First iPhone 5c Reviews: Color is a 'Breath of Fresh Air', Will 'Sell Like Hot Cakes'

MacRumors · Sep 17, 2013

During its iPhone event that took place on September 10, Apple handed out a number of iPhone 5c review units to various publications. The embargo on reviews has just been lifted, which means a slew of sites are posting reactions to Apple's colorful new phone lineup. We've gathered some interesting excerpts below to highlight the general reaction to the release.

David Pogue, The New York Times

The budget model, the new iPhone 5C, comes in five colors ($100 for the 16-gigabyte model with a two-year contract, $550 without). It's essentially identical to last year's iPhone 5, except that its back and sides are a single piece of plastic instead of metal and glass.Actually, "plastic" isn't quite fair. The 5C's case is polycarbonate, lacquered like a glossy piano. Better yet, its back edges are curved for the first time since the iPhones of 2008. You can tell by touch which way it's facing in your pocket.

It's a terrific phone. The price is right. It will sell like hot cakes; the new iPhones go on sale Friday. But just sheathing last year's phone in shiny plastic isn't a stunning advance.

Jim Dalrymple, The Loop

There is absolutely no give to this phone at all. It doesn't bend or buckle anywhere in the casing, which is what you want, obviously. It feels as solid as the 5s.

The iPhone 5c doesn't actually feel like plastic. It's strange when you first pick it up, but it almost feels like ceramic or a similar material that is glossy and hard. The manufacturing process that Apple used to make this phone and the metal reinforcement it used in the plastic casing certainly worked on making this phone tough.

Darrell Etherington, TechCrunch

To date, Apple's choice of materials has been one of its prime differentiating factors, at least from an aesthetics point of view, vs. the Android crop of competitors. So does dipping back into a polycarbonate shell threaten the image Apple has tried so hard to cultivate?

The answer is a resounding 'No.' Apple notes that the iPhone 5c is actually polycarbonate because it wanted to get the colors just right, and doing so in metal just wasn't feasible. Further, it points out that there's a steel frame (which doubles as an antenna) girding that polycarbonate shell, which results in a phone that feels sturdy in the hand, without the flex or perceived fragility of other plastic device designs.

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Lauren Goode, AllThingsD

The iPhone 5C has the same A6 processor and the same 4-inch Retina display as the iPhone 5. Colors on the 5C's display look warmer.

It's just slightly thicker and heavier than the iPhone 5. And while the 5C isn't as refined-looking as the iPhone 5 or the new 5S, it isn't a tacky plastic phone, either. I've tested plastic phones before, including the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the new Moto X from Motorola, and this phone feels more solid in the hand.

Myriam Joire, Engadget

We're not going to lie. The iPhone 5c is gorgeous - we'd even argue that it's the most beautiful iPhone since the 4 and 4s. It instantly makes the iPhone 5 and 5s look staid in comparison.

Sure, we prefer materials like aluminum and glass over plastic, and we appreciate the intricate craftsmanship that goes into building the iPhone 5 and 5s, but still, we can't help it - the 5c just triggers some reptilian part of our brains that screams, "OMG, color!"

Other reviews:

Anand Shimpi, AnandTech
Edward Baig, USA Today
Stuart Miles, Pocket-Lint
Luke Peters, T3
Scott Stein, CNET

Apple's iPhone 5c is currently available for pre-order and will begin shipping on September 20.

Article Link: First iPhone 5c Reviews: Color is a 'Breath of Fresh Air', Will 'Sell Like Hot Cakes'

Michaelgtrusa · Sep 17, 2013

This should be good.

cuda12 · Sep 17, 2013

But I thought this was supposed to flop???

dakwar · Sep 17, 2013

The blue one looks particularly enticing.

Tankmaze · Sep 17, 2013

i'm very curious to see apple Q4 financial report of 5c vs 5s sales. ( but knowing apple, this report wont happen )
based on the reviews, the 5c might do well.

socbyset · Sep 17, 2013

Sounds like a winner. These are going to sell by the bucketload. I can't wait to see them in person.

scbn · Sep 17, 2013

Apple won't give out the mix in terms of sales. They never tell you about the iPad mini numbers. As for the new phones, I think both models will do well. People who just look at the pictures will not get it - you have to touch and use the phone to figure out.

Tankmaze said:
i'm very curious to see apple Q4 financial report of 5c vs 5s sales. ( but knowing apple, this report wont happen )
based on the reviews, the 5c might do well.

elvetio · Sep 17, 2013

..

cuda12 said:
But I thought this was supposed to flop???

no one said that.. or at least what the majority of people tried to say is that if the price was lower they would sell much more phones and actually get a larger market share (something they definitely won't do with this)

CFreymarc · Sep 17, 2013

Darrell Etherington, TechCrunch, "To date, Apple's choice of materials has been one of its prime differentiating factors, at least from an aesthetics point of view, vs. the Android crop of competitors. So does dipping back into a polycarbonate shell threaten the image Apple has tried so hard to cultivate?"

So damn true!

Seen way to many man-years of development in firmware, FPGA cells, electrical hardware design and printed circuit board layout thrown in the cheapest metal box or plastic injection form to save a buck or so per unit.

This destroys first impression potential as some accountant screams he "made money" by increasing per-unit product margin in a build with no sense of artistry.

And they wonder why the sales were so soft ...

