The long awaited Apple event is just over; and they have finally announced the much speculated iPhone 5C along with the traditional iPhone 5 upgrade – the iPhone 5S. Though we have been hearing quite a lot of rumors about the new iPhones over the past few weeks, most of them turned out to be true this time. Let’s take a look at what Apple has to offer this time with the new iPhones.
iPhone 5C: Simpler, More capable and More colorful
Build quality and design: The new iPhone 5C is built on a single polycarbonate plastic body. The continuous, seamless surface feels like nothing you would expect from a plastic phone. The build quality is good enough considering the fact that it’s not aluminum. The smooth finish feels great to hold in your hands. iPhone 5C comes in 5 different colors: Pink, Yellow, Blue, White and Green. These colors represents the back side; the front face is black for all the variants. An interesting point to note here is that the iPhone 5C weighs more (132 g) than the iPhone 5S (112 g).
Specifications: From the inside, iPhone 5C is built on fairly similar features to the iPhone 5. It sports an Apple A6 Chip, an 8 MP iSight Camera with LED flash and front facing FaceTime HD camera which works well even in low light conditions. The screen is a 4 inch Retina display with integrated touch, sRGB and widescreen video support. Additionally, it also supports more LTE bands (13) than any other smartphone. Other specifications of the iPhone 5C include dual band WiFi (a/b/g/n) and BlueTooth 4.0. The iPhone 5C hosts the same set of sensors as in iPhone 5: Three axis gyro, Accelerometer, Ambient Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Magnetometer and Compass.
iPhone 5C Full Specifications
Connectivity (2G):
Model A1533 (GSM): GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
Model A1533 (CDMA): GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
Model A1453: GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
Model A1457: GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
Model A1530: GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
Connectivity (3G):
Model A1533 (GSM): UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz)
Model A1533 (CDMA): CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz); UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz)
Model A1453: CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz); UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz)
Model A1457: UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz)
Model A1530: UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz)
Connectivity (LTE):
Model A1533 (GSM): LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 13, 17, 19, 20, 25)
Model A1533 (CDMA): LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 13, 17, 19, 20, 25)
Model A1453: LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26)
Model A1457: LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20)
Model A1530: FDD-LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20); TD-LTE (Bands 38, 39, 40)
Wi-Fi / Bluetooth / USB:
Wi-Fi Network: 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi (802.11n 2.4GHz and 5GHz) [Dual Band]
Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology
USB Connector: Apple official Lightning Connector
SIM Type:
Nano SIM
Dimensions and Weight:
Height: 4.90 inches (124.4 mm)
Width: 2.33 inches (59.2 mm)
Depth: 0.35 inch (8.97 mm)
Weight: 4.65 ounces (132 grams)
Display:
Type: Retina display
Size: 4-inch (diagonal) widescreen Multi-Touch display
Resolution: 1136-by-640-pixel resolution at 326 ppi
Contrast Ratio: 800:1 contrast ratio (typical)
Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass; Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating on front
Sound:
Alert types: Vibration, proprietary ringtones
Loudspeaker: Yes
Audio Out: 3.5mm jack
Headphones: Apple Official Earpods
Memory:
Internal Storage: 16/32 GB storage, 1 GB RAM
External Storage: Not Available
Cloud Storage: Apple iCloud
Camera:
Primary: 8MP iSight Camera with f/2.4 aperture and LED Flash; Backside illumination sensor; Five-element lens; Hybrid IR filter; Sapphire crystal lens cover
