iPhone 5c

iPhone 5c

iPhone

Discontinued
Released: September 10, 2013Discontinued on: September 9, 2015
United States: N/A

Overview

Note that this A1529 iPhone 5c model supports FDD-LTE bands 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, and 20, as well as TD-LTE bands 38, 39, and 40, along with select UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA connectivity. It was primarily intended for Asia Pacific markets like Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong on various carriers. Additionally, it is certified to fully support China Mobile in mainland China after a carrier settings update (15.7 or later).


All iPhone 5c models, irrespective of network, feature a 4-inch (diagonal) widescreen multi-touch IPS LED-backlit "retina display" with a 1136x640 resolution (326 ppi). They have dual cameras: a rear 8-megapixel, 1080p "iSight" camera and a front 1.2-megapixel, 720p "FaceTime" camera. The device is encased in a polycarbonate "unibody" available in five bright colors (white, pink, yellow, blue, or green).


Each iPhone 5c is powered by a 1.3 GHz dual-core "Apple A6" processor, has 1 GB of RAM, and came with 8 GB, 16 GB, or 32 GB of flash storage. The 8 GB option was added on March 18, 2014, in Australia and China, and elsewhere on September 9, 2014, when the 16 GB and 32 GB versions were discontinued globally. It also supports dual-band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, and 4G/LTE, featuring a bottom-mounted headphone jack and a "Lightning" connector.


Apple's battery estimates for the iPhone 5c models are up to 40 hours of audio playback, 10 hours of 3G talk time, 8 hours of 3G internet use, 10 hours of 4G/LTE internet use, 10 hours of Wi-Fi internet use, 10 hours of video playback, and 250 hours of standby.


Initial pricing varied by country. In Australia, this A1529 iPhone 5c was first sold unlocked and contract-free for A$679 (8 GB), A$739 (16 GB), and A$869 (32 GB). On September 9, 2014, Apple discontinued the 16 GB and 32 GB options and reduced the 8 GB price to A$529. Various subsidized plans were available with contracts in different markets until the model was fully discontinued on September 9, 2015.

Evaluation

The Asia Pacific iPhone 5c achieved notable success across diverse markets, with technology reviewers praising its comprehensive LTE band support that enabled optimal performance from Australia to Hong Kong. Critics highlighted the device's ability to appeal to both style-conscious consumers and practical users seeking reliable iOS performance in a distinctive package. The expanded network compatibility, including later support for China Mobile, demonstrated Apple's commitment to creating truly regional solutions. Professional reviews consistently noted how the 5c's colorful personality and solid technical foundation made it particularly popular among younger demographics across Asia Pacific markets, successfully challenging the perception that iPhones were exclusively premium, monochromatic devices.

Product Info

Product Info Table
Model IDiPhone5,4
Apple Model NoA1529 (EMC 2694*)
Apple Order NoMF321X/A
Apple SubfamilyiPhone 5c

Price

Price Table
Original PriceN/A
United StatesN/A
AustraliaA$649, A$739, A$869
ChinaRMB 4,088, 4,488, 5,288
Hong KongHK$4,688, HK$5,588
IndiaRs 37,500, 41,900, 53,500
IndonesiaRp 8,700,000, 10,000,000
KoreaKRW 750,000, 880,000
MalaysiaRM 1,999, 2,399
New ZealandNZ$899, NZ$1049
SingaporeS$848, S$988
TaiwanNT$18,900, NT$22,500
ThailandTHB 19,900, 23,900
The PhilippinesPHP 12,000, 19,200
VietnamVND 13,399,000, 15,799,000

Body

Body Table
Form FactoriPhone 5c
Case TypeHandheld
Housing ColorColors
Dimensions4.90 x 2.33 x 0.35 in / 124.46 x 59.18 x 8.89 mm
Avg. Weight4.65 oz / 132 g

Platform

Platform Table
Processor TypeApple A6
Processor Speed1.3 GHz
Processors1 (2 Cores)
Onboard RAM1 GB
Geekbench 2 (32)1637
Geekbench 3 (32)1251
Geekbench 4 (SC)743
Geekbench 4 (MC)1191

Storage

Storage Table
Storage Capacity8, 16, 32 GB

Display

Display Table
Built-in Display4" Retina
Display Resolution1136x640 (326 ppi)
Camera8.0 Megapixels

Media Support

Media Support Table
Audio SupportApple reports that the iPhone 5c supports "AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), HE-AAC, MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV."
Video SupportApple reports that the iPhone 5c supports "H.264 video up to 1080p, 30 frames per second, High Profile level 4.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps per channel, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280 by 720 pixels, 30 frames per second, audio in ulaw, PCM stereo audio in .avi file format."It also supports AirPlay Mirroring and video out to the Apple TV 2nd Gen or 3rd Gen as well as video mirroring and video out "up to" 1080p through the Lightning Digital AV Adapter and the Lightning to VGA Adapter.
Photo SupportApple does not formally specify photo formats for the iPhone 5c. However, it can sync photos in JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, PSD (Mac only), and PNG formats, from iTunes and iCloud.

Wired Connectivity

Wired Connectivity Table
ConnectivityUSB
PortsLightning, Headphone
USB SupportSync & Charge

Wireless Connectivity

Wireless Connectivity Table
Cell NetworkGSM/LTE
Standard Wireless802.11a/b/g/n
Standard Bluetooth4.0

Power

Power Table
Battery TypeLithium Ion
Battery Life (Music)40 Hours
Battery Life (Voice)10 Hours
Standby Time250 Hours

Software

Software Table
Pre-Installed OSiOS 7.0 (11A466)
Maximum OSiOS 10.3.4
Mac SupportMac OS X 10.6.8
Windows SupportWindows XP SP3/Vista/7/8

Accessories

Accessories Table
ControllerMulti-touch
Incl. AccessoriesShips with "Apple EarPods [headphones] with Remote and Mic, Lightning to USB cable, [and] a USB power adapter."In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor Other World Computing sells inexpensive headphones, cases and other accessories for this iPhone.Also see: What is the best external keyboard for the iPhone?