Apple has officially announced the long-rumored iPhone 5C, a budget device that joins the iPhone family. The iPhone 5C is a 4-inch display, an A6 computer processor, an 8 megapixel camera and an improved front facing camera for FaceTime video chats.
The casing of the iPhone 5C is plastic but comes in a variety of colors (light blue, grey, light red, yellow and green).
The most notable upgrade (other than color) is that the 5C does come with “slightly” better battery life.
The biggest selling point is the price: On a two-year contract, the 16GB iPhone 5C will cost $99, while the 32GB model will cost $199. The cases will cost $29 a pop.
And, Apple is killing off the iPhone 5 in favor of the iPhone 5C.
The iPhone 5S is a more powerful, more high-end version of Apple’s current smartphone model, and will come in three colors: Gold, slate and “space gray”.
Unlike the build of the 5C, the 5S is composed of high-grade aluminum, with chamfered edges. The phone will sport a new, 64-bit chip — the first ever on a smartphone — called the A7, which will allow iOS 7 and Apple’s first-party applications to run in 64-bit.
The phone will support a new co-processor called the M7, which works alongside the A7 to continuously measure the device’s gyroscope, accelerometer and compass. The chip can tell apps what the phone’s user is doing at any given time based on the M7’s readings.
On a two-year contract, the 16GB 5S costs $199, the 32GB model costs $299, and the 64GB model costs $399.
Pre-orders for both phones begin this Friday, Sept. 13, and both will be available to purchase in select regions one week later, on Sept. 20.
