Anupam Saxena,
September 11, 2013

Apple unveiled the iPhone 5c and the iPhone 5s on Tuesday. Usually, Apple reduces the price of its previous year flagship, and continues to sell it.
 
However, this year it made an exception and discontinued the iPhone 5, which it had unveiled in 2012. To fill the gap, it introduced a brand new iPhone, the iPhone 5c that sports a polycarbonate casing which comes in five new colours, Green, Blue, Yellow, Red and White.
 
The iPhone 5c is heavier at 132 grams, while the iPhone 5 weighs just 112 grams. The dimensions of the iPhone 5c are also larger at 124.4×59.2×8.97mm compared to the dimensions of the iPhone 5 which measured 123.8×58.6×7.6mm. So, the iPhone 5c is thicker and heavier.
 
In terms of internals, the iPhone 5c is very similar to the iPhone 5, running the same A6 chip and featuring the same 4-inch Retina display with a resolution of 640×1136 pixels at 326ppi pixel density.
 
So, what’s really different in the iPhone 5c apart from the hard-coated the polycarbonate casing which replaces the iPhone 5′s aluminium shell? Well, for starters it supports more 4G network bands. A model of the iPhone 5c even supports the Indian TD-LTE Band 40 which is used by operators like Airtel for offering 4G services in the country. The iPhone 5 did not support these additional bands.
 
Another difference is that the iPhone 5c won’t offer a 64GB storage variant (just 16GB and 32GB variants), unlike the iPhone 5, making the additional storage a premium feature that users can only get with the iPhone 5s.
 
The iPhone 5c sports the same 8-megapixel rear camera and 1.2-megapixel front-facing FaceTime HD camera that’s seen on the iPhone 5. However, the iPhone 5c’s camera has been slightly improved as it has an f/2.4 aperture, backside illumination sensor, a hybrid IR filter and the ability to zoom-in while recording videos. Even the front camera on the iPhone 5c has a backside illumination sensor for taking low-light pictures. Of course, the iPhone 5 will also get some new camera features such as live filters and a square photo mode with the iOS 7 update. These features come out-of-the-box with the iPhone 5c.
 
The iPhone 5c also claims to offer better battery life with up to 10 hours talk time on 3G and up to 250 hours standby time. In contrast, the iPhone 5 claims to deliver up to 8 hours talk time on 3G and up to 225 hours standby time.
 
Also read: Take a look at our complete specification by specification comparison in tabular format here: Apple iPhone 5c vs. iPhone 5 comparison.
 
Looking at these differences, and leaving the externals aside, we can clearly see the iPhone 5c is a very minor upgrade compared to the iPhone 5. Those iPhone 5 users reluctant to invest in the flagship iPhone 5s should seriously consider if the differences between the iPhone 5 and 5c matter sufficiently to them before jumping the gun.
 
Also read: If you want to see how all three phones, the iPhone 5S, 5c and 5, stack up against each other, look at our Apple iPhone 5s vs. iPhone 5c vs. iPhone 5 comparison 

iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s launch in pictures

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Article source: http://gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/news/apple-iphone-5c-vs-iphone-5-a-worthy-upgrade-417280

Apple on Tuesday unveiled two new iPhones: the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 5C. “iPhone 5 was instantly the most-loved iPhone ever, and it had the most successful first year of any iPhone we’ve ever done,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said.

“The business has become so large that this year we’re going to replace the iPhone 5…and we’re gonna replace it with not one, but two new designs.” These include the powerful iPhone 5s and the colorful iPhone 5c.

The iPhone 5s

“The most forward-thinking phone we’ve ever created,” Schiller said of the new iPhone 5s (shown at top). The iPhone 5s comes in three metal finishes: silver, gold, and something called “space gray.” It’s made of high-grade aluminum, with chamfered edges.

Schiller said that the iPhone 5s offers great, unparalleled performance, calling it a “huge leap forward.” The phone uses the 64-bit A7 system-on-a-chip processor from Apple, and it’s the first and only smartphone to use a 64-bit processor.

