I'm a little disappointed.
I mean, look, a Google Nexus 4 is $199. Unlocked. No contract.
I'm using my iPhone 4 and it's become so unusably slow with the latest app and OS updates that I feel like I'm being forced to upgrade. There are lots of compelling options out there right now. For the same price as a 5s I could also get an HTC One, Galaxy S4, Xperia Z, Moto X, ...
I am NOT signing onto a contract this time around. I am currently paying $55/month for a Canadian iPhone plan with 6 GB of data, at the tail end of a 3-year contract. The CRTC recently outlawed 3-year contracts, insisting that our major carriers offer a maximum of 2 years. "OK, fine, we'll just raise the prices", all of our cell carriers said, and BOOM, now you need to pay $75 or $85/month to have a subsidized iPhone with 500 MB or 1 GB of data. Ouch, ouch, ouch.
So I'm not giving up my plan. Which means I need to buy the phone outright. And I'd rather have an unlocked one anyway, so I can use it when I travel.
I was hoping the 5C might be a viable option to compare against the Nexus 4. $399 and I would have ordered one on Friday. But if it's only $100 less than the 5s, then I might as well get the latest and greatest so I won't feel as frustrated again 3 years from now.