Features: Panorama, Autofocus; Tap to focus; Face detection; Photo geo-tagging; Square mode
Video: 1080p HD Video recording, 30 fps, LED flash; Video stabilization; Still photo while Video recording; Face detection; 3X Zoom; Video geo-tagging; Tap to focus
Secondary: 1.2MP photos (1280 by 960); 720p HD video recording; New backside illumination sensor
Processors:
Chipset: Apple A6
CPU: Dual-core 1.3 GHz
GPU: PowerVR SGX 543MP3 (triple-core graphics)
Instruction set: ARMv7
Processor Architecture: 32 bit
Cache: 1 MB L2 Cache
RAM: 1 GB
Sensors: Three axis gyro; Accelerometer; Ambient Light Sensor; Proximity Sensor; Magnetometer; Compass
Battery:
Rating: 5.92 WHr / 1560 mAh
Type: Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery (Non-removable)
Talk time: Up to 10 hours on 3G
Standby time: Up to 250 hours
Internet use: Up to 8 hours on 3G, up to 10 hours on LTE, up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi
Video playback: Up to 10 hours
Audio playback: Up to 40 hours
Features:
Operating System: iOS 7
Messaging: iMessage, SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email
Browser: HTML (Safari)
TV Out: Yes, via AirPlay and Apple TV
FM Radio: No
GPS: Yes, with A-GPS support and GLONASS
Java: No
Colors: White, Pink, Yellow, Blue, Green
Apps: Camera; Photos; Music; Phone; FaceTime; Maps; Safari; Siri; Messages; Mail; Passbook; Videos; App Store; iTunes Store; Game Center; Newsstand; Calendar; Contacts; Calculator; Weather; Stocks; Reminders; Notes; Voice Memos; Clock; Compass; iPhoto; iMovie; Keynote; Pages; Numbers; iBooks; iTunes U; iTunes Festival; Podcasts; Trailers; Find my iPhone; Find my Friends
Accessories: Apple official case / covers for iPhone 5C
Price:
Contractual: $99 (16 GB) and $199 (32 GB) with AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon.
Contract Free: $549 (16 GB) and $649 (32 GB)
All new iOS 7: iPhone 5C is powered by the most innovative mobile operating system till date. The iOS 7 beautifully lays down a translucent ecosystem for the users, and with iPhone 5C, the iOS 7 is deeply toned, in look and feel, towards the specific color of the phone.
New Cases: As an extra, Apple is officially launching new cases / covers to compliment the color of your new iPhone.
Price: The new iPhone 5C will ship in two different models in terms of capacity. The 16 GB model is priced at $99, while the 32 GB model will cost $199. Both these prices come under a 2 year contract available with AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile. The iPhone 5C covers will cost $29 more.
Off contract, the 16 GB iPhone 5C will cost $549, whereas the 32 GB variant will be available for $649.
Pre-Order and Release: Pre-orders for the new iPhone 5C starts from September 13, 2013. It will be available on stores from September 20, 2013.
iPhone 5S: Greater Speed, More Power
Build quality: Apple’s higher end iPhone, the iPhone 5S, is built on the same aluminum make of its predecessor, the iPhone 5. iPhone 5S comes in three different colors – white, gold, and space gray – and physically looks the similar to the iPhone 5.
One notable point to mention here is that the iPhone 5S doesn’t come in black. So people who want to buy a royal black iPhone might be a little disappointed.
Specifications: Under the hood the iPhone 5S packs an all new Apple A7 Chip that is twice as fast as the A6, with twice the graphics processing too. The iPhone 5S is about 5 times faster than the iPhone 5. In addition to the A7 Chip, iPhone 5S also has what is called a motion co-processor, the M7.
The M7 dedicatedly processes motion data – gyro, accelerometer, compass and lets the A7 to take care of the other number crunching and graphics processing tasks. It runs Open GL ES 3.0 which delivers better performance for graphics-intensive games.
Moreover, the A7 Chip is built on a 64 bit kernel and is able to run both 32 bit and 64 bit apps. The A7 is the world’s first 64 bit mobile processor.
The screen on iPhone 5S is the same as that of 5C with a 4 inch Retina display. The back camera on the iPhone 5S is the same 8 MP iSight camera, but now with 1.5 µ pixels, instead of the 1.3 µ of iPhone 5.
