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Home > Phone Comparisons > iPhone 5s vs. iPhone 5c Comparison

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iPhone 5s vs. iPhone 5c Comparison Smackdown

Carrier: All major carriers
Manufacturer: Apple
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Posted September 30, 2013 by , Editor in Chief (twitter: @lisagade)

Two iPhones released together: the times are a changin'. And that means you have to make a decision. Now for some of you, that will be easy: you either want the best that Apple has to offer or you're on a tight budget and don't need the fastest CPU or a fingerprint sensor. The iPhone 5s replaces the iPhone 5 while maintaining the same iconic and stunning metal design. The iPhone 5c reintroduces polycarbonate plastic (remember the iPhone through iPhone 3GS?) in a shape that's reminiscent of the iPhone 5. For those of you who are impatient: the iPhone 5s is the better smartphone. Why? It has a metal casing, a superior rear camera, Touch ID and a 2x faster processor. That makes sense, since you often get what you pay for. $100 sets the two apart, with the iPhone 5s starting at $199 on contract and the iPhone 5c selling for $99 (both are 16 gig models). But that doesn't make the iPhone 5c a poor phone; it's not. It's responsive, colorful and a breath of fresh design. It's an affordable way to get into the iPhone and iOS without having to buy an old model. Both ship with iOS 7, Apple's revamped mobile operating system and they share an updated and markedly improved front camera with larger pixels.

iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c

Display

The iPhone 5s, 5c and the older iPhone 5 use the same 4" Retina Display with 1136 x 640 resolution, 500 nits brightness and an 800:1 contrast ratio.

Winner: Tie


Rear Camera

The iPhone 5 had one of the better cameras on the market in 2012, and the iPhone 5c uses the same camera. That's not a bad thing because it still takes remarkably good photos and 1080p video with a minimum of fuss. It has a backside illuminated sensor, HDR and an LED flash.

The iPhone 5s uses larger pixels in the sensor for better low light shots and improved color rendition. It has a 120 FPS slo-mo feature. The resolution stays the same as the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5c: 8 megapixels. Apple introduced the True Tone dual LED flash on the iPhone 5s, with one white and one amber LED for better color balance when using the flash. Low light photos definitely are better and night shots show detail where the iPhone 5c renders blacks and grays.

Winner: iPhone 5s

iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c

Design and Ergonomics

There's plastic, and there's plastic. For example, Nokia's higher end Lumia phones look stunning in polycarbonate. Though Samsung makes some lovely Galaxy and Note smartphones, their thin plastics with a high gloss shine don't scream quality. Apple went with quality, and the iPhone 5c, available in 4 bright colors and white, look simply great. The 5c is nearly an ounce heavier than the 5s since the polycarbonate is thick and strong, and there's a steel frame inside. It doesn't flex, it hasn't scuffed yet and it's very good looking. It's also slippery since the finish is glossy, though it resists fingerprints.

The iPhone 5s, like the 5 is a stunning piece of industrial art. The aluminum casing, finely machined buttons and glass insets make it one of the best looking and feeling phones on the market. Though this is somewhat a matter of personal preference (colors vs. metal), the iPhone 5s gets the point for quality materials and superb workmanship.

Winner: iPhone 5s

iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c

Horsepower and Performance

Again, the more expensive phone wins since the iPhone 5s' new Apple A7 dual core CPU with quad core PowerVR graphics is twice as fast as the iPhone 5c. The 5c uses the same A6 dual core CPU found in the iPhone 5, and it has a 3 core PowerVR graphics chip. That said, have you ever felt the iPhone 5 was slow? Unlikely. It's super quick and responsive and the same is true of the iPhone 5c. The iPhone 5s' new A7 chip is for those who want the best and for gamers who want guaranteed fluid 3D gameplay in next year's games.

Benchmarks Geekbench 3 3DMark Ice Storm Extreme Sunspider JavaScript Test
iPhone 5s 1363/2404 9951 422
iPhone 5c 692/1245 3306 713
iPhone 5 691/1289 N/A 901

 

Winner: iPhone 5s

No surprise: the iPhone 5s nearly all the points, except one: affordability. Though neither is cheap (especially at full retail), the $99 iPhone 5c is a great deal on contract for those who want a good iPhone now and don't want to spend $200 or more on contract for a phone. For those who want the best Apple has to offer and can afford it, the iPhone 5s is it.

