Apple · iPhone

iPhone 5c

Released September 2013

The iPhone 5c is Apple's lower-priced iPhone from 2013, with the iPhone 5's 4-inch Retina display and A6 chip in a coloured polycarbonate body with a larger battery, suited to collectors and anyone comparing older budget iPhones.

Screen: 4″
Display: LCD, 60 Hz
Chip: A6
Memory: 1 GB
Storage: 8 GB – 32 GB
Main camera: 8 MP
Zoom: –
Battery: 1,510 mAh
Weight: 132 g

Compact

What reviewers say

Reviewers agree the 5c is essentially the iPhone 5 in a colourful plastic case, with smooth software, a good screen and decent battery life. All three found it too similar to the iPhone 5, and TechRadar and Trusted Reviews judged it expensive outside contract deals; TechRadar found it less premium in feel, and CNET found the 4-inch screen small.

From techradar.com, cnet.com and trustedreviews.com

Specifications

Report a wrong or missing spec

Display

Screen size: 4″
Resolution: 1136 × 640
Sharpness: 326 pixels per inch
Panel: LCD
Refresh rate: 60 Hz
Peak brightness: 500 nits
Display type: Retina display; 4-inch (diagonal) widescreen Multi-Touch display
Pixel density: 326 ppi
Brightness detail: 500 cd/m² max brightness (typical)
Screen protection: Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating on front
Display features: 800:1 contrast ratio (typical)

Performance

Chip: A6
Memory: 1 GB
Storage: 8 GB, 16 GB, 32 GB
CPU: Dual-core 1.3 GHz Swift (GSMArena); 1 GB of Elpida DDR2 RAM (iFixit)
GPU: PowerVR SGX543MP3 (GSMArena)

Cameras

Main camera: 8 MP
Ultra wide camera: None
Telephoto camera: None
Optical zoom: None
Front camera: 1.2 MP
Main camera: 8-megapixel iSight camera, ƒ/2.4 aperture, backside illumination sensor, five-element lens, hybrid IR filter, autofocus, LED flash
Front camera: FaceTime camera with 1.2MP photos (1280 by 960) and backside illumination sensor
Zoom: 3x video zoom
Video recording: 1080p HD at 30 fps; video stabilisation; take still photos while recording
Front video: 720p HD
Camera features: Tap to focus; face detection; panorama; photo and video geotagging

Battery and charging

Battery: 1,510 mAh
Video playback (maker's claim): Up to 10 hours
Wireless charging: None
Battery life detail: Talk time up to 10 hours on 3G; standby up to 250 hours; internet use up to 8 hours on 3G and 10 hours on LTE or Wi-Fi; video playback up to 10 hours; audio playback up to 40 hours; 3.8 V, 5.73 Wh, 1,510 mAh (iFixit)
Wired charging: Charging via USB to a computer or power adapter

Design

Type: Standard
Weight: 132 g
Thickness: 8.97 mm
Height × width: 124.4 × 59.2 mm
Materials: Hard-coated polycarbonate body with a steel reinforced frame that doubles as the antenna
Colours: White, Pink, Yellow, Blue, Green
Buttons: On/off, sleep/wake; volume up/down; ring/silent; Home
Sensors: Three-axis gyro; accelerometer; proximity sensor; ambient light sensor

Software

Operating system: iOS
Software at launch: iOS 7

Connectivity

Mobile network: Model A1507: UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE; LTE (bands 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20)
SIM: Nano-SIM (GSMArena)
Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n (802.11n 2.4GHz and 5GHz)
Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.0
USB: Lightning connector; 3.5 mm stereo headphone minijack; video mirroring and video out up to 1080p through the Lightning Digital AV Adapter and Lightning to VGA Adapter (sold separately)
Positioning: Assisted GPS and GLONASS; digital compass; Wi-Fi; cellular

Storage options

Storage
8 GB
16 GB
32 GB

Pros and cons

Pros

Five colours of hard-coated polycarbonate with a steel reinforced frame
Up to 10 hours of talk time on 3G, against 8 hours for the iPhone 5
Up to 250 hours of standby, against 225 hours for the iPhone 5

Cons

Same A6 chip as the iPhone 5
132 g and 8.97 mm thick, heavier and thicker than the iPhone 5
No Touch ID

Closest rivals

Model	Screen	Display	Chip	Memory	Storage	Main camera	Zoom	Battery	Weight	Released
AppleiPhone 5s	4″	LCD, 60 Hz	A7	1 GB	16 GB – 64 GB	8 MP	–	1,560 mAh	112 g	Sept 2013
AppleiPhone 5	4″	LCD, 60 Hz	A6	1 GB	16 GB – 64 GB	8 MP	–	1,440 mAh	112 g	Sept 2012
MotorolaMoto G (1st generation)	4.5″	LCD	Qualcomm Snapdragon 400	1 GB	8 GB – 16 GB	5 MP	–	2,070 mAh	143 g	Nov 2013

Sources

Photo: cdsassets.apple.com

Spot a mistake? Tell us