iPhone 5c

iPhone 5c

iPhone

Discontinued
Released: September 10, 2013Discontinued on: September 9, 2015
United States: US$99, US$199

Overview

Take note that this "GSM" A1532 iPhone 5c model, which supports LTE bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 13, 17, 19, 20, and 25 but lacks CDMA EV-DO, is intended for the North American market. This includes carriers such as AT&T and T-Mobile in the US, Bell, Rogers, Telus, and their affiliates in Canada, and Telcel in Mexico.


All iPhone 5c models, regardless of network compatibility, 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 housed in a polycarbonate "unibody" case offered in five vibrant 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 was available with 8 GB, 16 GB, or 32 GB of flash storage. This model supports dual-band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, and 4G/LTE. It includes a bottom-mounted headphone jack and uses the "Lightning" connector.


Apple's battery life 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.


In the US, this "GSM" A1532 iPhone 5c was initially sold locked to and subsidized by AT&T with 16 GB or 32 GB of storage for US$99 or US$199, respectively, with a two-year contract. On September 9, 2014, Apple replaced these options with an 8 GB model for free with a two-year contract. The 16 GB and 32 GB versions were originally available unlocked and contract-free for US$549 and US$649. The 8 GB version was sold unlocked and contract-free for US$450 until it was discontinued on September 9, 2015.

Evaluation

The GSM-compatible North American iPhone 5c received widespread acclaim from technology reviewers who praised its versatility across multiple carriers and appealing design choices. Critics appreciated how the device brought color and personality to Apple's lineup while maintaining broad network compatibility across AT&T, T-Mobile, and regional carriers. The polycarbonate construction proved both practical and attractive, winning over skeptics who initially questioned the material choice. Professional reviews consistently highlighted the 5c's role in expanding iPhone accessibility to budget-conscious consumers and younger users, successfully creating a new market segment for Apple without diluting the brand's reputation for quality and innovation.

Product Info

Product Info Table
Model IDiPhone5,3
Apple Model NoA1532 (EMC 2644*)
Apple Order NoME505LL/A
Apple SubfamilyiPhone 5c

Price

Price Table
Original PriceUS$99, US$199
United StatesUS$99, US$199
CanadaC$599, C$719
MexicoMXN $8,999, $10,599

Pricing Extras

Pricing Extras Table
Est. Current RetailUS$50-US$75

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?