Apple says the A7 chip uses desktop-class architecture, with a modern instruction set and over a billion transistors—and it’s the same size as the A6.

iOS 7 already supports a native 64-bit kernel, Schiller said. All the built-in apps from Apple already have been reengineered for 64-bit, and it will be easy for third-party developers to compile their apps for the iPhone 5s as well.

“The benefits are huge,” Schiller said. The A7 is up to twice as fast at CPU and graphics tasks, he said. The iPhone 5s offers 40 times the performance of the original iPhone—with half of that improvement just coming since the iPhone 5.

The iPhone 5s and Touch ID

The iPhone 5s also comes with a nifty new security feature: A fingerprint scanner built right into the Home button. That sensor can read fingerprints with incredible detail, and even supports multiple fingers. Support for that scanner in iOS 7 means you may never need to tap in your passcode again.

Image: Apple

“Unfortunately, some people find that’s too cumbersome, so they don’t set it up,” Schiller said. And even if you set up a passcode, you need to enter it many times per day.

Touch ID uses your fingerprint to gain access to your phone. It does this by reading the fingerprint at an incredibly detailed level using the Touch ID sensor. Touch ID scans sub-epidermal skin layers with 360 degrees of readability—meaning you can hold your finger in any orientation.

The sensor lives beneath the Home button on the iPhone 5s. That button is still tactile, but includes a stainless steel detection ring and the Touch ID sensor, with a laser-cut sapphire crystal on top. Touch ID is built deep into iOS 7, Schiller said.

You can simply touch the Home button to unlock your iPhone. You can use the Touch ID to authenticate anywhere you’d otherwise need to provide your Apple ID password, too.

Touch ID also supports multiple fingerprints. So, you can unlock your iPhone with multiple fingers, or theoretically let a family member add their fingerprint to unlock your device, too.

The iPhone 5s camera

Schiller said that the camera on the iPhone 5s is dramatically improved over its predecessor. He cited what he called “huge advancements”: There’s a new five-element, Apple-designed lens, with a larger 2.2 aperture, and a 15 percent larger active sensor area.

The pixels on the sensor are 1.5 microns, Schiller said, and he said that bigger pixels lead to better pictures. The camera also includes a new True Tone Flash.

The iPhone 5s camera also adds automatic image stabilization. It combines multiple photos taken simultaneously in real-time to stabilize and sharpen images. And the camera includes burst mode, too.

There’s a new video camera option, too: a Slo-Mo camera, which shoots 120 frames per second in high definition.

Other features

There’s another completely new part in the iPhone 5s called M7: a motion co-processor. It continually measures motion data from the accelerometer, gyroscope, and compass, without waking the A7, which Schiller said would enable new fitness accessories and apps.

In conjunction with a new CoreMotion API, Schiller said that developers could create apps to measure and track fitness in ways that weren’t possible before.

The iPhone 5s’s battery life is equal to or greater than the iPhone 5′s, Schiller said, with 10 hours of 3G talk time or LTE browsing.

Pricing and availability for the iPhone 5s

The iPhone 5s is available in 16GB for $199, 32GB for $299, or 64GB for $399. Apple is also offering six leather cases for the iPhone 5s at $39 each.

The iPhone 5s will be available in the U.S., Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore and the U.K.

Orders for the iPhone 5s start on September 20, and they will be available from the Apple Online Store, Apple’s retail stores, and through ATT, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, as well as select Apple authorized resellers.

The unlocked prices for the 5s are $649 for the 16GB model, $749 for the 32GB model, and $849 for the 64GB model.

Though the iPhone 5 will be retired, Apple will continue to offer the iPhone 4S in a free 8GB model.

The iPhone 5c

“The iPhone 5c is made with all the incredible technology customers have loved with the iPhone 5,” Apple senior vice president Phil Schiller said.

“It’s more fun and more colorful than any iPhone we’ve had yet.”

The iPhone 5c is available in a variety of colors: blue, green, white, pink, and yellow. The fronts of the phones are black, while all the rest of the body uses the new color, including the buttons and switches.

