Apple launched the iPhone 5C and 5S at the relatively small press event on Tuesday 10th September 2013. Here is all you need to know about the new iPhones:
iPhone 5C
For the first time ever, Apple launched two new iPhones. The iPhone 5C (where the ‘C’ stands for color, and not ‘cheap’ that everyone was expecting) is a minor upgrade from the iPhone 5. Its specs are mostly similar with the iPhone 5 except for the following few things:
- Better face time camera
- Higher speed LTE support
- Higher capacity battery
- Available in 5 colors
The iPhone 5C is, apparently, not the iPhone everyone was expecting. I am not sure why people expect things from Apple, given their insistence on secrecy. There were speculations that the iPhone 5C will be a cheap iPhone. And to a certain extent, they are true. If you look at the specs, you will find out that its actually better than the iPhone 5 in almost every regard (except that its a little heavy & a little bigger). And Apple is asking $99 for the 16GB model (with contract). Which is $100 cheaper than the current price of the iPhone 5. Unfortunately, its not as cheap as everyone was expecting it to be. But the other way to look at it is that its an upgrade of iPhone 5 at half the price. And with the various color choices available, it will surely be enticing for a lot of people.
The price for the unlocked 16GB model is $549 plus taxes.
iPhone 5S
The second phone (and the next flagship device) from Apple is the iPhone 5S. Continuing the tradition, iPhone 5S has upped its predecessor’s specs by leap folds. iPhone 5S is the first ever smartphone to have a 64 bit processor (A7) and operating system. This boosts up the performance of the phone to a whole new level. The phone also sports a new M7 processor which will be dedicated only for monitoring and processing the motion related data for the phone.
The big new feature in the 5S is the fingerprint sensor integrated in the home button. Touch ID, as Apple is calling it, will let you unlock your phone, buy stuff from the App Store & iTunes Store just by placing your finger on the home button. Not sure whether the support will be extended to third party apps to authenticate the user given the security concern, but Apple will need a way to figure out how to do it. And I believe that a team in Cupertino is trying to figure that out as you are reading this.
The phone also has an improved camera system with an innovative flash that has two LEDs. The camera is capable of creating a flash tone depending on the lighting condition of the scene you are capturing resulting in better quality pics with close to reality skin tones.
The iPhone 5S is priced starting at $199 for 16GB. $649 for the unlocked 16GB model.
There is no word yet on the India launch dates for these two models. However, judging by the aggressive marketing and promotion campaign Apple ran in India, we can safely assume that Apple has a very serious strategy for India. The pricing, however, is going to be a big challenge for them given the current downfall of the rupee against the dollar. It is reported that Apple is taking a hit on their margins by not increasing price of the iPhone 5 & 4S in India. I think it is critical for them to price the new iPhones in a range which is close to the current pricing of iPhone 5 & 4S. We will keep an eye on the India launch. Stay tuned for more info.
