Is a bad Apple spoiling the bunch?

A little more than a month after its release at a starting price of $99 with eligible upgrade or new 2 year contract, the Apple iPhone 5c price has been slashed to $45 at Walmart. By most accounts, the 5c is not selling well. By my account, this is the fastest price-cut available through any source in iPhone history.

Apple iPhone 5c
Photo: Apple, Inc.

Released alongside the iPhone 5s-- which has a more powerful chip and much talked about fingerprint security technology, all at just $100 more than the 5c price-- Apple is selling just one of the colorful, polycarbonate models for every 2-3 of the more elegant glass/metal models. 

While just about everyone, except the folks at Apple, thought the 5c would be a new bargain version of the iPhone at a price point much more palatable to folks in the lower tax brackets. Apple CEO Tim Cook says the 5c was never meant to be that. He says the 4s, now free with contract, is the current entry level iPhone. Analysts predict that by this time next year, the 5c will replace the 4s as the free, entry level iPhone when Apple is expected to introduce an iPhone 6 and move the 5s to the mid-level position. We'll see.

Personally, I don't find the 5c appealing, not because of the price, but because of the old 3G-esque chasis and the Easter egg pastel color offerings. What do you think?