8 GB iPhone 5C Now Available
We just told you that Apple replaced the iPad 2 with the fourth generation iPad, from its current iPad lineup. That was only one of the two new interesting moves made by Apple, the other one being the release of a new, cheaper iPhone 5C version with 8 GB of internal storage, for European markets. If you remember, when Apple released the high end iPhone 5S and the mid range iPhone 5C, the company retired the iPhone 5 which was replaced by the iPhone 5C, while the company kept the iPhone 4S (the 8 GB model) in its iPhone lineup for free on contract.
The 8 GB variant of the iPhone 5C appeared initially in the United Kingdom, on O2′s website and later it become available in other markets, such as Germany, Australia and China. In the United Kingdom, the 8 GB iPhone 5C can be bought for £429, while the 16 GB iPhone 5C can be bought for £469 on Apple’s UK website. O2 sells the 8 GB iPhone 5C for £50 less than the 16 GB iPhone 5C, while in Germany it is sold for 50 euros less than the 16 GB iPhone 5C. It is not available yet in the United States so it is pretty hard to estimate the difference, but extrapolating from Apple UK’s prices, it should be around 60 or 70 dollars cheaper than the iPhone 5C with 16 GB of internal storage, or somewhere around $499.
The iPhone 5C, which was introduced by Johny Ive by saying it “is beautifully, unapologetically plastic“, replaced the iPhone 5 in Apple’s iPhone lineup. The iPhone 5C has similar specs to the iPhone 5, including the 4 inch Retina display and the same A6 System on Chip. It also features the same 8 MP rear camera as the iPhone 5 but it has a better FaceTime front camera that will offer better quality during video calls but also for self portraits. It is also worth mentioning that iPhone 5C’s battery is a but bigger than it was on the iPhone 5 and it also supports “more LTE bands that any other smartphone in the world [...]”.
This move has been seen by many industry analysts as a move that intends to set the way for the future replacement of the iPhone 4S, which is currently free on contract. The iPhone 4S is also the only smartphone from the iPhone lineup that does not include the new Lightning connector. Also, it is interesting to note that even though Apple did not officially respond to the many reports indicating the iPhone 5C’s sale numbers have been well below the company’s expectations, the introduction of the 8 GB iPhone 5C suggests that Apple is adjusting its strategy for the iPhone 5S. Usually companies add variants with more internal storage, as users need more space these days; the iPhone 5C however gets a variant with less internal storage, but cheaper, which suggests Apple is not happy with the mid range smartphone’s sale numbers.
That the high end iPhone 5S is selling a lot better than the mid range iPhone 5C, everyone knows by now. As we reported, in their opening weekend, the combined sales of both the iPhone 5C and the iPhone 5S were 9 million units. We also reported that the iPhone 5S sold more than the iPhone 5C with almost three and a half units to one. That would mean that out of the total of 9 million units sold during their opening weekend, Apple sold about 7.65 million iPhone 5S units and 1.35 million iPhone 5C units.
Even Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, said during the company’s last financial calls that they were expecting the iPhone 5C to perform better on the market: “The mix was stronger to the 5S, and it took us some amount of time to build the mix that customers were demanding,“; he also added that a cheaper iPhone 5C (which is exactly what the variant with 8 GB of internal storage is) may be a solution: “If we think it’s in our best interest to make a change, then we’ll make one“. It appears the time for a change is now and Apple acted accordingly, by releasing the cheaper iPhone 5C variant with only 8 GB of internal storage.
About the iPhone 5C
The iPhone 5C was released with very similar specs to those of the iPhone 5 but it also features some improvements over Apple’s now discontinued smartphone. Of course, while the hardware is similar, there are also many differences between the iPhone 5C and the iPhone 5. One of the first things you will notice is the transition from the aluminum build of the iPhone 5 to the plastic build of the iPhone 5C. Another aspect that Apple tried to emphasize is that the iPhone 5C offers a rainbow of colors. The iPhone 5C is available in blue, green, pink, yellow, and white colors, while the iPhone 5 uses only black and white.
As mentioned above, the iPhone 5C’ features almost the same hardware that Apple used when making the now discontinued iPhone 5. Not only are both the iPhone 5 and the iPhone 5C powered by the A6 System on Chip, but they also both feature a 4 inch Retina display capable of a resolution of 1136 × 640 pixels and a pixels per inch density of 326. Another hardware they share is the 8 MP camera sensor that features a f/2.4 aperture and LED flash (not a dual LED flash like the iPhone 5S). Both the iPhone 5C and the iPhone 5 are powered by Apple’s latest iteration of iOS. The iPhone 5C also features a few upgrades, such as the front facing camera and the battery; the iPhone 5C was released with a 1507 mAh battery while the iPhone 5 features a 1,440 mAh battery. According to Apple, the iPhone 5C also covers more LTE bands than any other smartphone besides the company’s own high end iPhone 5S.