 

 

 

iPhone 5s vs. iPhone 5c Comparison Smackdown Video

 

Price: iPhone 5c starting at $99 on contract, $549 without contract. iPhone 5s starting at $199 on contract and $649 without contract.

Website: www.apple.com

Related:

iPhone 5s Review

iPhone 5c Review

iPhone 5 Review

 

 

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iPhone 5c Specs:

Display: Retina Display: 4" capacitive IPS multi-touch display running at 1136 x 640 resolution, 326ppi, 800:1 contrast ratio, 500 cd/m2 max brightness. Supports both portrait and landscape modes via accelerometer. Has ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, compass and gyroscope. Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating.

Battery: 1510 mAh Lithium Ion rechargeable. Battery is not user replaceable. Claimed talk time on 3G: up to 10 hours. Claimed standby: up to 250 hours.

Performance: Apple dual core A6 1.3GHz CPU (ARM compatible, custom Apple design). 3 core PowerVR SGX 543MP3 GPU.

Size: 4.90 x 2.33 x 0.35 inches. Weight: 4.65 ounces.

Phone: Available in GSM and CDMA versions, all with LTE 4G. Unlocked model available for use with any GSM carrier.

Camera: Rear (main) camera: 8.0 MP with 1.5 micron pixels, BSI sensor, f/2.4 five element lens and LED flash. Can shoot video at 1080p, 30fps. Has front-facing 1.2MP 720p camera with BSI sensor and face detection that can be used with Facetime video calls and Skype among others.

Audio: Built in speaker, mic and 3.5mm standard stereo headphone jack.

GPS: GPS with GLONASS and digital compass.

Networking: Integrated WiFi 802.11b/g/n (dual band 2.4GHz and 5GHz) and Bluetooth 4.0.

Software: iOS 7 operating system and core applications. Siri, iCloud, Apple Maps, Safari web browser, email, threaded text/MMS messaging, Stocks, Apple Maps, iTunes, App Store, Phone, Clock, Calculator, Photos, Camera, Voice Memos, Reminders, Contacts, Calendar, Notes, Compass and Settings. iLife and iWork suites are included as a free download from the App Store.

Expansion Slot: None.

Storage: Available in 16 and 32 gig capacities.

In the Box: iPhone, charger, Lightning USB cable and EarPod headphones with inline mic.

 

iPhone 5s Specs:

Display: Retina Display: 4" capacitive IPS multi-touch display running at 1136 x 640 resolution, 326ppi, 800 to 1 contrast ratio, 500 cd/m2 max brightness. Supports both portrait and landscape modes via accelerometer. Has ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, compass and gyroscope. Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating.

Battery: 1560 mAh Lithium Ion rechargeable. Battery is not user replaceable. Claimed talk time on 3G: up to 10 hours. Claimed standby: up to 250 hours.

Performance: Apple dual core A7 1.3GHz CPU (ARM compatible, custom Apple design). Multi-core PowerVR SGX graphics.

Size: 4.87 x 2.31 x 0.30 inches. Weight: 3.95 ounces.

Phone: Available in GSM and CDMA versions, all with LTE 4G.

Camera: Rear (main) camera: 8.0 MP with 1.5 micron pixels, BSI sensor, 5 element lens, digital image stabilization and True Tone LED flash. Can shoot video at 1080p, 30fps and slo-mo video at 720p/120 fps. Has front-facing 1.2MP 720p camera with BSI sensor and face detection that can be used with Facetime video calls and Skype among others.

Audio: Built in speaker, mic and 3.5mm standard stereo headphone jack.

GPS: GPS with GLONASS and digital compass. Has M7 motion coprocessor.

Networking: Integrated WiFi 802.11b/g/n (dual band 2.4GHz and 5GHz) and Bluetooth 4.0.

Software: iOS 7 operating system and core applications. Siri, iCloud, Apple Maps, Safari web browser, email, threaded text/MMS messaging, Stocks, Apple Maps, iTunes, App Store, Phone, Clock, Calculator, Photos, Camera, Voice Memos, Reminders, Contacts, Calendar, Notes, Compass and Settings. iLife and iWork suites are included as a free download from the App Store.

Expansion Slot: None.

Storage: Available in 16, 32 and 64 gig capacities.

In the Box: iPhone, charger, Lightning USB cable and EarPod headphones with inline mic.

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