Apple announced two devices today, the iPhone 5C and the iPhone 5S. The iPhone 5C is essentially the iPhone 5 with a plastic shell that follows Apple’s historic pricing paradigm of taking $100 off the price of the latest model. The iPhone 5S is the classic step improvement of better processor, better camera and a new marquis feature (this time it is finger print scanning).
What troubles me most is what I did not hear from Apple. There is no new low cost model. There was no mention of a deal with China Mobile. I believe that these two things, low cost devices and a new mega deal would have done the most for driving growth in iPhone shipments. Furthermore Apple did not show a willingness to deliver a Phablet sized device and opted to offer color options instead. In the end it appears that Apple is playing it safe, perhaps too safe.
