Apple today introduced iPhone 5c, featuring an all-new design, packed with incredible features in five colors: blue, green, pink, yellow and white. iPhone 5c is built on a foundation of features including Apple’s 4-inch Retina display, the fast performance of the A6 chip, and the 8-megapixel iSight camera — all while delivering great battery life. iPhone 5c comes with more LTE bands than any other smartphone in the world, a new FaceTime HD camera, and iOS 7, the most significant iOS update since the original iPhone.
“iPhone 5c is everything iPhone 5 was and more, in an all-new design packed with great features,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, in a statement. “iPhone 5c is designed with a beautiful polycarbonate enclosure that looks and feels so solid in your hand.”
iPhone 5c features an all-new design crafted from a single, hard-coated polycarbonate body with a steel reinforced frame for a solid, sturdy feel. The steel frame holds the internal components and also doubles as the iPhone 5c’s multiband antenna. The enclosure is one continuous and seamless structure that is finished with a hard coat for a durable and incredibly glossy surface. To complement the all-new iPhone 5c design, Apple created soft, matte, microfiber-lined cases in a very intentional contrast to the glossy, hard coat finish. These sleek silicone cases with unique circular patterns let splashes of color show through, and with five iPhone 5c colors and six cases to choose from, you can mix and match for dozens of fun combinations.
iPhone 5c comes with all the features customers love in iPhone 5, and more. The Apple-designed A6 chip provides incredible performance and power efficiency, all while delivering great battery life, so almost everything you do on iPhone 5c is blazing fast, from launching apps and loading web pages to downloading email attachments. iPhone 5c features a stunning 4-inch Retina display and an 8 megapixel iSight camera, the most popular camera in the world. iPhone 5c also includes a new FaceTime HD camera for even better FaceTime calls and self-portraits, and with iOS 7, you can make audio-only FaceTime calls for the first time.
iPhone 5c makes it even easier to connect to high-speed networks with support for up to 13 LTE¹ wireless bands, more than any other smartphone in the world. With download speeds up to 100 Mbps², you can browse, download and stream content even faster. iPhone 5c includes dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi support for up to 150 Mbps² and Bluetooth 4.0. iPhone 5c delivers an amazing 10 hours of talk time on 3G networks, up to 10 hours of web browsing on Wi-Fi and LTE networks and up to 8 hours on 3G networks, and up to 10 hours of video playback and up to 40 hours of audio playback.³
iPhone 5c comes with iOS 7, the most significant iOS update since the original iPhone, featuring a stunning new user interface, completely redesigned with an elegant color palette, distinct, functional layers and subtle motion that make it feel more alive. iOS 7 is designed to complement the gorgeous exteriors of iPhone 5c, with matching wallpapers and translucency that carry the color through the entire experience. iOS 7 has hundreds of great new features, including Control Center, Notification Center, improved Multitasking, AirDrop, enhanced Photos, Safari, Siri and introduces iTunes Radio, a free Internet radio service based on the music you listen to on iTunes.⁴
iPhone 5c customers have access to the revolutionary App Store, which offers more than 900,000 apps to iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users in 155 countries around the world. More than 50 billion apps have been downloaded from the App Store to date, offering customers an incredible range of apps in 23 categories, including newspapers and magazines in Newsstand, games and entertainment, business, news, sports, health and fitness and travel.
Designed specifically for iOS, iPhoto, iMovie, Pages, Numbers and Keynote are among the most popular apps in the App Store and are now available as free downloads with the purchase of iPhone 5c. iPhoto and iMovie enable you to do more than you ever thought possible with your photos and movies, and with Pages, Numbers and Keynote you can create, edit and share stunning documents, spreadsheets and presentations on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.
Pricing & Availability
iPhone 5c comes in blue, green, pink, yellow and white and will be available in the US for a suggested retail price of $99 (US) for the 16GB model and $199 (US) for the 32GB model.⁵ iPhone 5c will be available from the Apple Online Store, Apple’s retail stores, and through AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and select Apple Authorized Resellers. iPhone 5c cases will be available in blue, green, pink, yellow, black and white for a suggested retail price of $29 (US) through the Apple Online Store, Apple’s retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers. iPhone 5c will be available in the US, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore and the UK on Friday, September 20, and customers can pre-order their iPhone 5c beginning Friday, September 13. A new iPhone 4S 8GB model will also be available for free.⁵ iOS 7 will be available as a free software update starting on Wednesday, September 18 for iPhone 4 and later, iPad 2 and later, iPad mini and iPod touch (fifth generation). Some features may not be available on all products.
¹ LTE is available through select carriers. Network speeds are dependent on carrier networks, check with your carrier for details.
² Based on theoretical speeds, actual speeds may vary.
³ Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.
⁴ iTunes Radio will be available with the launch of iOS 7 in the US.