IMAGE: APPLE

When you turn on the iPhone 5c, the default wallpaper is color-matched to the phone’s body. There’s also a new line of custom cases, made of a soft-feel silicon rubber with microfiber internals, and cutout patterns of circles on the bottom two-thirds of the case. “You get this amazing combination of color between the iPhone 5C and its case.”

The iPhone 5c is made of a hard-coated polycarbonate, with a steel-reinforced structure for incredible rigidity—doing double duty as an antenna. The phone uses the iPhone 5′s 4-inch Retina display. It’s powered by an A6 chip, and offers higher-capacity battery performance, with a larger battery than the original iPhone 5. And it offers an 8MP iSight
camera.

IMAGE: APPLE

On the front, the iPhone 5c sports a new FaceTime HD camera that Schiller said is improved from prior iterations. And the phone supports more LTE bands than any other smartphone in the world, Schiller said.

Pricing and availability for the iPhone 5c

The iPhone 5c costs $99 for the 16GB model, or $199 for the 32GB model, with a two-year contract. The cases are also available in the same six colors; they’re available for $29 each. The unlocked prices for this model are $549 for the 16GB version and $649 for the 32GB version.

You may pre-order the iPhone 5c starting on September 13. It also will be on sale September 20 in the Apple Online Store, Apple’s retail stores, and through ATT, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, as well as select Apple authorized resellers.

Updated 09/10/2013 at 11:45 a.m. with additional information on the Touch ID feature in the iPhone 5s, as well as details on ordering and availability for both iPhones.

Article source: http://www.macworld.com/article/2048483/apple-unveils-powerful-iphone-5s-and-entry-level-5c.html

The Verizon iPhone 5 is $100 cheaper a day after Apple announced the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c would replace the one-year old smartphone.

While other carriers are still selling the iPhone 5 for $199 on a two-year contract, Verizon is stepping up with what will likely be the last iPhone 5 deal the carrier offers.

Starting today Verizon customers can buy the iPhone 5 for $99 with 16GB of storage, but that’s not all, Verizon also cut $100 off the 32GB and 64GB iPhone 5 models.

If you want to keep unlimited data and upgrade to a new iPhone, you can also buy the Verizon iPhone 5 for $100 less off contract with prices from $549 to $749.

The Verizon iPhone 5 is $100 off on contract and off contract as the carrier looks to closeout the old iPhone before the iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s release.

While less interesting, Verizon also chopped $50 off the price of the iPhone 4s. The iPhone 4s Verizon is selling comes with 16GB of memory, double what the free iPhone 4s will offer when it arrives on Verizon and other carriers later this month.

Article source: http://www.gottabemobile.com/2013/09/11/verizon-iphone-5-deal-before-iphone-5s/

At Tuesday’s special event, Apple discontinued its popular iPhone 5 smartphone in favor of the iPhone 5C. But if the 5’s design is what you desire, there’s still a chance to snag it: Apple’s retail stores are currently offering last year’s model at a $100 discount.

First reported by iLounge and independently confirmed by Macworld, Apple’s retail stores are offering their remaining stocks of the iPhone 5 at $100 off the purchase price. That would be $99/$199/$299 for 16/32/64GB models with a cellular contract and $549/$649/$749 off-contract, respectively.

But don’t dally: This deal lasts only until next week’s iPhone 5c launch date. Unfortunately, if you don’t have a store nearby, you’re out of luck, as the iPhone 5 no longer shows up online—even in Apple’s refurbished section.

Article source: http://www.macworld.com/article/2048587/apple-to-offer-iphone-5-at-100-discount-in-stores.html

Picture yourself in the not-so-distant future, a consumer in the market for a shiny new iPhone. You approach a store, be it retail or online, and trail your eyes over the various models on display.

Your inexpensive options are a little scattered. There is the free iPhone 4S, hardly a compelling product with its old form factor and hardware profile. If you spend only $100, you can get a brightly colored, plastic-backed model, the new iPhone 5C. Or, for only yet another $100, you get the latest, highest-end iPhone 5S, cast of glass and metal with a futuristic fingerprint reader. Which do you choose?

