"Hey Siri" support and possibly wireless charging case alongside AirPower charging mat.
Apple Launches In-Store iPhone Upgrade Event to Boost Sales
Apple's iPhone upgrade event has officially begun, as the company has started to send out emails encouraging upgrade-eligible older iPhone owners to trade in their phones for newer models. iPhone 4s users started receiving emails on May 8, with the headline "It's a beautiful time for an upgrade."
The emails nudged iPhone 4s owners to "recycle" their phones to receive up to a $199 credit to put towards the purchase of an iPhone 5s or iPhone 5c under Apple's iPhone trade-in program, which the company first launched in August.
As noted by 9to5Mac, Apple Store employees have also received a memo instructing them to encourage iPhone 4 and 4s to trade in their phones with more attractive trade-in values. Apple is offering iPhone 4 users up to $99 towards the purchase of an iPhone 5s or 5c, while iPhone 4s owners can get up to $199, making an upgrade to a subsidized iPhone 5s essentially free.
Apple's retail stores are also displaying signs with the same "It's a beautiful time to upgrade" message, but it appears those signs may have pre-dated the kick off of Apple's upgrade initiative, having been spotted last week.
"It's a beautiful time for an upgrade. You may be eligible for upgrade pricing on a new iPhone. And if you bring in your old iPhone to be recycled, you could get credit toward a new one. Ask us for details."First highlighted earlier this week, Apple's upgrade initiative is designed to boost in-store sales of the iPhone. The event will see Apple heavily pushing its iPhone trade-in program and launching improved trade-in options in an effort to get customers to upgrade their phones.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has noted his desire to increase in-store iPhone sales multiple times over the past year, saying Apple will improve sales through a variety of promotional tactics and incentive programs. Currently, 80 percent of iPhones are sold at third party locations while Apple sells just 20 percent, a ratio Cook would like to improve.
As Apple kicks off its trade-in initiative, Best Buy is also offering an up to $200 trade-in value for customers who bring in an older iPhone and upgrade to an iPhone 5s or 5c. Phones must be in working condition without a cracked display to receive a Best Buy gift card through May 11. An iPhone 5 is guaranteed $200, while an iPhone 4s gets $150 and the iPhone 4 gets $100.
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62 months ago
Pretty obvious what this is about. Screwing people into buying excess inventory right before iphone 6.
62 months ago
Correct me if I'm wrong but they aren't actually offering anymore than they were in the past, so all they are doing is sending out emails to let people know. What a great "event". :rolleyes:
62 months ago
Thanks, but not now
Thanks, but I'll wait for the 6 (obviously I'm not alone)
Thanks, but I'll wait for the 6 (obviously I'm not alone)
62 months ago
There is no excess inventory. Apple's supply chain and production lines are too efficient. And we have just received reported iPhone sales for last quarter which were huge. If they have excess inventory, they just ease up on production and the inventory clears itself up.
That said, this is distinctly uninspiring offer. Apple with its economies of scale could easily do better than this. This certainly isn't likely to drive significant store traffic so that Apple employees need to prepare for the rush of upgraders.
Ya right. Apple tried to pawn the iPhone 4 to India a few months ago. That failed attempt resulted in them pulling the plug about a week ago. Nobody who is remotely interested in the next iPhone wants to lock themselves into a 2 year contract. Only a uneducated person would do this deal.
62 months ago
There is no excess inventory. Apple's supply chain and production lines are too efficient. And we have just received reported iPhone sales for last quarter which were huge. If they have excess inventory, they just ease up on production and the inventory clears itself up.
That said, this is distinctly uninspiring offer. Apple with its economies of scale could easily do better than this. This certainly isn't likely to drive significant store traffic so that Apple employees need to prepare for the rush of upgraders.
You're the perfect consumer for Apple... blindly following. Of course there's excess inventory, why would Apple try to move more iPhone 5s's. You do not understand economics.
62 months ago
You're the perfect consumer for Apple... blindly following. Of course there's excess inventory, why would Apple try to move more iPhone 5s's. You do not understand economics.
Actually he's intelligent. Why would Apple have excess inventory following the quarter where they sold the most iPhones in any non-holiday quarter ever? If you've followed Apple at all, you'd know that Tim Cooks greatest accomplishment as COO was streamlining Apple's supply chain significantly, which helped lead Apple towards the record profits it generated. Most Apple products you buy have been produced in a factory that same month. They don't keep warehouses full of unsold products like some other companies, and even if they did, the warehouses would be empty after a record quarter.
No, Apple does not have an excess supplies of iPhones. What they have right now is excess production capability. They are currently in a period where peak demand for the current iPhone is dying down, but the factories are not yet producing new iPhones for the next iPhone launch. Any additional iPhones they sell now can also be produced at the lowest cost possible, because demand on the factories is low right now. Thus the promotion.
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