iPhone 5c ‘Undersold Expectations,’ Says Verizon CFO

Earlier today Verizon reported its third quarter earnings. Afterwards, in an interview with Reuters, Verizon Communications Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo said that Apple’s unapologetically plastic iPhone 5c “undersold expectations,” while adding that the iPhone 5s was in short supply. Shammo said that iPhone 5c is in “plenty supply” and that this would generally be the answer of each of the major carriers, as consumer reception for the iPhone 5s seems to be much stronger, at least at Verizon.

51 percent of Verizon’s smartphone activations in the third quarter were accounted for by iPhones, though the carrier didn’t breakdown the percentage with regards to different iPhone models. He termed short supply of iPhone 5c as a “significant issue” for the carrier. Shammo revealing that iPhone 5c “undersold expectations” comes at a time when it is consistently being rumored that Apple is seeing weak demand for the iPhone 5c. The company has reportedly cut down production orders for the plastic iPhone almost a month after its launch. Yesterday, WSJ reported that Foxconn had been ordered to cut production by a third while Pegatron had been directed to slash iPhone 5c production by 20 percent. Apple hasn’t commented on these rumors and hasn’t said anything about the demand, or lack thereof, for the iPhone 5c.

Adnan Farooqui
Categories: Cellphones
Tags: iPhone 5C, iPhone 5S, Verizon