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Apple iPhone 5c

Apple iPhone 5c

Released: September 20, 2013

Price TBA
Display4"
Camera8 MP, f/2.4, 33mm (standard), 1/3.2", 1.4µm, AF
RAM1024GB
BatteryLi-Po 1510 mAh, non-removable (5.73 Wh)

The Apple iPhone 5c is a vibrant and colorful entry into Apple’s smartphone lineup, designed to bring the iOS experience to a more budget-conscious audience without sacrificing the brand’s signature build quality. With its polycarbonate unibody available in five playful hues—White, Blue, Green, Yellow, and Pink—the iPhone 5c stands out as a style-forward choice for users who want a reliable, compact device. Powered by the Apple A6 chipset and offering up to 32GB of internal storage, it delivers smooth performance for everyday tasks, all wrapped in a form factor that prioritizes portability and personal expression. Compact 4-Inch Retina Display The iPhone 5c features a 4.0-inch IPS LCD screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio and a crisp 640 x 1136 pixel resolution. With 326 pixels per inch and a contrast ratio of 1233:1 (nominal), the display delivers sharp text and vivid colors for an immersive viewing experience despite its small size. The glass front and plastic body keep the phone lightweight at just 132 grams, making it easy to handle with one hand. 8MP Camera with LED Flash Equipped with an 8-megapixel rear camera featuring an f/2.4 aperture, 33mm standard lens, and 1.4µm pixel size, the iPhone 5c captures detailed photos in good lighting conditions. The camera supports LED flash, panorama, and HDR modes, along with 1080p video recording at 30fps. The 1.2MP front-facing camera handles FaceTime calls and basic selfies in 720p quality. iOS Ecosystem and Battery Life Running on iOS 7 out of the box and upgradable to iOS 10.3.3, the iPhone 5c provides access to a vast library of apps and seamless integration with Apple services. Its non-removable Li-Po 1510 mAh battery offers up to 10 hours of talk time on 3G and an endurance rating of 52 hours, ensuring reliable daily usage for moderate users. Who is this for? / Should you buy it? The iPhone 5c is best suited for users seeking an affordable entry point into the Apple ecosystem, particularly those who value a compact, lightweight design and a splash of color. It is an ideal secondary device or a first smartphone for kids or seniors who prioritize basic functionality, iOS simplicity, and a solid camera for casual photography. However, given its discontinued status and limited modern features like no NFC, no expandable storage, and just 1GB of RAM, it is not recommended for heavy multitaskers or those needing 4G LTE speeds beyond Cat3. For collectors or nostalgia seekers, it offers a charming slice of Apple’s history, but for everyday use, newer budget alternatives provide better value.

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Full Specifications

Network

Technology
GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE
2G Bands
GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - all versions, CDMA 800 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100 - A1532 (CDMA), A1456
3G Bands
HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100 - A1532 (GSM), A1532 (CDMA), A1456, HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 - A1507, A1529, CDMA2000 1xEV-DO - A1533 (CDMA), A1453
4G Bands
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 13, 17, 19, 20, 25 - A1532 GSM, A1532 CDMA, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26 - A1456, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20 - A1507, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 38, 39, 40 - A1529
Speed
HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE Cat3 100/50 Mbps, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps

Launch

Announced
September 10, 2013
Status
Discontinued

Body

Dimensions
124.4 x 59.2 x 9 mm
Weight
132 g
Build
Glass front (Glass front), Back (Plastic back), Frame (Plastic frame)
SIM
Nano-SIM

Display

Type
IPS LCD
Size
4 inches (~59.9% screen-to-body ratio, 44.1 cm²)
Resolution
1136 x 640 pixels (16:9 ratio) (~326 ppi density)

Platform

OS
iOS 7 (Upgradable to iOS 10.3.3)
Chipset
Apple A6 (32 nm)
CPU
Dual-core 1.3 GHz Swift (ARM v7-based)
GPU
PowerVR SGX 543MP3 (triple-core graphics)

Memory

Card slot
No
Internal
8192GB 1024GB RAM, 16384GB 1024GB RAM, 32768GB 1024GB RAM

Main Camera

Modules
8 MP, f/2.4, 33mm (standard), 1/3.2", 1.4µm, AF
Features
LED flash, panorama, HDR
Video
1080p@30fps

Selfie Camera

Modules
1.2 MP
Features
Face detection, FaceTime over Wi-Fi or Cellular
Video
720p@30fps