⁵ For qualified customers.
Source: Apple Inc.
So the iPhone 5C is a re-packaged iPhone 5 in a plastic case with a few upgrades selling at the cost of iPhone 4 at $432.00? And since the iPhone 4S is remaining, that makes it the “low cost” iPhone?
Remember, APPLE never said it was a low-cost phone. Those were RUMORS.
Yes, and purchasing it is still optional.
Actually its 532.00 not 432. I have to say this is the most “pathetic” release by Apple in a while. At least the teenie boppers will love those gumball colors. I hate to say it but after today’s events Apple has lost its mojo. RIP SteveJ
I HAVE to agree. MAJOR disappointment! $550 off-contract is ridiculous! They will NEVER break into the Indian & Chinese markets with those prices. I just don’t know what they’re thinking…
I agree!
I know 2 people already that want the 16gb 5c @ $99
Why is the price £469 in the UK???
They wont sell any of those at that price!
I don’t know… that’s 100 quid less than a galaxy 4 and they managed to peddle quite a few of those in the UK.
Amazing! You want Apple to compete at the bottom end of the Indian and Chinese markets? What kind of product do you imagine it to be and what margins would Apple make? What do you think low margins would do to the stock price?
and the cases are not cute at all!!!!!!!
No liquid metal.
No known liquid metal. No one has taken one apart yet.
Or blended one yet. 😉
5C – nifty but not cheap enough to shake things up.
That is assuming it is $550 sans contract.
Let’s wait 10 hours and find out what is going to happen in China.
I don’t think we need to wait 10 hours. Apple is simply catering to investors now and volume. That is Apple under Tim Cook. There is nothing new here to see. RIP Steve J
The changes are no different from the various iterations that took place under SJ to be honest, this has been the process from the beginning, just don’t have Steve to make it feel more than it is any more. The 5c is basically the move I argued for, previous years specs and some additions in an original design. However I will need to see it for real to see if the result looks better than the images which look anything but classy and the colours with colour coded interface look shown with each looks childlike to me whatever the marketing spiel, sorry jonny. Fingers crossed.
True to a point. The Iphone 4 design was truly iconic along with the retina display. Apple nearly single handedly pushed the display market to whole new levels and essentially made the Samsung we saw today. Those were still innovations in true design. That phone was the last phone SJ really had his hands on. All the new stuff we are seeing (notably today) are becoming progressively average. What I think we all wanted to see from Apple is “something” revolutionary. Its been since Steve’s death since we last saw something innovative / revolutionary in IPAD and arguably the IPHONE 4. The Iphone 4 left people breathless. When was the last time we have said that about Apple. Apple simply is the “Tim” Cook Apple now. Focused on volume, cost and investors. Can you give me 1 example of when Steve cared about any of those “other than cost” at all?
You post a lot. But saying the same thing over and over does not make it true. The 5S is the new flagship model and it has a *lot* going for it including an impressive new 64-bit custom designed processor. iOS 7 also has a lot going for it. I see far too many complaints about the icons…they are just icons! Architectural updates and new functions are the key factors. People are so quick to judge.
Agreed. Maybe Apple has plans for the 5C beyond what was announced today in the USofA.
Don’t hold your breath. VERY UNlikely…
No its not enough to shake anything, bit of a pointless exercise if I’m honest. In Australia, a 32Gb 5C is about $30 cheaper than a 32Gb 5… but made in plastic.
I’m not really sure what the point of this is.
Exactly. If you make it out of plastic (even if it is AWESOME plastic) it has to make sense price-wise. It has to be the phone that students might buy, or families get their kids (at the right age), or casual users who would really like one, but don’t see the distinct need. The people who have not jumped on the iPhone yet because, let’s be honest, carrying around 600 dollars in your pocket is a little crazy for some. IMO this iPhone needs to be less than 400 dollars without a contract. There should be an iPhone 5C 8Gb for $320. That would make a lot of people happy and sink the Android value proposition.
It is $550 sans contract. It’s right on Apple’s website, actually.
http://store.apple.com/us/buy-iphone/iphone5c
Elvis Costello? Did he and Cook discuss what color walkers they prefer?
Should have gone with Janelle Monae.
What’s this I hear about a new iPhone?
No respect…
5C is for the 13 year old and younger girls.
Will china mobile deal announcd tmr ?
iPhone 5c makes it even easier to connect to high-speed networks with support for up to 13 LTE¹ wireless bands, more than any other smartphone in the world.
Implied sth about china mobile Lte ?
Today is tomorrow in China.
This is not the bold confident move I was hoping for from Apple. It seems a little hedged, a little convoluted.
