Apple Unveils iPhone 5S, 5C & Fashionable Cases

At its much-anticipated launch event today, Apple unveiled two very expected iPhones: 5S and 5C. Given the large collection of leaks that lead up to this launch, the models should come as no surprise, but the aesthetics might surprise you. It wasn’t quite clear what the 5S’ gold color scheme would look like, for example, but finally, we can see it with our own eyes.

Let’s start with the 5C, Apple’s more affordable iPhone option. It’s priced at $99 for the 16GB model and $199 for a boost to 32GB (under contract, of course). It packs an A6 processor under the hood and comes in five colors: White, Pink, Yellow, Blue, and Green – nice selection, but the omission of a black model is a bit unusual.

A bit humorous is the fact that despite being the lesser-expensive option, the 5C actually weighs more than the 5S (132g vs. 112g), thanks to its use of thick plastic.

In many ways, the 5C doesn’t fall too far behind the 5S. Its screen, for example, is identical, and its cameras are not too far off-the-mark. Overall, the 5C could prove attractive to those who might appreciate the cheaper pricing and don’t need the A7-level performance that the 5S offers.

On the topic of the 5S, rumors of a 64-bit SoC have proven true, with the heart still being the A7. I speculated before that if Apple were to make a 64-bit smartphone, it’d have 2GB of RAM, but so far, there’s been no proof of that or otherwise. While Apple deems it important to list the display’s ppi on the specs page, it apparently believes RAM to be totally unimportant.

Interestingly, the updated A7 isn’t the only processor change here – one has also been added. Apple’s calling it the M7 motion co-processor, and its job is to process – as the name suggests – motion data. It’s an interesting addition, so we’ll see how Apple chooses to use it as time goes on.

As expected, the 5S comes in a couple of different colors, including gold, space gray and silver, and all look nice enough, but for some reason none of them grab me. That said, the space gray does have some nice qualities about it.

Apple’s pricing the 5S at $199 (16GB), $299 (32GB), and $399 (64GB).

In addition to the phones, Apple’s also unveiled some accessories – namely, cases. The cases for the 5C are composed of plastic but are lined inside with microfiber to help prevent any scratching, and sell for $29. The 5S also gets a special case, but its built with leather and comes in a variety of colors, including (RED). These cases will carry a slight premium over those for the 5C, at $39.