While it is not quite a curate’s egg, Apple’s mid-range iPhone 5c is a well-balanced evolution of the iPhone 5 that makes some safe choices without endangering the brand. There are some small improvements over last year’s iPhone 5 hardware, notably the update to iOS7. Apple has bundled even more first-party software to make the handset feature-rich out of the box. This is....
all wrapped up in the new colorful shells that make the iPhone 5c stand out in a retail sea of charcoal and white smartphones
In previous years, Apple would have simply dropped the price of last year’s model to take the ‘silver’ spot on the iPhone podium. At their September 2013 event they revealed another approach. The iPhone 5c would take the place of the iPhone 5, while the iPhone 5s would become the flagship phone.
Replacing the iPhone 5 has coloured the online viewpoint of the iPhone 5c, making it a cheaper iPhone 5 with the plastic case replacing the metal covering of the earlier models, while retaining the majority of the internals. In fact the iPhone 5c has several advantages over the 2012 flagship in hardware and software. Because the iPhone 5c can be marketed as a new smartphone, it’s a far more attractive handset to retail stores and consumers than a twelve month old iPhone 5.
But we’re here to look at the handset as a whole, not the marketing exercises behind it. Putting aside the casing for the moment, those hardware changes start with the FaceTime camera on the front of the handset. The pixel count has increased to 1.2 megapixels, and there are improvements to the backside illuminated sensor. These result in a clearer picture for voice calls. Battery life has been improved through a mix of software improvements and a slightly larger battery. There are the improved LTE frequencies that allow an iPhone 5c to work in more countries on 4G. That’s great for the frequent traveller who is looking to roam, but I get the feeling that’s not the target market for this handset . What it does offer is another saving for Apple, this time in distribution and management as more worldwide support means less SKUs to manage.
Finally you have the big selling point of the iPhone 5c, the colorful polycarbonate plastic casing. Replacing the metal casing that the iPhone 5 had and that the iPhone 5s retains, Apple has reduced the bill of materials cost in making the handset, which makes the traditional discount of $100 between the flagship and the second place model economical. Apple’s strategy continues to focus on high margins and desirable handsets, and the 5c allows them to continue the traditional pricing structure without having to compromise the margin a cheaper aluminium smartphone would offer.
It also allows Apple to bring some rather bright colours into the iPhone range, reaching out to the fashionable market with the handset available in white, red, yellow, blue, and green. iOS7 also provides a dynamic wallpaper for each color to theme the software environment to the case. Apple’s range of colors matches that of the iPod range and while it is a novelty on the iPhone, it simply brings them up to date with other manufactures, notably Nokia.
What the polycarbonate does do is add slightly to the dimensions of the 5c over the 5s. The colorful model is roughly one millimetre larger in each direction. In a side to side comparison you can appreciate this difference, but in day-to-day use when you just have a 5c it’s not going to make a difference. The weight has also went up, the 5c has found another 20g over the 5s and the iPhone 5. I suspect this is a mix of larger battery and the plastic requiring more volume and mass to have enough strength and rigidity, although this is aided by an internal steel frame.
The iPhone 5c has a glossy and tactile feel to it, although I found there was enough friction between my hand and the case to keep the 5c feeling secure in my hand. This is helped by the smaller size of the 5c compared to devices like the Samsung Galaxy S4. It’s easier to grip around the sides of Apple’s smartphone, there’s less strain on the hand and arm with the lower weight of the device, and while the splashes of color might not be suitable for the boardroom, I had no qualms about bringing out the green review unit in social circumstances.
The idea of the iPhone 5c being a personal and leisure smartphone is enhanced with the retail packaging. Shipping in a rounded box, the iPhone 5c looks more like an iPod Touch or iPod Nano than the more business-like iPhone 5s. Along with the smartphone, Apple has packaged a set of Apple EarPods, the lightning to USB cable, and an AC charger. All very consumer friendly and it sets the expectations of the device nicely.
Apple Product Launch: iPhone 5S and 5C
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