Now the lineup goes:
– Elegant glass decapacitated
– Not cheap crazy plastic colours
– Expensive awesome power and sophistication
If you listen to what we are all saying it really adds up to a company that is not focused on the investors and stock prices “not” innovation. The Apple we knew is done. We have been making execuses for Apple on this site since Steve J left. I think its time to stop making execuses and realize this is all Apple is now. The plastic phone is likely for China Mobile but the fact that the US has to accept Iphone Plastic as a 532 dollar phone? Wow. RIP Steve J
Steve Jobs is dead. Move on. Praise or blame falls squarely on the living. If you’re happy with today’s event and presentation good for you. Praise the people in charge. If not, good for you. Blame the people in charge.
Ultimately even beyond the grave this is Steve’s fault. He basically put Tim in power. Glad your happy with todays news. I am truly sad that the Apple I knew is no more.
I don’t believe I expressed an opinion either way? Did I? Did I say I was happy? No. Did I say I was unhappy? No. My only comment was directed at your reference to Steve Jobs. Steve has been dead for sometime now. Along with George Washington, Abraham Lincoln Nicholas Tesla, Benjamin Franklin and Lowell George. The constant references on the site to Steve Jobs, as though he were a close personal friend, are a bit silly. It’s more about self-pity and “LOOK AT ME” than anything else. To that I say “get a life”. If you’re unhappy with Tim Cook, express that thought. But don’t try to align yourself with an important person from the past to make yourself look good (other than with other fanboys). Nah, that doesn’t work. “We have been making excuses for Apple on this site”. Yup. Constantly. Apple doesn’t need anybody defending them. They’re just a large corporation. You don’t know them and they don’t know you. They can succeed or fail without your approval. Just be objective. That means praise when deserved and criticism when necessary also. Call the board at Apple. Maybe they’ll put you in charge? Maybe you can do better? I’m not always happy with everything Apple does. And I have no problem expressing that or praise when called for. That means I’m not a fanboy. That means I think for myself and I have a life. Steve Jobs is dead and he’s not doing anything from the grave. Bitch about Tim Cook. A few people here do. Of course they are generally shouted down by the fanboys. But hey, that’s to be expected here. Don’t let them worry you. They can’t handle honest comments. Call Tim Cook and express your concerns. Send him an email. Apparently he answers emails once in a while. Or someone does in his name. But don’t try to contact Steve Jobs. Unless you were a devoted listener of Coast to Coast.
This is the last place I’d ever expect a reference to Lowell George. Well done!
Just last month, I learned about George from a friend of mine. He had a fascinating story to tell about his death by drug overdose, now called heart failure on Wikipedia. Turns out my friend worked for the coroner, and was the man who removed the deceased brain from its skull and handed it over to the medical examiner, FWIW.
Lowell was great. That was the best band I’ve ever seen. And I’ve seen a lot.
I saw Little Feat 15 times between 1972 and 1978. Also saw Lowell perform as a solo act just a few nights before his untimely death. Major loss.
Just because people have an appreciation for the work of Steve Jobs does not make them cultists. The fact that people are realizing that Tim Cook is a thinner, gay version of Steve Ballmer is starting to come to the fore.
No vision, no taste, no respect for the customer and no innovation. The fingerprint sensor was bought technology developed by Authentec. What Apple developed was a POS plastic bodied iPhone 5 and an updated iPhone 5 with a fingerprint sensor.
iOS 7 is a non starter until it can be skinned and that includes device purchases- Apple. I have purchased not only a lot of Apple stuff for myself over the years, I have also gifted a lot of Apple stuff. Not this FUGLY mess.
DE : Appreciation is not what I’m talking about here. And you understand that. And so does anyone who reads the posts on this website. So you are perfect example. And the gay comment is obviously unnecessary and shows your level of intelligence. I’d remove Darwin from my handle if I were you.
Yes they bought the fingerprint technology. What’s wrong with that? The can’t develop everything in the house. There are other smart people out there in the world besides the folks in Cupertino, California you know. Taste is subjective. Vision is yet to be determined one way or the other. Yes the iPhone 5C is a plastic bodied iPhone 5 with some updates. What did you expect? And for all you people out there who keep bitching about plastic, what the fuck is wrong with plastic? Are you al so superior that you don’t allow plastic anything in your lives? Jeez! Talk about haughty, arrogant fucks. It’s plastic. There’s nothing wrong with plastic. Doesn’t make a phone any better or worse. That’s just egotistical fanboy bullshit. It’s what’s inside the fucking body of the phone that matters. And yes, the iPhone 5 S does appear to be just an updated version of the iPhone 5 with a fingerprint sensor. It’s not a larger iPhone but that will come next year. The fingerprint sensor can be a game changer if aligned with retail purchases. That’s a no-brainer.
