Why iPhone 5s is in Short Supply

 Smartphones  Comments Off on Why iPhone 5s is in Short Supply
Oct 152013
 

I struggled for nearly three weeks before getting my hands on an iPhone 5s.

I called Radio Shack, Walmart, Apple Store, Best Buy, AT&T, Sam’s Club and even the Best Buy kiosk at the mall.

At every place, I called or visited in search of the elusive iPhone 5s, I drew a blank.

Finally, I found a 16GB silver unit at a Best Buy store.

I wondered why there is such a shortage of the higher-priced iPhone 5s several weeks after its launch while the cheaper, plastic iPhone 5c is easily available.

A new survey by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners provides a possible answer.

The CIRP survey shows that the iPhone 5s has been selling at more than twice the rate of the iPhone 5C.

In September, iPhone 5s accounted for 64% of all iPhone sales while iPhone 5C amounted to just 27%.

iPhone 5s Sees More Than Twice Demand as iphone 5CSource: AllThingsD

Even when I was trading in my old iPhone 4 for the new iPhone 5s at Best Buy, other consumers who walked up to the mobile phone desk asked only for the iPhone 5s. They did not show any interest in the iPhone 5C even when the store rep told them it was available and in several colors.

Low demand for the iPhone 5C is the main reason for retailers discounting the smartphone and selling it at $49.

At least in these early days in the U.S., the majority of consumers seem to have made up their mind – iPhone 5s is what they want, not the cheaper, plastic iPhone 5C.

Higher demand for the iPhone 5s may not be the only reason why they are in such short supply everywhere.

It’s also possible that Apple overestimated demand for the iPhone 5C, which are now lying around on shelves at Walmart, Best Buy and other retailers I checked. So Apple could be trying to get rid of the iPhone 5C inventory before it releases more units of the iPhone 5s into the market.

Given the iPhone 5s supply constraints, I’d be surprised if t does not extend int the holiday season.

For Apple, the iPhone momentum never looked better. The only dark cloud is the inventory of the iPhone 5C.

How to Fix Sound Issues in iPhone 5s

 Smartphones  Comments Off on How to Fix Sound Issues in iPhone 5s
Oct 112013
 

My brand new iPhone 5s developed sound issues right on the first day, just hours after I purchased the smartphone from Best Buy.

When I tried playing music in iTunes, a YouTube video or a Live TV app no sound would come out of the two speakers at the bottom of the iPhone 5s.

Frustrated over the absence of the sound from a spanking new iPhone 5s, I did the only thing I could think of.

I switched off the iPhone 5s by pressing the button on the top right of the device. When I turned it back on, the speakers worked fine and I could now listen to music and play any app that had sound.

But the same problem occurred again the next day and I had to repeat the process of switching off and on the iPhone 5s.

By the way, I was already running iOS 7.0.2, the latest version of the underlying iPhone 5s software.

Fixing iPhone 5s Sound Issues

Fix for iPhone 5s Speaker Issue

Not pleased with the silence from my iPhone 5s, I called Apple (1-800-MYAPPLE) tech support.

New iPhone customers are eligible for 90-days of free technical support. So don’t hesitate to take full advantage of the support during the 90-day period. It is your right and Apple’s obligation to satisfy you and help you with any problems with a new iPhone.

The Apple tech support representative I spoke with assured me that the absence of sound from the speakers in my iPhone 5s was not a hardware issue but related to the new iOS 7 software.

Apparently, I was not the only iPhone 5s customer to encounter the missing sound problem. “Because of the many changes in iOS 7, the settings from the previous version of iOS don’t quite line up in iOS 7,” the Apple tech support rep said. Continue reading »

iPhone 5C goes on Discount at Best Buy

 Apple, Smartphones  Comments Off on iPhone 5C goes on Discount at Best Buy
Oct 042013
 

In a very unusual development, Apple’s new iPhone 5C plastic smartphone is already being discounted at major retailers.

iPhone 5C being Discounted at Best Buy

$50 Discount on iPhone 5C

Best Buy sent out an e-mail a short while ago offering a $50 discount on the purchase and two-year activation of the new iPhone 5C (16GB model) bringing down the price of the “cheaper” plastic smartphone to $49.99.

The $50 discount is in the form of a Best Buy gift card.

I can’t think of a previous occasion when a new iPhone has been discounted so early in its life-cycle.

Apple launched the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5C a fortnight ago on September 20, 2013 in the U.S. and several other countries.

Best Buy’s $50 discount on the iPhone 5C is valid from October 3-7.

The discount is valid for both online and in-store purchases. For online purchases, the gift card can be used only on a future purchase.

