Apple preparing to ditch worst ever iPhone

Barry Collins Read more November 27, 2014

Apple is reportedly winding down production of the iPhone 5c, the poorly received handset that was meant to bring the iPhone to a new audience.

Apple preparing to ditch worst ever iPhone

Production of the iPhone 5c will cease by the middle of next year, according to a report in Taiwan’s Industrial and Commerical Times, which was spotted by MacRumours. The handset was launched in September 2013, alongside the iPhone 5s, which looks set to continue as the “budget” option in the iPhone range.

The iPhone 5c ditched the metallic/glass cases of its predecessors in favour of plastic, and was pitched as a cheaper entry point into the iPhone range. At launch, however, it was only £80 cheaper than its flagship sibling, with its £469 price leaving it firmly in premium handset territory.

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PC Pro’s review of the 16GB iPhone 5c concluded that there “was nothing wrong with the hardware, but at this price we feel it doesn’t do enough”.

The price has since been cut signifcantly. The iPhone 5c today costs £319 SIM-free, which is £140 less than the cheapest iPhone 5s and £300 cheaper than the entry-level iPhone 6 Plus. However, it’s now only available with a paltry storage capacity of 8GB, which is insufficient for a modern smartphone.

The iPhone 5c is the only handset in the current line-up that doesn’t include the Touch ID fingerprint sensor, another reason why Apple may wish to expunge the device from its range. The company is currently trying to get momentum behind its cashless payment system, Apple Pay, which relies on the sensor, although that system doesn’t work with the iPhone 5s, either.