The camera supports a new feature called the Burst Mode to take multiple shots in quick succession. Instead of LED flash, the iSight camera is assisted by what Apple calls “True Tone Flash”. In addition to Burst mode, the iSight camera is also capable of capturing videos at high speeds with a feature called Slo-Mo. When this feature is enabled, the camera is capable of shooting at 120 fps. The FaceTime Camera in front is the same 1.2 MP as in iPhone 5C.
In the sensors department, the iPhone 5S brings revolutionary new security features. Apple iPhone 5S now supports Fingerprint identity. Incorporated in the phone’s home button, the Fingerprint sensor is capable of storing multiple fingers. Forget passwords; now you can authenticate yourself with your fingerprints. Apple named this new security feature as TouchID.
TouchID is totally secure and safe as the fingerprint sensor is directly integrated with the A7 Chip. Your fingerprint stays inside your iPhone with the A7 Chip. It cannot be synced to iCloud and cannot be used by other apps. TouchID is only meant as a replacement of password; and can be used for making purchases, unlocking device, etc.
iPhone 5S Full Specifications
Connectivity (2G):
Model A1533 (GSM): GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
Model A1533 (CDMA): GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
Model A1453: GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
Model A1457: GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
Model A1530: GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
Connectivity (3G):
Model A1533 (GSM): UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz)
Model A1533 (CDMA): CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz); UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz)
Model A1453: CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz); UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz)
Model A1457: UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz)
Model A1530: UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz)
Connectivity (LTE):
Model A1533 (GSM): LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 13, 17, 19, 20, 25)
Model A1533 (CDMA): LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 13, 17, 19, 20, 25)
Model A1453: LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26)
Model A1457: LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20)
Model A1530: FDD-LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20); TD-LTE (Bands 38, 39, 40)
Wi-Fi / Bluetooth / USB:
Wi-Fi Network: 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi (802.11n 2.4GHz and 5GHz)
Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology
USB Connector: Apple official Lightning Connector
SIM Type:
Nano SIM
Dimensions and Weight:
Height: 4.87 inches (123.8 mm)
Width: 2.31 inches (58.6 mm)
Depth: 0.35 inch (8.97 mm)
Weight: 3.95 ounces (112 grams)
Display:
Type: Retina display
Size: 4-inch (diagonal) widescreen Multi-Touch display
Resolution: 1136-by-640-pixel resolution at 326 ppi
Contrast Ratio: 800:1 contrast ratio (typical)
Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass; Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating on front
Sound:
Alert types: Vibration, proprietary ringtones
Loudspeaker: Yes
Audio Out: 3.5mm jack
Headphones: Apple Official Earpods
Memory:
Internal Storage: 16/32/64 GB storage, 1 GB RAM
External Storage: Not Available
Cloud Storage: Apple iCloud
Camera:
Primary: 8MP iSight Camera with 1.5µ pixels, f/2.2 aperture and True Tone Flash (Dual); Backside illumination sensor; Five-element lens; Hybrid IR filter; Sapphire crystal lens cover
Features: Panorama, Autofocus; Tap to focus; Face detection; Photo geo-tagging; Burst mode; Square mode
Video: 1080p HD Video recording, 30 fps, LED flash; Video stabilization; Slo – Mo video (120fps) Still photo while Video recording; Face detection; 3X Zoom; Video geo-tagging; Tap to focus
Secondary: 1.2MP photos (1280 by 960); 720p HD video recording; New backside illumination sensor
Processors:
Chipset: Apple A7
CPU: Dual-core 1.3 GHz
GPU: PowerVR G6430 (four cluster)
Motion Co-Processor: Apple M7
Instruction set: ARMv8
Processor Architecture: 64 bit
Cache: 1 MB L2 Cache
RAM: 1 GB
