No reason has been given for the production cuts, but it’s believed to be lesser demand for the iPhone 5C compared to Apple’s flagship iPhone 5S. Both were released last month, though several reports — including one from Localytics — suggest more people have been buying the 5S than the 5C.
One data point that lends some credibility to the C Technology report is the ready availability of the 5C. On Apple’s online retail store, 5C units are available to ship next day, while the 5S is on back order until “October,” which is assumed to be several weeks for new buyers. Reports also say that availability of the 5C on the “grey market” — or distribution channels that are legal but unauthorized by Apple — in China, have been stable. Because of this abundance, the 5C’s price has fallen from more than $700 in American dollars to a range from about $490 to $540, in American dollars as well.
Apple did not immediately return a request for comment, but we’ll update this post if we hear back.