Review: Apple iPhone 5c

Text and photos by Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

The iPhone 5c is basically a redesign of the highly successful iPhone 5 with colourful new plastic enclosures. While “beautifully, unapologetically plastic,” the iPhone 5c feels far sturdier and more robust than plastic smartphones in the market today. Hit jump for my impressions and full review of the iPhone 5c.

The iPhone 5c has a steel frame to add to its rigidity and also cleverly incorporates all the antennas seamlessly into its chassis.  Compared to various polycarbonate smartphones in the market that suffer from a somewhat inferior fit and finish.

We haven’t seen a plastic iPhone since the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS, and while a number of pundits are claiming Apple copied Nokia for the bright coloured plastics, they forget that colour has long been an Apple product feature.

Go back to the original gumdrop iMacs, the iPod mini and even the iPad’s Smart Case covers, and they have all been focused on colour as differentiators. The colours of the iPhone 5c are reminiscent of the older multi-coloured Apple logo.

The iPhone 5c, which is sealed in and offers no access to the battery or internal components, feels more structurally sound than the iPhone 3G and 3GS did, and it measures up nicely against competing smartphones in the market today.  

The new iPhone 5c is available in white, blue, pink, green and yellow. Apple has gone for the less common shades of these colours to louder, more attractive hues.. Photos do not really do the iPhone 5c any justice as the colours need to be experienced first hand.

The plastic casing of the iPhone 5c covers the entire back and even the power, volume rocker and mute buttons and keys are made of plastic. The finish is glossy but not slippery and the effect is more like a lacquered or spray-painted and baked treatment that feels surprisingly premium.

While it feels somewhat tougher and more lifeproof than the stainless ssteel iPhone 5s, Apple has made a series of rubber cases for the iPhone 5c which are also made from bright colours to accentuate the fun element and this allows users to mix and match colourful phone with colourful cases.

The cases are  already being called Crocs cases by pundits, because they resemble popular colourful rubber footwear.

Since the iPhone 5c is an entirely new category of phone and has a shape that's unique unto itself, it will take a while for third party cases to show up in stores.

I am willing to bet that we will see a strong continuation on the colours theme, specially from third party accessory and case manufacturers. Will competing smartphone makers that aren't Nokia jump on the bandwagon, most likely.

Apple's designers have gone all out with the colour theme on the new iPhones and even the installed wallpapers on the iPhone 5c reflect the exterior colour of the device.

iOS 7 is also quite a visual feast, some may find it a bit busy and even a tad psychedelic, but it is nonetheless eye-catching and certainly different from what many are used to when it comes to mobile operating systems.

In terms of performance and user experience, the iPhone 5c is nearly identical to the iPhone 5. I refer your to the extended and updated review I did on the iPhone 5, which has been updated through the months to include new information.

One obvious difference is that the iPhone 5 focuses on iOS 6 while the iPhone 5c is all about iOS 7, which I will cover in detail in the next few days.

Aside from build and materials, there are other differences between the iPhone 5 and the iPhone 5c. The 5c does have a larger battery capacity for up to 10 per cent more battery life, and it also features an updated FaceTime HD camera which now has a backside illuminated sensor for better low-light imaging.

Apple’s also made sure the Phone 5c is ready for global use and it has up to 13 LTE bands. That’s more, Apple says, than any other single model of smartphone around.  The antennas are cleverly weaved into the steel frame under the polycarbonate enclosure.

This means even more iPhone users can experience fast download and upload speeds in more places around the world.  The iPhone 5c, like the 5s, continues using the nanoSIM card standard. So, users coming from an iPhone 4S or 99 per cent of other smartphones in the market will need to grab one of those to use with any new iPhone.

The iPhone 5c feels really good in the hand, it has the same balance and even weight distribution we’ve felt in the iPhone 4 and the rounded edges make it easy to hold.

I can see some users preferring the look and feel of the iPhone 5c to the more prestigious looking iPhone 5s, which is fine. Freedom of choice in colour and finish is something Apple focused on with this new batch of iPhones.

Call quality on the iPhone 5c was great to excellent, specially when conversing with another handset featuring HD voice. The speakers of the iPhone are is surprisingly loud for playing back music or having handsfree conversations. Battery life was better than the iPhone 5 in my week of use.

Considering that I was playing around with iOS 7 as well as had WiFi and LTE on plus bluetooth connected to my Pebble smartwatch all the time, the iPhone 5c  easily lasted a day and a half on a single charge.

This is the sort of usage that one can only dream of with some Android devices, and another area where iOS and the iPhone seem to excel.

The iPhone 5c isn't the cheap iPhone many were expecting but it is a more affordable alternative that still has many of the features that made the iPhone 5 a popular device.

The big feature here is choice in colours, which might seem odd for some, but which makes perfect sense right now in mobile and consumer electronics.

Users identify with the devices they choose and use. It is all about having something different or enabling customization on the devices themselves or through accessories like cases.

Users upgrading from an iPhone 4 or 4S will have a lot of new features to play with plus a whole new operating system that's modern and forward thinking and will hopefully carry Apple through the next six or seven years.

The iPhone 5 is now discontinued but remains an excellent all around smartphone and one that will be valued by users looking to buy a good used smartphone.

Those who like the new plastic look and feel of the iPhone 5c are advised to go see the smartphones at Apple retail stores or at the carrier partners. Photos somehow fail to capture just how striking the iPhone 5c colours really are.

The iPhone 5c will be available for pre-order on September 13 for $599 (16GB) and $719 (32GB) for the unlocked, off-contract versions. Carrier-locked versions are also expected. Apple will launch and ship pre-orders of the iPhone 5c on September 20.

Rating: 4.5 out 5