Apple’s foray into the low-end smartphone market may be coming to a close as the company prepares to discontinue the iPhone 5C.
The writing was on the on the wall for the 5C after Apple’s low budget experiment failed to receive an updated model in September alongside the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.
Now Apple’s manufacturer, Foxconn, is scaling back 5C production and will stop making the device altogether next year according, to a CNET report.
While it’s common practice to phase out products after they are dated, 5C never truly fit in Apple’s catalog of mobile devices. Its colorful, plastic construction was a sharp contrast to the sleek aluminum used in contemporary iPhone and iPad designs making the 5C look and feel cheap by comparison and its sales suffered accordingly.
At launch, the 5C made up only only 27 percent of iPhone sales compared to the 59 percent commanded by the 5S released at the same time. Although carrier subsidies, special promotions and the 8 GB model released in March helped to drive sales ahead of several Android phones, it became clear that the 5C couldn’t pull its weight within the rest of Apple’s portfolio.
Apple has not announced if a budget-oriented successor to the iPhone 5C is in the works, but it doesn’t seem likely given the 5C’s tepid performance.
