iPhone 5s

Space gray and blue are the most popular colors for iPhone 5s and 5c

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

This year, Apple is offering the iPhone in more colors than ever before. The iPhone 5s comes in white, space gray and gold, and the iPhone 5c comes in white, pink, yellow, blue and green. That makes for a total of 8 colors—6 more than the handset came in last year.

But according to data from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (or CIRP), 2 of the colors are noticeably more popular than the others. For the iPhone 5s, over 40% of customers have purchased the space gray model. And as for the 5c, blue has been the top pick...

Inside Apple’s 2013 Annual Report: rising R&D costs, retail, ad expenses and more

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated March 19, 2019

Apple's annual 10-K report to the SEC always includes interesting tidbits. This year, the tech giant said it spent $4.5 billion on research and development, a move the iPhone maker describes as "critical" to remaining competitive.

The spending marks a 32 percent increase in research over fiscal 2012, when the company spent $3.4 billion.

The consumer electronics powerhouse said it employs 80,300 full-time workers, more than half in retailing. About 30 new retail locations are planned for 2014 with 20 more stores being remodeled, the company also told the government agency Wednesday. A couple more tidbits follow...

Apple’s profit eclipses Samsung, Motorola, Nokia and LG combined

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated June 14, 2016

What's more important, smartphones shipped or smartphone profits? That question is at the heart of a debate over competing figures used to bolster Samsung or Apple. A day after a Samsung-friendly market research firm claimed the South Korean firm shipped three times as many phones, new figures show Apple profit higher than most of its rivals combined.

Sales of 33.8 million iPhones during the last quarter earned more than the mobile units of Samsung, LG, Nokia, Huawei, Lenovo and Motorola all together, according to a Wednesday report. The report also ignited a new debate over how corporate figures can be twisted to fit any preconceived notion - such as Apple's losing battle against Android...

Apple highlights 64-bit A7 processor in new iPhone 5s print ad

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Earlier this month, Apple began running a magazine advertisement for its iPhone 5s with a byline reading "your finger is the password." It briefly explained some of the benefits of Apple's new Touch ID security system.

Well new iPhone 5s print ad has surfaced this week, this time highlighting Apple's new 64-bit A7 processor. Similar to the previous spot, the ad features a large photo of the 5s and a byline: "Desktop Power. Pocket Size."

Apple admits some iPhone 5s units exhibit battery woes due to ‘manufacturing issue’

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 29, 2013

In a rare but not entirely unprecedented response, Apple's gone on the record Tuesday with The New York Times (of all publications) to admit that a fairly limited number of iPhone 5s units may be plagued with lower than expected battery life and slow charging issues due to what the company attributed to an unspecified "manufacturing issue".

This isn't your typical teething problem fixable in software: Apple has said it will provide owners of the affected phones with a replacement unit. Here's Apple's full statement on the matter...

iPhone captures one-third of smartphone market in Japan

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated June 14, 2016

Apple is having great success in Japan. Not only is the iPhone maker surviving one of the most competitive tech markets on the planet, but breaking sales records. The company's smartphone now has 34 percent of the country's market, new research shows.

The figure - more than double that of just months ago - shatters a sales record that's stood for ten years. Apple's success in Japan even overshadows the world's largest market, China...

Samsung now selling 1 out of each 3 smartphones

Ed Sutherland ∙ October 29, 2013

Although Apple sold 33.8 million iPhones during the third quarter, up from 26.9 million a year ago, South Korean Samsung continues to dominate smartphones on a global scale. The company sold more than 88 million smartphones during the same period, comprising 33.2 percent of the worldwide smartphone market, according to one market research firm.

Despite its uptick in unit sales, Apple's share of the smartphone market for the quarter slipped to 13.4 percent, down from 15.6 percent - something that should be corrected in the fourth quarter, as sales of new iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s smartphones come into full view...

iPhone 5s/5c already comprise 5.5% of all active iPhones globally

Ed Sutherland ∙ October 28, 2013

When the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c were released in September, their first weekend of availability sparked a record nine million units sold. Now comes word Apple's two newest smartphones together represent 5.5 percent of active iPhones worldwide.

And despite Apple's attempts to repackage last year's iPhone 5 as this year's iPhone 5c, new research shows the year-old Apple handsets accounts for one out of every four new iPhone activations...

Wall Street expects: 33.4M iPhones, 15M iPads, 4.3M iPods, 4.6M Macs

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Wall Street expects Apple to return to its usual hit parade later today, announcing record iPhone sales and perhaps giving some insight into how the tech giant's first ever introduction of two iPhones in one year performed. The iPhone maker could announce 33.4 million iPhones sold during the three-month period, a 24 percent jump from the same quarter in 2012.

Although the iPhone 5s/5c were sold for just a week during the quarter ended September 28, analysts hope to divine whether sales of the iPhone 5c are catching up to the flagship iPhone 5s and if record first weekend sales of nine million units had legs.

The Street also anticipates iPod revenue numbers, which one report suggests could sound the death note for the iconic digital music device...

Philippine telcos confirm November 15 iPhone 5s/5c availability, more markets mulled

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Following the initial iPhone 5s/5c roll-out in the United States and ten major global markets, Apple last Friday brought the handset to 35 new markets. It also announced that the third wave of expansion will see an additional sixteen countries getting the new handsets on November 1, expanding the iPhone's footprint to 60+ countries.

But the company won't be standing still for too long. Just two weeks later, the fourth wave of expansion will reportedly add a bunch of new markets, including the Philippines, Brazil and Israel....

Qualcomm exec’s career suffers from ‘A7 is a marketing gimmick’ comment

Ed Sutherland ∙ October 27, 2013

Qualcomm's marketing chief has been reassigned after dismissing Apple's new 64-bit A7 processor as a 'marketing gimmick.' The chipmaker's former Chief Marketing Officer has also been removed from Qualcomm's leadership page. Instead, Anand Chandrasekher was put in charge of a broadly-worded "exploration of certain enterprise related initiatives."

Earlier this month, Chandrasekher called the 64-bit A7 processor "a marketing gimmick" with zero consumer benefit. The A7 now powers Apple's new iPhone 5s and iPad Air. The comment forced Qualcomm to publicly rebuke its marketing head for essentially denying reality...

Apple’s Russia push slowed by pricey iPhones

Ed Sutherland ∙ October 25, 2013

Although Apple today launched the iPhone in an additional 35 global markets (with more to come next Friday), including Russia, its flagship iPhone 5s remains too expensive for all but the most wealthiest. The iPhone 5c, costing just $99 in subsidized markets such as the U.S., can cost nearly $800 in Russia, unsubsidized.

Apple's goal of competing globally is being hampered by pricing centered on carrier subsidies. In countries such as Russia, India and elsewhere where subsidies are not allowed, the cost of an iPhone can equal a month's salary - or more. As a result, Samsung's cheaper Android phones control most smartphone sales...