I have not used iOS 7 yet so I will have to refrain from passing judgment. I suppose you have had full access to it? Really? I’ll have to admit I don’t like what little bit I’ve seen but I could be completely wrong. It’s always best to try something out and use it for a a while before passing judgment. Change is difficult to accept. Having said that, I do hope there’s an option to go back to some of the old things from previous versions of iOS. I doubt that anyone will like every aspect of the new iOS. And I make my living with Apple stuff. Have for decades. And I like almost everything they have ever made. But they do stumble once in a while. The 5S will do fine because it’s the only premium iPhone available right now. The larger iPhone will be here next year. If it were here now the stock would not be in the toilet. Not even for one day. I’m not sure about the 5C, it’s pricing seems high. But I trust that Apple has thought about this long and hard and has decided this is the best price structure. If not, they’ll be in trouble. And Steve Jobs is still dead.
So much for the theory that the iPhone 5C was for phasing out all 3.5″ iPhones, replacing them with cheap 4″ ones. They are keeping the iPhone 4S as the cheapest iPhone they sell.
So what is the point of the iPhone 5C then? It’s filling the exact same niche as the iPhone 5 would have, as the $100 cheaper previous year’s model. In fact, it IS an iPhone 5, in nearly every single respect. The only thing that’s apparently different is the outer case.
So the only reason why Apple made the iPhone 5C, instead of just keeping the iPhone 5, was to make the iPhone lineup more colorful? I guess they are serious about catering to the Asian Market’s supposed love of colorful products.
Hasn’t Apple had serious success every time they’ve released their products in multiple colors? First the iPod mini/nano, then iPod shuffle, then the iPod touch, then white versions of the iPhone and iPad, these have all been significant successes. Why on Earth wouldn’t Apple want to bring more colors to the iPhone? It’s always worked before!
——RM
When Apple release a new product that’s exactly the same as an old product except for literally only skin deep changes – that makes it harder to defend them as a real technology company when others deride Apple for being just about trendiness and fashion.
How NON eventful. This sucks. My 5 phone is FINE even though the screen is TOO FRIGGIN SMALL.. I guess Apple missed the MILLIONS clamoring for a bigger screen. SO THEY LOSE and so do their stockholders. I’m friggin PISSED. Name one thing that the average girl cares about with these announcements? everyone has a phone. nobody is standing in line for these. As the stock price falls. What do all the employees do at Apple all day long? Certainly not innovate.
Right now Apple’s competitors are saying, that’s it? Apple will always own the high end market in phones but the mid and lower tiers belong to others.
T-Mobile unlocked contract fee per Apple’s website is
$549.00 for 16GB
$649.00 for 32GB
Unlocked iPhone T-Mobile
iPhone 5C 32GB is $649.00
iPhone 5S 16GB is 649.00
Unless 16GB is too small for your needs, you may be better off with iPhone 5S.
I could care less about the 5C, but I love the 5S! I want one and will replace my 4S with it, can’t wait to have it in my hands. The huge increase in processing speeds as well as fingerprint, or whatever its called instad of entering a password is really cool! Cant wait!
Model A1530*: UMTS/HSPA /DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); FDD-LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20); TD-LTE (Bands 38, 39, 40)
Load up AAPL now !!!
Can someone explain to me why an iPhone 5c is only $99 in the US and yet its £469 in the UK?
WTF is going on with Apple’s pricing?
They wont sell any of those in the UK, everyone will be going over to the US and buying them for $99 and then going back to the UK and selling them on eBay for £200 and make a fortune!
Surely it is $99 on contract and £469 with no contract?
I like the idea of offering multiple current iPhone models. But that’s not what Apple did. Apple essentially squeezed the iPhone 5 into a cheaper plastic case and called it a day.
Given the choice between a iPhone 5C and the venerable old iPhone 5 — which are functionally identical in practically all respects — one can safely assume that there will be a run on the last few iPhone 5 models left at retailers.
Also, sorry to break the news to Sir Ive, but when Apple itself recommends a silicone jacket for the phone, you ought to know that nobody is going to get all raved up about 5 different plastic colors. People already swathe their phones in fashion accessories, there’s no excitement generated by the 5C intro whatsoever.
On the other hand, the 5S is a hugely inspired step, more like we were hoping to see. I predict the 5C sells only to yuppie kids and anyone with a job and a brain will opt for the 5S … in black, of course. Some colors are classy and timeless.
I was so overwhelmed I sold my iPhone 5 and ordered a Nexus 4 while Apple unveiled the new Castro Street Edition iPhone complete with pastels right down to the OS. The Nexus 4 has no contract to extend, has no bloatware and is unlocked.
When Apple decides the Queer Eye for the Straight Guy look is no longer de rigueur, maybe they will drop the pastels and feminine look for something like iOS 6 minus the felt & leather.
Friday the 13th…
and the cases are not cute at all!!!!!!