The iPhone 5C has already received a lot of attention for its carefree design approach (I can’t help but be reminded of Discovery Zone by those colors and hole-punch cases). While it’s still the same old iPhone 5 on the inside, the 5C is making waves because of how big a departure it is from Apple’s usual approach of glass, aluminum, and neutral colors for its handset.

The 5C’s style will no doubt appeal to some consumers and even capture a couple of new demographics. But as for the “cheap” iPhone we were expecting… well, the iPhone 5C isn’t it. The fact that it is not rounding out Apple’s low-end product line as was predicted suggests that Cupertino might have intentions for it beyond appealing to kids and the fashion-conscious among us.

Perhaps the design of the 5C is intended to push buyers into throwing down an extra $100 to get the only viably professional-looking iPhone. Under this scenario, the 5C exists, to an extent, to usher all but the most casual users into the arms of the 5S.

Since 2008, Apple has offered last year’s iPhone model with an unchanged form factor as the next step down in price. On the off-year where the iPhone form factor hasn’t changed from the year before (3GS, 4S, and now 5S) and improvements are arguably more incremental, customers can pick up last year’s version for $100 cheaper with less of a psychological cost than in years when the form factor does change. When it came to the iPhone 4 and 4S or 3G and 3GS side-by-side in stores, the two looked and felt the same; there were a few differences under the hood, but they were arguably things that don’t matter as much to price-sensitive buyers.

By changing the outward form factor of its mid-range phone so drastically, Apple is positioning its highest-end model even higher and further away from the rest of its offerings. And Apple isn’t just pushing that difference for this year by taking the identical iPhone 5 off the table as a step down from the 5S; this is likely a change it is making to its lineup for all time, drawing a big visual distinction between its newest phone and all the rest.

The importance of fun, colored, eminently consumer-level products to Apple’s success cannot be underestimated. The Bondi blue iMacs and colored iBooks of the late ’90s were integral to the company’s big turnaround following Steve Jobs’ return to the company, and the color palette for the iPod mini made them an unprecedented success in that line of products.

As Ars Editor-at-Large Jacqui Cheng wrote following the announcement, this is Apple doing something smart for Apple: “The iPhone 5C is the iPhone 5, and Apple found a cheaper way to produce it.” Repackaging last years’ news gives also Apple two big announcements where there would normally be one: not only does it have the new-and-improved iPhone 5S, but it also has the old iPhone 5 spun into something fun and fashionable.

Product segmentation, particularly segments structured with a lower-end product that exists to make the next step up look compelling, is an old, old strategy. Apple’s desire to capture the young-and-casual as well as price-sensitive users with the iPhone 5C is clear, but we can’t ignore the fact that it makes the iPhone 5S look a darned sight better by comparison than the iPhone 5 ever would have.

Listing image by Andrew Cunningham

Article source: http://arstechnica.com/apple/2013/09/iphone-5c-will-sell-more-5s-models-than-the-iphone-5-ever-would-have/

The iPhone 5s is exactly the same size as the iPhone 5, but not all iPhone 5 cases will work with the slightly redesigned iPhone 5s.

Apple added one new feature that limits the iPhone 5 case options users can put on the iPhone 5s and retain full functionality — a fingerprint sensor.

The iPhone 5s fingerprint sensor, called Touch ID by Apple, is a new security feature that scans the owner’s fingerprints to unlock the iPhone instead of entering a PIN or an Apple ID password.

Read: 15 iPhone 5S Features You’ll Actually Care About

This OtterBox iPhone 5 case will not work fully as an iPhone 5s case.

Right now the iPhone 5s Touch ID feature only works to unlock the iPhone 5s and to enter an Apple ID password for Apple purchases, and it is not compatible with third-party iPhone apps. While Touch ID is not mandatory, it is a key iPhone 5s feature that we think many users will enjoy.

Article source: http://www.gottabemobile.com/2013/09/10/iphone-5-cases-will-work-iphone-5s-case/

Apple has updated its flagship smartphone, the iPhone 5, one year after it went on sale, bringing a faster processor, a ‘champagne’ colour option, and an integrated fingerprint reader – but are these updates enough to consider upgrading to the iPhone 5S?

