Apple iPhone 5C – Polycarbonate colourful and ‘cheaper alternative’ [Review]

Apple has always had a certain amount of mystique associated with its products; none more so than the iPhone. The iPhone has received rave reviews throughout the world for its ingenuity and design. However, a common criticism of this device has been its high cost. Apple in its latest incarnation of the iPhone aimed to address this with the launch of two phones – a top of the line iPhone 5s and the more-budget centric version – the iPhone 5c.

The basic design of the device doesn’t differ too much from its predecessor. The phone measures 124.4 x 59.2 x 8.97mm and is very comfortable to hold. The phone’s polycarbonate body is a cheaper alternative to the metal on the high-end model. An interesting feature on this model is the availability of various colours like green, blue, yellow, red and white. This is sure to appeal to the younger crowd. The phone cover with its mesh grill on the back provides a very interesting contrast to the colour of the phone and the iPhone 5c scores high marks in this area. The Retina display is the same excellent 4-inch, 1,136 x 640-pixel (326-ppi) IPS panel that’s used on the iPhone 5 and 5s. As ever, its bright with accurate colors and wide viewing angles. The screen clarity and sharpness rivals some top phones and this device holds its own against the same.

Low on Cost, Not on Features

At the end of the day, the iPhone 5c while still being labeled as ‘cheaper alternative’ is still an iPhone. It packs an impressive set of features that truly differentiate it from the crowd. The phone runs on iOS 7, Apple’s latest OS. The phone comes with the A6 chip and has many use apps preinstalled. From a technical standpoint, there is really nothing that doesn’t make this phone feel like a top of the line model. Apple has worked on making the phone faster and easier to use and has also upgraded the camera, an important accessory in today’s world.

iOS 7

iOS 7 will immediately feel familiar and comfortable to anyone who’s used iOS before. That’s because the mechanics are by and large identical. Most controls and other UI elements are in the same place and behave just like before.Our favorite addition to iOS 7 is Control Center. Swiping up from the bottom of the screen brings up a panel that contains toggles for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and other settings; sliders for brightness and volume; media playback controls; buttons for AirDrop / AirPlay; and shortcuts to the camera, timer and more.

Performance

The iPhone 5c has a lot in common with its predecessor and it’s no surprise that it feels just as fast. In short, everything’s smooth and responsive.The iPhone 5c lasts about as long on a full charge as the iPhone 5. The 5c incorporates a 1,507mAh battery – a modest boost over the 1,440mAh cell in the iPhone 5. Getting a full day of heavy use from the 5c is a no-brainer, and we even managed to squeeze two days of light use out of it. The apps run smoothly and quite frankly in no way does this model feel ‘inferior’ to other phones.

Verdict

With the iPhone 5c, Apple has crafted a device that is definitely more than the sum of its parts. While designed to be a cheaper alternative to the high-end iPhone 5s, this phone is a fantastic phone in its own right. It’s designed intelligently and runs all the apps you could possibly want with ease. The only nothing we didn’t particularly admire was the polycarbonate body. If you’re using an iPhone 4s or anything older, you can’t go wrong upgrading to the 5c.