Launch report · Apple
iPhone 5c: Apple's 2013 polycarbonate experiment — the colourful, cheaper iPhone.
SpecEagle Editorial·Sep 2013·$549 (launch)·Score 55/100
iPhone 5c was Apple's one attempt at a mainstream "cheaper" iPhone before the SE line — a polycarbonate-bodied iPhone 5 in five colours. Commercially it underwhelmed (buyers stretched to the 5s), but it remains a design landmark and a collector favourite.
Key specs at launch
Display
4.0" IPS LCD
Chipset
Apple A6
Memory
1 GB · 16 GB
Main cam
8 MP · f/2.4
Battery
1,510 mAh
Weight
132 g
What stands out
- Five colourful polycarbonate finishes — distinctive even today.
- Same A6 chip as the iPhone 5.
- Reinforced unibody is durable.
- Reached iOS 10 — long support for the era.
What to watch
- Discontinued — last update was iOS 10.3.4 in 2019.
- 1 GB RAM and 8 MP camera are dated.
- 1,510 mAh battery is tiny.
- Was barely cheaper than the iPhone 5s.
The phone it has to beat
HTC One M7
$599 (launch) · score 58/100