----------

Tankmaze said:
i'm very curious to see apple Q4 financial report of 5c vs 5s sales. ( but knowing apple, this report wont happen )
based on the reviews, the 5c might do well.

I want to see a five bar histogram in the colors of the 5C's showing how the individual color sales volumes rated against each other.

captain kaos · Sep 17, 2013

If the antenna is different, i may swap my 5 to a 5c. Unfortunately i believe there was still an issue with signal strength with the 5.

Vodka · Sep 17, 2013

"back edges are curved for the first time since the iPhones of 2008"
i liked those curvy edges so much on my previous iphone 3, that i didn't wanted to buy dull-looking iphone 4th

donutbagel · Sep 17, 2013

AAPL was down first from investors not liking the new stuff and again due to bad news in China (bigger the second time). I always doubt that the investors really know Apple and know which products are good. Personally, I think AAPL is going to be an opportune buy before some actual news comes out later and if it stays at this price or goes lower before that.

Asclepio · Sep 17, 2013

apple transform plastic to ceramic!

donutbagel · Sep 17, 2013

"metal reinforcement it used in the plastic"

So the plastic doesn't make it cheaper? It doesn't seem like it would. I think it's purely a design thing.

Taz Mangus · Sep 17, 2013

elvetio said:
no one said that.. or at least what the majority of people tried to say is that if the price was lower they would sell much more phones and actually get a larger market share (something they definitely won't do with this)

It is far to early to start stating what the effect of the iPhone 5c will be in the marketplace. Let's see what happens instead of declaring as fact "something they definitely won't do with this".

Adelphos33 · Sep 17, 2013

This phone is flat out better than many forum members were expecting / fearing. It'll be interesting to see how it fares. It apparently feels better in hand than it looks on camera (I suspect the colors look better in person as well).

macosxuser01 · Sep 17, 2013

I actually really like the design of the 5C. Ive was right that the iOS 7 complements the phone.

paradox00 · Sep 17, 2013

elvetio said:
no one said that.. or at least what the majority of people tried to say is that if the price was lower they would sell much more phones and actually get a larger market share (something they definitely won't do with this)

Plenty of people said it would flop. I've read that word numerous times. The marketshare argument itself is stale. Apple's business model works for them, increased market share doesn't necessarily mean increased profit share, yet Wall Street is always suggesting Apple should change its business model. Apple's model goes against convention, so they simply assume its wrong even though the evidence indicates it's not.

Edit: You're also mistaken if you think this model won't impact market share. Selling like "hot cakes" will certainly do that. Just not as much as a low margin/no profit phone would.

chado53 · Sep 17, 2013

i ****ing knew it! then you're gonna see all these people posting how they "had" to get one and they actually really loved it.

nagromme · Sep 17, 2013

Remember, folks, Apple NEEDS a netbook, and they NEED a $400 phone!*

* Which they actually have in China anyway: the iPhone 4.

iGrip · Sep 17, 2013

cuda12 said:
But I thought this was supposed to flop???

We don't know yet. They haven't had enough history to tell.

Constable Odo · Sep 17, 2013

c = consumer con

But all the iHaters said this is last year's iPhone coated in plastic and no one is going to be interested in a year-old smartphone when they can get a Samsung Galaxy S4 for half the price of an iPhone 5c. A plastic coating doesn't add to the value. Most analysts have already predicted that no one in China can afford to buy a plastic iPhone for $500 when there are plenty of brand new, large-display Android smartphones selling for $50 that are just as good, if not better than an iPhone 5c. Most of Wall Street is sure that Apple will only be able to sell about 1000 iPhone 5c units in all of China for 2013. There's just no demand for Apple iPhones with a TINY display when you have Android smartphones available for less money with the biggest displays in the world.

/s

ghettochris · Sep 17, 2013

"Apple notes that the iPhone 5c is actually polycarbonate because it wanted to get the colors just right, and doing so in metal just wasn't feasible."

I call ******** on this. I'd say it's all about being able to make them in the quantities needed. I have the Product Red iPod touch, and it's a beautiful red aluminum. I wish they did a Product Red iphone 5C of the same shade. I'm sure they would love to make the ipads and as pretty and colorful as the ipod touches , but they can't scale the colored anodizing to that size and quantity would be my guess.

I wish my ipad mini was product red anodized like my touch, and I would love if my ipod touch could be as thin and light with polycarbonate that wouldn't scuff to bare aluminum if it gets scuffed or dropped. 88 grams is nice in your pocket.

bchery21 · Sep 17, 2013

Engadget went hard in their review. Arguably the best looking iPhone? Not saying it can't be true but I'll have to visit an Apple store to feast with my own two eyes...

Nahaz · Sep 17, 2013

cuda12 said:
But I thought this was supposed to flop???

No-one said it would flop because it's Plastic body. Some of us were expecting it to be a bit cheaper, like the iPhone 4s price.

This is why there is a small brigade of us saying for the cost, you may as well go the iPhone 5s, unless you really want the plastic coloured body etc.

Prediction:

I'm having a huge guess here, but expect Apple to do the same with it's iPad mini line eventually, which is why we haven't seen much news this year. The iPad (Gen 2) will be high quality like the iPhone 5s, and the iPad mini (Gen 1) will become poly-carbonated colours

First iPhone 5c Reviews: Color is a 'Breath of Fresh Air', Will 'Sell Like Hot Cakes'

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