Sound

Loudspeaker
Yes
3.5mm jack
1

Connectivity

WLAN
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band
Bluetooth
4.0, A2DP, LE
Positioning
GPS, GLONASS
NFC
No
Radio
No
USB
Lightning, USB 2.0

Features

Sensors
Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass

Battery

Type
Li-Po 1510 mAh, non-removable (5.73 Wh)
Charging
Up to 250 h (3G)
Talk time
Up to 10 h (3G)

Misc

Colors
White, Blue, Green, Yellow, Pink
Models
A1456, A1507, A1516, A1529, A1532, iPhone5, 3, iPhone5, 4
SAR
1.15 (head) 1.17 (body)
SAR EU
1 (head) 0.96 (body)

Tests

Performance
Basemark X: 2225
Display
["Contrast ratio: 1233:1 (nominal) \/ 3.512:1 (sunlight)"]
Camera
["Photo \/ Video"]
Loudspeaker
["Voice 66dB \/ Noise 65dB \/ Ring 66dB"]
Audio quality
["Noise -93.9dB \/ Crosstalk -80.3dB"]
Battery (old)
["Endurance rating 52h"]

Apple iPhone 5c Review

The Apple iPhone 5c is a vibrant and colorful entry into Apple’s smartphone lineup, designed to bring the iOS experience to a more budget-conscious audience without sacrificing the brand’s signature build quality. With its polycarbonate unibody available in five playful hues—White, Blue, Green, Yellow, and Pink—the iPhone 5c stands out as a style-forward choice for users who want a reliable, compact device. Powered by the Apple A6 chipset and offering up to 32GB of internal storage, it delivers smooth performance for everyday tasks, all wrapped in a form factor that prioritizes portability and personal expression.

Compact 4-Inch Retina Display

The iPhone 5c features a 4.0-inch IPS LCD screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio and a crisp 640 x 1136 pixel resolution. With 326 pixels per inch and a contrast ratio of 1233:1 (nominal), the display delivers sharp text and vivid colors for an immersive viewing experience despite its small size. The glass front and plastic body keep the phone lightweight at just 132 grams, making it easy to handle with one hand.

8MP Camera with LED Flash

Equipped with an 8-megapixel rear camera featuring an f/2.4 aperture, 33mm standard lens, and 1.4µm pixel size, the iPhone 5c captures detailed photos in good lighting conditions. The camera supports LED flash, panorama, and HDR modes, along with 1080p video recording at 30fps. The 1.2MP front-facing camera handles FaceTime calls and basic selfies in 720p quality.

iOS Ecosystem and Battery Life

Running on iOS 7 out of the box and upgradable to iOS 10.3.3, the iPhone 5c provides access to a vast library of apps and seamless integration with Apple services. Its non-removable Li-Po 1510 mAh battery offers up to 10 hours of talk time on 3G and an endurance rating of 52 hours, ensuring reliable daily usage for moderate users.

Who is this for? / Should you buy it?

The iPhone 5c is best suited for users seeking an affordable entry point into the Apple ecosystem, particularly those who value a compact, lightweight design and a splash of color. It is an ideal secondary device or a first smartphone for kids or seniors who prioritize basic functionality, iOS simplicity, and a solid camera for casual photography. However, given its discontinued status and limited modern features like no NFC, no expandable storage, and just 1GB of RAM, it is not recommended for heavy multitaskers or those needing 4G LTE speeds beyond Cat3. For collectors or nostalgia seekers, it offers a charming slice of Apple’s history, but for everyday use, newer budget alternatives provide better value.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, the iPhone 5c does not support 5G. It supports GSM, CDMA, HSPA, and LTE networks (4G).

The iPhone 5c has a non-removable Li-Po 1510 mAh battery. It offers up to 10 hours of talk time on 3G and has an endurance rating of 52 hours.

No, the iPhone 5c does not have any IP rating for water or dust resistance, so it is not water-resistant.

It is powered by the Apple A6 (32 nm) chipset with a dual-core 1.3 GHz Swift CPU and a PowerVR SGX 543MP3 GPU. It originally shipped with iOS 7 and is upgradable to iOS 10.3.3.

The main camera is an 8 MP sensor (f/2.4, 33mm) with LED flash, panorama, HDR, and can record 1080p video at 30fps. The front selfie camera is a 1.2 MP sensor that records 720p video at 30fps and supports FaceTime over Wi-Fi or cellular.

No, the iPhone 5c does not support fast charging. The provided charging information only lists up to 250 hours of standby time on 3G, and there are no fast charging specifications in the data.