iPhone 5C unboxed, first impressions: iPhone 3GS reborn!

We decided to get both the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5C so we can thoroughly compare them to the existing iPhone 5 and make a better judgement on why Apple decided on two SKUs instead of the usual one.

Right out of the box, we immediately saw the inspiration for the design and materials used for the iPhone 5C. You won’t look any farther than the iPhone itself — the 3G and 3GS.

The very same polycarbonate shell with ceramic finish found on the iPhone 3G/3GS has been resurrected, painted with pastel colors and used in the iPhone 5C.

And if you were old enough to have owned or used the iPhone 3G/3GS, then you get that very same feel of the material and quality of finish that the polished plastic shell offers. And as it turns out, we actually liked the over-all feel. It gives you that impression of holding an iPhone 5 wrapped in a hard but very thin and colorful gel case.

It’s not as thin as the iPhone 5 but it’s still very thin; and despite it’s polycarbonate body, you can feel the heft of the device in your hands. It’s not bad at all. Frankly though, it still baffles us why a plastic iPhone 5C is heavier than an aluminum-clad iPhone 5.

The resemblance with the iPod Touch 5th gen is also obvious — fairly rounded corners, smooth edges, very polished finish and a tinge of youthfulness — yes, you either fancy those pastel colors or just completely hate them.

The exterior of the handset is identical to the old iPhone 5C, down to the ports, physical buttons and environmental sensors. Under a microscope, the only difference you can find is the pin-hole for the noise-canceling microphones at the back.

The rest is a repeat performance of last year’s iPhone 5.

Here’s what we know of the hardware configuration of the iPhone 5C. Luckily, both the iPhone 5C and the iPhone 5S that we got from Hong Kong worked with our local LTE network.

Apple iPhone 5C specs:
4.0-inch IPS LCD display @ 640×1136 pixels, 326ppi
Corning Gorilla Glass 2
Apple A6 1.2GHz dual-core processor
PowerVR SGX543MP3 (triple-core)
16GB, 32GB internal storage
1GB RAM
DC-HSDPA 42Mbps, LTE 100Mbps
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, dual-band
Bluetooth 4.0
8MP iSight camera, LED flash
1080p video recording
1.2MP HD front-facing camera, 720p @ 30fps
GPS w/ aGPS support, GLONASS
iOS 7
132 grams (weight)
124.4 mm x 59.2 mm x 8.97 mm (dimensions)

The 5C comes with iOS7 out of the box but we immediately received a 7.0.1 update for bug fixes and improvements.

I find myself picking using the iPhone 5C more than the iPhone 5S. That’s probably because the former has the most physical difference from the iPhone 5 that we’ve have for the last 12 months.

Check back with us in a couple of days as we finish the full review of the iPhone 5C.

Abe Olandres

Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines. He is also a technology consultant, a tech columnist with several national publications, resource speaker and mentor/advisor to several start-up companies.

https://www.yugatech.com

18 Comments

tmcr7 says:

11 years ago

iPhone 5C. – last year’s hardware encased in cheap plastic, and sold at an outrageous price.
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Mark says:

11 years ago

You guys should do more research.

Even I know the answer to your question of why the 5C is heavier than the aluminum iPhone 5:

Yes, the 5C is plastic. HOWEVER it is reinforced with steel plates glued together to the plastic. Hence it’s heavier than the iPhone 5.
- Reply
Haykal Lorena says:

11 years ago

Available na din sa lazada oh http://www.lazada.com.ph/shop-mobiles/apple/?noWT=1#Q0Sapple5sC61kG9t5i
- Reply
eco says:

11 years ago

To all iOS & android owners, discover great free apps and get rewarded with gift cards. Just enter the site from your iDevice or Androids http://m.freemyapps.com/share/email/f4c771e4

No gimmick so far I’ve earned US$40 gift check since March this year, try it there’s nothing to loose.
- Reply
AndroidFan says:

11 years ago

Santisima, pra kaung mga batang paslit nag aaway sa viva kendi mint hehehe.
Eto ang tunay na smartphone gamit ko,Vertu TI, titanium case in sapphire glass, android jelly bean sotware, bili ko sa california is $11K.
PS Yang iphone 5s, 64gb, pesos 20k lng sa grinhills sa mga tindahan ko iyan. Negosyo lang kahit kuha namin sa hong kong black market ay $80. Wag niu n pag awayan ang chipipay na apple.

Antonio Escuadro
- Reply

Antonto escuago says:

11 years ago

Mapagpanggap.

car for rent manila says:

11 years ago

I keep on laughing reading your comments guys.
- Reply
totoybibo! says:

11 years ago

average-consumers with above-average income buy iPhones!
- Reply
ohohkhimee says:

11 years ago

abuzalzal, apple said they will never sell cheap iphones..yung narinig mo lang na cheap price ay rumor before tanga..
- Reply

simultaneous says:

11 years ago

makapgsalita akala mu my iphone.. tsk

wew says:

11 years ago

sana man lang ginawa nilang puti o silver ung logo ng Apple pati ung text sa likod,just like 3g and 3gs para mejo level up ng kaunti ang premium feel.
- Reply
Boybakat says:

11 years ago

Abuzalzal, tama na kakabasa mo ng Libre sa mrt/lrt. Napaasa ka tuloy haha

http://9to5mac.com/2013/01/10/apple-marketing-svp-phil-schiller-seems-to-deny-talk-of-cheap-iphone/
- Reply
abuzalzal says:

11 years ago

Announces “budget-friendly” version of iPhone.
Priced at around the price of a high-end Android smartphone.

Scumbag Apple.
- Reply

techgeek says:

11 years ago

walang sinabi ang apple na cheap yung iphone 5c. wall street lang nagsabi nun wag kayo tatanga tanga.
Kwantoo says:

11 years ago

It is actually cheap. It’s priced at $99 in the US, but under contract. Prices in the Philippines would greatly differ because of exchange rates and the networks’ subsidized amount for the devices. Unlocked phones, without contracts, are always expensive. Ganyan din naman ang Samsung and Blackberry prices.

Wait nalang tayo how much this would be offered by Globe or Smart. If they were able to offer the iPhone 5 at plan 1799, with a cash out of P4800, baka they would be able to offer the 5C at plan 999, cash out of P2500 or even for free. Dyan papasok yun ‘reasonably-priced’ iPhones, pero not with unlocked iPhones without contracts.
HiERARCH says:

11 years ago

oo nga. sabi cheaper e. iba kasi ang standard amount ng cheap sa Pinas e
simultaneous says:

11 years ago

I thought that Apple told us that they will release a cheaper iphone? How can you say that no one told that Iphone 5c is not cheap well in fact it came from Apple? @jama
jama says:

11 years ago

Dukha! Walang nagsabi na cheap and iPhone 5C!

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