Apple iPhone 5c hands on and first impressions

It’s that time of the year again where we get ready to blow our hard earned cash on things we want but probably do not need. No, we’re not talking about the festive discount frenzy that’s going on in the run up to Diwali but the looming launch of two phones designed in Cupertino.

Apple will be launching the iPhone 5s and the 5c come November 1 and it seems that the prices have already been leaked ahead of schedule. With the ailing rupee value against the dollar, both phones will launch at much higher prices than expected. That’s obviously not going to stop us from buying it so we thought we’d give you a sneak peek into Apple’s more colourful offering.

The 5c is a very pretty looking phone and there’s no two ways about it. No matter the colour, it feels like a piece of candy that you desperately want a bite of. The Nokia Lumia and HTC Windows Phone 8 series had this similar effect. The glossy polycarbonate shell picks up fingerprints fast but they aren’t too visible. You can mix and match from a wide range of contrasting bumper cases which Apple will happily sell to you for about Rs 2,200 a pop. So, has the 5c joined the ranks of Samsung’s plastic creations? In a word, no. We’re not saying this just because it’s an iPhone but the reality is that despite it feeling a bit plasticky, it doesn’t feel cheaply made. In fact, the slight heft and curvier edges gives it a more reassuring feel as compared to the 5 when you hold it. You’ll know what I’m on about once you actually hold it yourself.

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Delicious looking shades

So what’s changed? The front facing camera and the slightly larger battery are the only two new additions or tweaks compared to the iPhone 5. While the megapixel of the front cam has remained the same, we get a BSI sensor now which should help teenage girls take better selfies in low-light. The slightly larger battery should increase your standby time by an hour or so, which is always welcome. Apart from this, essentially, the 5c is a candy-coated 5. The phone runs iOS 7 like a champ and is powered by the same A6 SoC. There’s the same lightning connector and 8MP iSight camera as well.

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So is the iPhone 5c worth the price considering it’s just a colourful 5? Let’s look at it this way. The iPhone 5 launched for Rs 45,500 whereas the 5c will be about Rs 3,000 cheaper and will have more colours, better battery and front camera so with that in mind, the 5c is a good deal considering you’re still on the 4S or 4. We feel the 5c will sell a lot more in India than it is in the US because the price difference between the two phones in India is far greater. The idea of spending more than Rs 50,000 for phone might not go down well as say, paying Rs 40,000 since we’ve subconsciously accepted the fact that this is the price bar for high-end phones. If Samsung can successfully sell their Note 3 for close to 50K, the 5c is not going to be a tough sell.