Sensors: Three axis gyro; Accelerometer; Ambient Light Sensor; Proximity Sensor; Magnetometer; Compass, Fingerprint identity sensor
Battery:
Rating: 5.92 WHr / 1560 mAh
Type: Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery (Non-removable)
Talk time: Up to 10 hours on 3G
Standby time: Up to 250 hours
Internet use: Up to 8 hours on 3G, up to 10 hours on LTE, up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi
Video playback: Up to 10 hours
Audio playback: Up to 40 hours
Features:
Security: Dual authentication with TouchID / Password
Operating System: iOS 7
Messaging: iMessage, SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email
Browser: HTML (Safari)
TV Out: Yes, via AirPlay and Apple TV
FM Radio: No
GPS: Yes, with A-GPS support and GLONASS
Java: No
Colors: White, Gold and Space Gray
Apps: Camera; Photos; Music; Phone; FaceTime; Maps; Safari; Siri; Messages; Mail; Passbook; Videos; App Store; iTunes Store; Game Center; Newsstand; Calendar; Contacts; Calculator; Weather; Stocks; Reminders; Notes; Voice Memos; Clock; Compass; iPhoto; iMovie; Keynote; Pages; Numbers; iBooks; iTunes U; iTunes Festival; Podcasts; Trailers; Find my iPhone; Find my Friends
Accessories: Apple official case / covers for iPhone 5S
Price:
Contractual: $199 (16 GB), $299 (32 GB) and $399 (64 GB) with AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon.
Contract Free: $649 (16 GB), $749 (32 GB) and $849 (64 GB)
Cases for iPhone 5S: You can also make your iPhone 5S colorful with the help of additional covers. Covers come in multiple colors and will cost $39 a piece.
Price: The iPhone 5S comes in 3 storage variants: a 16 GB model which costs $199, a 32 GB model which costs $299 and a 64 GB model for $399. All these prices are subject to a 2 year contract with the usual mobile careers.
The off contract variant of iPhone 5S will cost $649 for 16 GB models, $749 for 32 GB models and $849 for the 64 GB model.
Pre-Order and Release: iPhone 5S will not be available for pre-order. It is expected to hit the stores on September 20, 2013.
* – Unconfirmed. No official record of these specifications have been revealed till now.
iOS 7 Release Date
Apple will start rolling out iOS 7 to its customers on September 18, 2013. In addition to the iPhone 5C and the iPhone 5S, a few other older iOS devices will also be able to upgrade to iOS 7 (given below).
iOS 7 Supported Devices
iOS 7 will be available for the following Apple Devices: iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPad 2, iPad with Retina display, iPad Mini and the 5th Generation iPod Touch.
iOS 7 Apps
iOS 7 comes pre-installed with a host of apps. In addition, some more productivity apps from Apple can be downloaded free of cost from the App Store. The pre-installed apps include:
Camera, Photos, Music, Phone, FaceTime, Maps, Safari, Siri, Messages, Mail, Passbook, Videos and many more.
In addition to these pre-installed apps, the following paid apps from Apple are free on the App Store for qualifying iOS 7 compatible devices activated after September 1, 2013:
- iPhoto
- iMovie
- Keynote
- Pages
- Numbers
The following are the other free apps available on iOS 7:
- iBooks
- iTunes U
- iTunes Festival
- Podcasts
- Trailers
- Find my iPhone
- Find my Friends
Availability
Both iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S will be available in stores from September 20, 2013. It will be available in the following countries: United States, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Singapore and United Kingdom. The products will be rolled out to other countries at a later time.
Farewell, iPhone 5?
An interesting fact to note is that Apple seems to have ditched the iPhone 5 completely in favor of the iPhone 5C. Apple’s official website, as of now, does not list the iPhone 5 at all. The only featured iPhones are the iPhone 4S (free with contract for the 8 GB model), iPhone 5C and the iPhone 5S. The iPhone 5C is built nearly on the same set of specs as in iPhone 5, and the slight drop in price for the 5C may have been compensated with the plastic build. Anyway, Apple has kept quiet regarding this matter and we are not sure what Apple’s strategy is.
We’ll update you as soon as we know anything. Till then, stay tuned for more news on the next generation iPhones.