The iPhone 5C is why carriers want a third competitor

[HeyCori]

It has been pointed out at least twice now why the 5C isn't a budget phone at all. In fact, at $549, that's only $50 bucks less than the current off contract price for a brand new 32GB HTC One, and a bit of a slap in the face considering that the 5C is essentially rocking last year's specs. The price wasn't just a disappointment to tech enthusiasts but to investors as well. The 5C exists for one reason alone, to protect Apple's profit margins. Unknowing consumers looking for a "cheaper" iPhone will of course flock to the iPhone 5C. Carriers know this and are forced to order in bulk. And with its plastic case and old specs, Apple will save a lot of money in production but carriers will pay a hefty price to stock the 5C. So while on the outside carriers may applaud Apple for such a wonderful new product, on the inside they're hoping for a third pillar so they're not forced to accept whatever Apple tosses their way.

 

[theefman]

So why don't carriers put more weight behind Windows Phone instead of throwing the devices in the back of the store and having moronic sales staff actively discourage sales? I don't buy this notion any more, from their actions it seems they are quite happy with the status quo and are just stringing Nokia and Microsoft along while they cozy up to their apple and google buddies. Or are they secretly backing BB and hoping for a revival so they can kick WP to the curb?

 

[HeyCori]

So why don't carriers put more weight behind Windows Phone instead of throwing the devices in the back of the store and having moronic sales staff actively discourage sales?

While I'm no fan of AT&T, I remember walking into several AT&T stores and seeing advertisements plastered all over the walls just like this one. I can't speak for every carrier but AT&T didn't hide the 900, it got a nice large spot for everyone to see. Even when you click on their Next homepage, the first two phones you see are Android and WP. I can definitely see Sprint not properly advertising WP, and to a lesser extent, T-Mobile/Verizon. But I don't think there's some grand conspiracy to buy Windows Phones and then hide them so consumers will choose a different phone.

Though the bias of individual sales staff is a well known problem.

 

[c_elliott83]

IMO AT&T has almost always been the ones that never hide WP.

 

[undead swagger]

The Tmobile near me does WP good. The head sales rep there had nice things to say about WP and when I got the Lumia 925 she want to play around with it because they haven't set up the store display yet( got the 925 the day of release)
Now about the 5c, what a joke to call that thing cheap. People will buy it anyway, I know a few people including my wife that wants it just because of the colors X_X......

 

[c_elliott83]

The colors are horrible. I'll stick to my 5.