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   Apple Announces Low-Cost Plastic iPhone 5c, in Five Colors

   Adam C. Engst

   TidBITS Managing Editor Josh Centers called it, in '[1]The Case for a
   Low-end Plastic iPhone' (24 July 2013), as Apple today announced the
   low-cost [2]iPhone 5c, a new iPhone whose specs are similar to the
   existing iPhone 5, but housed in a colorful plastic case.

   With Apple's Jony Ive saying 'iPhone 5c is beautifully,
   unapologetically plastic,' the iPhone 5c comes in a single-piece
   polycarbonate case, with every button and part (other than the screen)
   in color. As its name implies, it's available in five colors, all
   reminiscent of Easter eggs: blue, white, pink, yellow, and green.

   [3][tn_iPhone-5c-colors.jpg]

   Also available will be the [4]iPhone 5c Case for $29, a silicone case
   available in six colors with polka dot-like cutouts on the back, so you
   get a two-tone effect between the case and the back of the iPhone.

   [5][tn_iPhone-5c-cases.jpg]

   For those more concerned with [6]tech specs than the iPhone 5c's pretty
   colors, it sports a 4-inch Retina display, an A6 processor, an
   8-megapixel rear-facing camera, 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi in both 2.4 and 5
   GHz bands, and Bluetooth 4.0. There's also a new FaceTime HD
   front-facing camera that boasts larger pixels, improved backside
   illumination, and support for FaceTime audio. The iPhone 5c's battery
   is slightly higher capacity than the iPhone 5's.

   Apple emphasized that the iPhone 5c supports more LTE bands than any
   other phone in the world, which may make it particularly well-suited to
   emerging markets throughout the world, where the iPhone's higher price
   has been something a stumbling block to adoption.

   In terms of dimensions, the iPhone 5c is slightly larger than the
   iPhone 5, gaining 0.6 mm in both height and width, 1.37 mm in depth,
   and 20 g in weight. The changes aren't major, but will likely cause a
   lot of iPhone 5-specific cases and accessories to need design tweaks.

   The real news, though, is the price, which will be $99 for a 16 GB
   model or $199 for a 32 GB model, with a two-year contract. Off
   contract, the iPhone 5c will cost $549 for the 16GB model and $649 for
   the 32GB model. The iPhone 5c, along with the simultaneously announced
   iPhone 5S, replace the iPhone 5 entirely. That's important, because, as
   Josh speculated, had Apple stuck to the previous model of iPhone 5 at a
   lower price, it would likely have been a poor financial move, due to
   the relatively high cost and low yield of the iPhone 5. The 8 GB iPhone
   4S will remain in the lineup for free, with that two-year contract.

   Pre-orders open for the iPhone 5c on 13 September 2013, with in-store
   availability (and presumably shipped phones) on 20 September 2013. It
   will be available in the United States, Australia, Canada, China,
   France, Germany, Japan, Singapore, and the UK to start, with 100
   countries and over 270 carriers included by December 2013.

References

   1. http://tidbits.com/article/13957
   2. http://www.apple.com/iphone-5c/
   3. http://tidbits.com/resources/2013-09/iPhone-5c-colors.png
   4. http://www.apple.com/iphone/accessories/#iphone-5c-cases
   5. http://tidbits.com/resources/2013-09/iPhone-5c-cases.png
   6. http://www.apple.com/iphone-5c/specs/

.