Photo: K2025 / CC0 / Wikimedia Commons · source
iPhone 5c
An iPhone 5 in a colorful polycarbonate shell.
Overview
Apple's first colorful iPhone took the guts of the iPhone 5 and wrapped them in a one-piece polycarbonate shell with a steel-reinforced frame that doubled as part of the antenna. The case range came in blue, green, pink, yellow and white, and Apple sold matching silicone cases with a pattern of holes.
The hardware was essentially the iPhone 5 with minor changes: the same A6 chip, 1GB of memory and 4-inch Retina screen, plus a slightly larger battery and a better front camera. It added support for more LTE bands, which helped it work on more carriers around the world.
It was positioned as a mid-range option next to the iPhone 5s, with $99 pricing on a two-year contract for the 16GB model. The unlocked price of $549 made it less of a bargain than many expected, and it remained on sale until 2015 as an entry-level iPhone, with a lower-priced 8GB version added later.
Why it mattered
It was the only plastic-bodied iPhone of the modern era, and the first Apple phone sold in a range of bright colors.
At a glance
- Announced
- September 10, 2013
- Released
- September 20, 2013
- Discontinued
- September 9, 2015
- Launch price
- $549
- Chip
- Apple A6, dual-core 1.3 GHz
- Display
- 4"
- Storage
- 8GB, 16GB, 32GB
- Status
- Vintage
Highlights
- Five bright polycarbonate colors
- Same A6 chip as the iPhone 5
- Steel-reinforced shell
- Better front camera (FaceTime HD)
- More LTE bands worldwide
Tech specs
Specifications as published at launch. Some values (like battery life) are manufacturer estimates.
Display
- Size
- 4-inch
- Type
- Retina IPS LCD
- Resolution
- 1136 x 640 pixels (326 ppi)
- Refresh rate
- 60 Hz
Chip
- Chip
- Apple A6, dual-core 1.3 GHz
- GPU
- PowerVR SGX543MP3
Memory
- RAM
- 1GB
- Storage options
- 8GB, 16GB, 32GB
Camera
- Rear cameras
- 8MP, f/2.4, LED flash
- Front camera
- 1.2MP FaceTime HD with improved sensor
- Video recording
- 1080p HD at 30 fps
Battery
- Video playback
- Up to 10 hours
- Charging
- Via Lightning connector
- Capacity
- 1507 mAh
Connectivity
- Cellular
- LTE (up to 100 Mbps), HSPA+ 42 Mbps, GSM / EDGE
- Wi-Fi
- 802.11a/b/g/n (2.4 and 5 GHz)
- Connector
- Lightning
- Bluetooth
- Bluetooth 4.0
- SIM
- Nano-SIM
Design
- Dimensions
- 124.4 x 59.2 x 9.0 mm
- Weight
- 132 g
- Materials
- Hard-coated polycarbonate shell, steel-reinforced frame, glass front
- Water resistance
- None
Security
- Authentication
- Passcode; hardware data encryption
Software
- Launch OS
- iOS 7
- Final OS
- iOS 10.3.4