Hardware

Little has changed on the outside, other than the additional of a fingerprint scanner to the Home button, a larger dual-flash for the rear camera, and that new gold/champagne colour option. Safe to say, all but the most knowledgable Apple fan would struggle to tell the iPhone 5 and 5S apart.

Embedded in the phone’s home button, the fingerprint scanner is a first for an Apple product and makes unlocking the device easier than before – no need to enter a PIN or password, just press your thumb against the reader and the phone will unlock.

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The reader can also be used as a shortcut to entering passwords, such as when buying content from the iTunes Store.

4G on all networks

Inside, Apple has made a key change to the iPhone’s antennas used for connecting to mobile networks. The year-old iPhone 5 does not work with the new 4G networks launch by O2 and Vodafone last month, as they use a different radio band to EE, which switched on its iPhone 5-compatible network a year ago. With upgraded antennas in place,the iPhone 5S will work on 4G services from all UK networks, as well as many others abroad.

Around the back, Apple has improved the iPhone’s camera by including a second flash and wider f/2.2 aperture lens for improved low-light performance – further boosting low light performancer is an image sensor that is 15% bigger than that in the iPhone 5.

The iPhone 5S can shoot 1080p HD video, and include support for 720p HD video recording at 120 frames per second, four times the speed of the iPhone 5, producing smoother video which can be used to create slow-motion footage.

Following HTC’s lead, Apple has given the 5S’s camera a sensor with larger pixels to capture more light, improving photo quality – especially at night. There’s also auto image stabilisation and improvements to the camera’s ability to auto-focus on a subject.

Performance

As is customary, Apple used the new iPhone launch to reveal its latest mobile system-on-a-chip, the A7. Although claimed to be five times faster overall than the year-old A6, Apple never quotes the speed or number of cores of its mobile processors, so we’ll have to wait for third-party tests to learn exactly how much faster the iPhone 5S is.

The A7 processor is 64-bit, a first for any smartphone, and is said to be “up to twice as fast” as the iPhone 5′s A6 chip, with speed gains for both computing and graphical performance. Compared to the original 2007 iPhone, the 5S boots up 42 times faster, and graphics are now up to 56 times faster than the first generation iPhone.

Joining the A7 is a new M7 chip – M standing for motion coprocessor – which is responsible for continually tracking motion data, which can be used by applications such as Nike+ to create a new range of fitness tracking apps.

Software

The iPhone 5S ushers in iOS 7 to the general public, but the all-new operating system will also be made available to iPhone 4, 4S and 5 owners. Functions on older models will be limited; for more information, read our iOS 7 device compatibility guide.

Price

The iPhone 5S is slightly more expensive than the outgoing 5, priced at £549 for the 16GB model £629 for 32GB and £709 for the range-topping 64GB model. By comparison, the iPhone 5 started at £529 for the 16GB version.

Should I upgrade?

As with all S iterations, the iPhone 5S take a very good phone and makes it slightly better. Yes, the gold colour option may appeal to some but really the biggest features here are extra 4G support and the fingerprint scanner – and even that is something of a novelty, until applications develops can come up with useful functions for it, such as speeding up online purchases or money transfers.

Extra performance is always welcome, but bumps in RAM and processor speed have become less important as the playing field for high-end smartphones has been all but levelled over the last 12 months – we suspect you’d be hard pressed to notice a helpful increase in performance from 5 to 5S, at least until more demanding games and apps are made to utilise the extra power.

If you can afford the update then sure, why not, but for many users we imagine the jump to iOS 7 will feel like moving to a new phone anyway – and for those who don’t own an iPhone 5, keep an eye out for the newly announced iPhone 5C, which starts at £469 for the 16GB model, or even a new 8GB version of the iPhone 4S, priced at £349.

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Article source: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/505086/20130910/iphone-5s-vs-5-comparison-worth-upgrade.htm

It’s possible that the iPhone 5 remained too expensive a product for the company to drop the price significantly, and with the iPhone 5c there’s just less space for older devices — especially since the new device is very similar to the iPhone 5 internally.

