Analysts from Ovum, ABI Research and Informa Telecoms and Media react to Apple's iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C.
Ovum principle device analyst Tony Cripps
Even post-Jobs Apple still does great theatre, even if most of what was announced was unusually well-heralded in the blogosphere. Clearly there’s little need for gimmicks in the flagship 5S, in a launch replete with significant spec upgrades over and beyond the usual screen improvements. Apple, is certainly offering meaningful innovation here.
Moving to a 64-bit architecture means Apple can genuinely claim to have brought something new to the smartphone party. It should certainly help the company further cement its lead as a mobile gaming platform and will give the Android fraternity something to think about in a space whose significance is sometimes downplayed beyond the gaming world...
Anyone expecting Apple to come truly down market with the iPhone 5C was fooling themselves. The day that happens is the day the company signals that it has run out of headroom for expansion. It’s far from ready to concede that yet as it’s greater interest in Japan and China show, although the mooted tie up with China Mobile wasn’t announced as this comment was written.
ABI Research senior analyst Michael Morgan
Apple announced two devices [yesterday], 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.