iPhone 5c is selling at a discount in China. China has turned out to be the least interested in Apple's cheaper version of iPhone. iPhone 5S is outselling iPhone 5c by a factor of four to one.

Said : a Chinese website 'caijing' in a report of September 26, 2013.

(Source : Apple)

Apple's 'so-called' cheaper iPhone 5c, is reported to be selling at discounts due to disappointing demand and buyers' craze for the premier model iPhone 5s. Apple has acknowledged that the company will never go for cheap product and will just remain a high-end phone maker. Some analysts have, therefore, started believing that the introduction of 5c model could be the company's deliberate sales strategy to attract potential customers to its 5s model. Appel's gold colored 5s has already become a hit with buyers as it distinctly differentiates them with those who possess old models. Apple might have had the same 'differentiation' theory in mind while introducing 5c plastic model in various colors. The gold-model iPhone 5s is commanding a huge premium particularly in Asian markets and prices are pushed to over 10,000 yuan ($1634) at some re-sellers stores in China amid a mania for the color. Some grey market sellers have claimed they have sold this model for more than INR 1,50000 which comes to more than $2400!

The word 'c' neither stands for cheap nor for color. It might be for 'coequal' because of very narrow price difference and a very carefully thought out marketing strategy.

Caijing report has a very appropriate title "Apple may never have had any intention of selling a budget Smartphone but its iPhone 5c is already on its way to becoming one in China". According to this report China’s largest business-to-consumer retail platform has slashed the price of the 5c from 4488 yuan (or around USD $733) to 3699 Yuan (USD $604). Caijing says that despite all the talk about the iPhone 5C being Apple’s great multi-hued hope, reports so far indicate that the marginally more expensive iPhone 5S is outselling it by a factor of four to one. Similar trend has been reported from the UK, Australia and other global markets.

I checked the price of iPhone 5c on tmall.com, China's largest retail website, only a short while ago. The screen shots are given above along with Apple's official prices. I could find the price reduction in the 16GB model but there was no drop in the 32GB model 5c.