Customers buying the iPhone 5C at a Best Buy store can get the $50 discount immediately and apply it to the purchase of the smartphone.

The discount on the iPhone 5C has led to an odd situation where the older iPhone 5 ($99 with two-year contract) is now costlier than the newer iPhone 5C.

Miscalculating Demand?

The easy availability of the iPhone 5C and the widespread shortage of iPhone 5s at major stores in the U.S. (including at the Apple stores) suggests Apple may have miscalculated demand for both smartphones – Overestimated demand for the iPhone 5C and underestimated demand for the iPhone 5s.

I won’t be surprised if excess inventory of the iPhone 5C leads to those smartphones soon being offered free with two-year contracts.

iPhone 5C is available in five colors – Green, blue, pink, yellow and white.

iPhone 5s for AT&T in Short Supply

 Smartphones  Comments Off on iPhone 5s for AT&T in Short Supply
Sep 302013
 

The iPhone 5s is available here and there in the U.S. for Verizon but is in severe short supply for AT&T.

I’ve checked several stores including Best Buy, Walmart, Radio Shack, Apple, AT&T and Sam’s Club.

More than two weeks after the iPhone 5s debuted, it’s the same story at every store – No stock of iPhone 5s for AT&T.

Shortage of iPhone 5s for AT&T

A Walmart store on the East Coast even had a small notice in its Electronic section stating that the iPhone 5s (16GB version) is available for Verizon. Ask for iPhone 5s for AT&T and you’ll draw a blank.

There are no supply constraints for the 5c.

iPhone 5s’ sporadic availability for Verizon but not for AT&T suggests one of two things – Not as much demand for the Verizon model or that Apple is shipping more iPhone 5s devices for Verizon.

Bear in mind that if you buy the iPhone 5s for Verizon you can’t talk and surf at the same time (unless you’re using a WiFi network). It’s a problem Verizon had with the previous generation of iPhones too because the company uses the older CDMA technology.

You Can’t Beat Microsoft’s Sense of Humor

 Smartphones, Windows  Comments Off on You Can’t Beat Microsoft’s Sense of Humor
Sep 262013
 

Microsoft may be faring miserably in the mobile arena with pitiful market share for its Windows Phone and Surface tablets.

But never let it be said that the folks at Redmond don’t have a jolly sense of humor.

Microsoft Trade-in Program for iPhone$200 for Your iPhone 4S or iPhone 5

iPhone Trade-in Program

Starting tomorrow, September 27, 2013 and through November 3, Microsoft will offer an iPhone trade-in program.

Consumers can bring in a iPhone 4S or iPhone 5 to a Microsoft store and get a minimum of $200 that they can use toward the purchase of a Windows Phone.

I needed a good laugh this morning!

Thank You, Microsoft! 😉

Microsoft already has an iPad trade-in program which gives users who bring in their gently used iPad 2, 3 or 4 tablets (with a power cord) a $200 Microsoft Store gift card to be used toward the purchase of a Surface Pro or Surface RT tablet.

Gold Gimmickry Won’t End iPhone Fatigue

 Apple, Smartphones  Comments Off on Gold Gimmickry Won’t End iPhone Fatigue
Aug 202013
 

Say what you will but I think a lot of consumers in North America and Europe have developed iPhone fatigue.

iPhone upgrades increasingly bring few substantive improvements to justify their premium prices.

Apple has relied on gimmickry like Siri voice control (introduced in the iPhone 4S) or the anodized aluminum case (in the iPhone 5) to push its upgrades to an adoring fan base.

Even on the important issue of screen size, only with the iPhone 5 did consumers get a larger 4-inch screen. Samsung Galaxy S II, introduced 18-months earlier, debuted with a 4.3-inch display. And the follow-on S III and S IV came with 4.8-inch and 5-inch displays respectively.

So far there’s nothing to indicate that the next generation iPhone, scheduled to launch on September 10, will come with anything but modest improvements and gimmickry like a gold-color option.

Consumer expectation in the meantime has skyrocketed with every new version of the iPhone.

While Apple’s loyal fan base is happy enough to buy the new iPhones, discerning consumers like yours truly have sat on the sidelines.

I purchased the iPhone 3G, skipped the 3GS, bought the iPhone 4 and yawned over the 4S and iPhone 5.

Picky consumers like me have developed iPhone fatigue, seeing the modest improvements in the new iPhones unworthy of an upgrade.

Plus, we’ve been put off by the half-baked gimmickry like Siri.

I suspect one of the reasons iPhone is losing market share is that there are a lot of picky consumers like me in North America who feel they’re getting taken to the cleaners by Apple.

Losing Share Continue reading »

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