Those remotely interested in all things Apple and iPhone are already well aware of the relatively poor sales figures of the company’s first foray into affordable smartphone territory. iPhone 5C sales are not stellar by a long shot and many industry analysts have been hard at work, trying to figure out what the root cause behind this is. After all, the concept did seem good on paper: here’s Apple’s flagship phone, in a cheaper, friendlier iteration, which everyone could afford – in theory. The brightly colored assortment making up the 5C range seemed destined to repeat the success of the iPod Shuffle and Nano before it. But if you were to choose, would you spring for an iPhone 5C or iPhone case purchases, in your print and patterning of choice?

The great iPhone 5C or iPhone case conundrum

When looking for the most eloquent analyses and explanations on all things Mac and Apple, the world usually turns to the one, the only Gene Munster, self-proclaimed Apple oracle and current Piper Jaffray analyst. Things are no different with the iPhone 5C or iPhone case issue. According to Munster, there’s no doubt about the phone’s relatively poor marketplace performance – even though Apple themselves have made no comment on this issue. He personally oversaw a consumer poll in late February and found that, of the 1,0003 consumer surveyed, only 6 per cent of all smartphone buyers plan to purchase the iPhone 5C. And if you think those numbers are grim-looking, then think again: they actually looked better in December, when the potential purchase figure for the phone stood at a more encouraging 9 per cent.

So why is the iPhone 5C so low on the charts of smartphone user purchase preferences list? If you take Munster’s word for it, there are two possible ways to answer this question, which we tried to summarize below.

The iPhone 5S is simply better value

In a nutshell, there are far too many good reasons to buy the iPhone 5S, as far as most buyers are concerned. They acknowledge the worth of the Touch ID function and appreciate the presence of the A7 chip. Though, in theory, the two generations of phones are aimed at wholly different classes of consumers, there’s little room to deny this evidence. It might be pricier, but, as far as smartphone buyers are concerned, the price difference is well worth it. This is actually reflected in their responses given within the same poll, cited above: 33 per cent of the people surveyed said they are planning to buy an iPhone 5S. The number might be down 2 per cent, from the 35 per cent registered in the same poll, the December version – and it’s also down from the 38 per cent posted in September. However, there’s no doubt about it: in terms of market performance and consumer preferences, the iPhone 5S is a success, while the iPhone 5C, well… simply isn’t.

The faulty USP that trumped Apple’s plans at conquering the low price niche

When the iPhone 5C was first announced, many Apple enthusiasts rushed to predict the impending demise of Samsung’s lower price range smartphones. Here was an alternative from their direct competition, which provided all the technological edges that Apple has over Samsung – and also came in a diverse, bright array of colors, deemed to be very appealing for teens and other consumers that had rallied behind the similar concept of colorful iPods. But the difference between the two types of devices remains the existence of the case. So, all in all, the trend seems to be that, until the iPhone 6 hits the market, the 5S will continue to enjoy a fair amount of popularity, while the 5C evolves below expectations.