Article source: http://www.theverge.com/2013/9/10/4714994/iphone-5-discontinued-iphone-4s-free-on-contract

Price

The iPhone 5S starts at £549 for a model with 16GB of storage, with prices going up from there, through £629 for 32GB, and hitting a hefty £709 for 64GB of storage. Compared with last year’s iPhone 5, the starting price is £20 higher, and makes it more expensive than competition from the likes of HTC, Samsung and Sony.

Prices on-contract, directly from mobile phone operators, will be slightly lower, of course, when taken out with relatively expensive monthly plans. Whichever way you look at it, the iPhone 5S is a pricey proposition.

Camera

For the iPhone 5S, Apple’s improved the camera compared to previous iPhones by physically increasing the size of the image sensor. That means, at least on paper, significantly higher low-light performance, which should result in better pictures captured in the often-poor lighting conditions users find themselves in. Party photos from bars, pubs and dimly-lit homes should be clearer, sharper, and with better colours compared to pictures captured the iPhone 5 and 4S.

Features

The iPhone 5S marks Apple’s first introduction of a fingerprint reader called “Touch ID”. The sensor sits under the traditional home button, allowing users to ditch passwords and unlock their iPhones just by swiping their finger across the home button. It’s a major leap forward in both phone security and usability because users will no longer have to remember PINs or passwords, as the Touch ID will also allow the user to purchase music, apps and videos through the phone.

Five fingerprints can be stored on the device to unlock the iPhone but only one can be associated with your iTunes account so your kids will be able to unlock your phone, but will be prevented from buying apps, videos and music, which could save you from some very expensive bills. Your fingerprint data is only stored on your phone and it isn’t sent over the internet or stored on Apple’s servers, which should help keep prying eyes away from it and your data secure.

While Apple has barely changed the design of the iPhone 5S compared with last year’s iPhone 5 – maintaining its pin-sharp 4-inch retina screen and thin and light body – it is available in a new colour: gold. The traditional black (rebranded as “space grey”) and white (“silver”) colours are still available, however.

iOS 7, a complete redesign of Apple’s mobile operating system, is also launching with the iPhone 5S. It looks to revitalise the rather unchanged iOS, and has taken the approach of “flat” yet colourful design. Improvements are available across the board for all of Apple’s built-in apps such as Mail, iMessages, Calendar and Photos. It’s worth noting that the iOS 7 update will also be available for existing iPhones, including the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S and iPhone 5.

Speed

Apple has kitted out the iPhone 5S with its latest processor. The Apple A7 combines a new 64-bit architecture with improved processing capabilities, which should result in a doubling of the speed of the phone compared with the iPhone 5S.

Coupled to the new A7 processor is a new co-processor called the M7. Its job is to collect data from the various sensors the iPhone 5S has, including the GPS, processing the information without waking the main A7 chip. In doing so, it should allow various apps and services to continually pull data from the phone’s hardware while still delivering an iPhone 5-level of battery life or a good day’s worth of use.

Battery life

The iPhone 5S should be able to achieve, at least on paper, a longer useful battery life than the iPhone 5 and iPhones that came before it. Apple has stated that its new flagship will be capable of 10 hours talk time, 10 hours LTE browsing, and 250 hours standby. That’s an improvement over the iPhone 5′s times of eight hours of talk, eight hours of LTE browsing, and 225 hours of standby. Real-life battery usage will, of course, vary.

Conclusions

The iPhone 5S certainly looks good on paper. With its revolutionary inclusion of a fingerprint sensor in a mass-market phone, which could potentially remove the need for passwords and truly enhance the user experience, Apple could be on to a winner.

However, the rest of the phone is just as it was for the iPhone 5, and you would be pushed to tell the difference between them from a quick visual inspection. Of course, the internal parts have been upgraded, and the new camera system could make a real difference to your photos.

Smartphones aren’t all about internal specifications, and are much more about experiences, which is something Apple is very good at delivering. Combined with the new iOS 7, the iPhone 5S should be very good indeed.

• This article was initially published with the headline ‘iPhone 5S – review’ but this has been corrected

Article source: http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/sep/11/iphone-5s-review-apple-smartphone