhone unveiling approaches, we’ve heard that Verizon Wireless is blocking its retail employees from requesting vacations between Wednesday, September 18th and Sunday, September 22nd. Based on Apple historically shipping new versions of the iPhone about a week and half following the unveiling, it would make sense for the new iPhones to arrive for customers on Friday, September 20th.

Apple’s iPhone ‘Reuse and Recycle’ trade-in program detailed, begins rolling out August 30th

Mark Gurman Aug 27 2013 - 9:58 am PT

21 Comments

Yesterday, we reported that Apple is gearing up to launch its iPhone trade-in program in September. The program will allow an iPhone user to exchange an older iPhone model for a new iPhone at a discounted price. Today, we’ve learned several new details about the program, including how it works, the official name, and information about the launch.

The trade-in program will be marketed as the “iPhone Reuse and Recycle Program.” It will begin rolling out in select Apple Stores this upcoming Friday, August 30th. Like we previously reported, a larger-scale rollout will occur during the month of September.

The program is applicable to both standard customers and business customers that want to purchase a new iPhone.

Here’s how it will work: