iPhone 5c in green
(Photo by/ Marie Urmson)
By: Marie Urmson
The iPhone 5c was released on Sept. 20 2013. It was designed in a cheaper, colorful polycarbonate case instead of the regular metal and glass like the other iPhone models. This makes the threat of a smashed screen far less imminent.
“Pick up the iPhone 5c and there’s no mistaking that this handset isn’t clad in the premium materials which have adorned the more recent models,” said Techradar.com writer Gareth Beavis. This aside, it is still an extremely powerful, structurally sound, piece of technology with a colorful touch.
The iPhone 5c comes in five bright colors: green, pink, blue, white, and yellow. When un-boxing a new 5c, the default background will always match the outer color of the phone, which pairs the hardware and software together.
“I like how colorful and fun it is,” said North Attleboro High School freshman Julia Consentino.
Lindsay Chee, a freshman at North Attleboro High School said, “It has a beautiful screen.”
The phone’s steel frame holds the antenna, making signals easier to keep. A larger battery may cause the 5c to weigh just .07 of an ounce more than the iPhone 5, but it also gives a longer battery life – a great thing. The phone’s battery no longer drains overnight, which is a reoccurring problem with past iPhones.
“I like the size of it, and the color part is pretty cool,” said Attleboro High School senior Kayla Alvarez.
Along with the release of the 5c, Apple released a selection of fun silicone cases to go along with it. Although very effective in keeping the phone protected and easy to grip, the hole-filled design on the back isn’t to everyone’s taste. Fast Company writer John Brownlee wrote an article on his view of the 5c case, talking about how it does not fully cover the writing stamped on the back of every 5c. “What is mystifying to me is the way the polkadot grid of the iPhone 5c case half-obscures, half-exposes all of this text,” he said.
The iPhone 5c and 5s were the first iPhones to be released with iOS 7 (the version of Apple’s signature operating system, which was newest at the time) pre-installed, since iOS 7’s arrival in Sept. 2013.
“I really enjoy how nice iOS 7 looks on the 5c,” said Attleboro High School sophomore Mia Forrest.
Along with iOS 7, the 5c also supports Apple’s new iOS 8, which has several new features, including the ability to answer text messages without having to exit an app, the allowance of third-party keyboards, pre-installed apps to help track dietary habits and exercise, and iPhone tips. iOS 8 has a lot of potential, but before it can be reached some of the bugs need to be worked out, such as problems with battery life and Wi-Fi.
“The apps run very smoothly,” said Consentino.
The 5c comes with an 8MP iSight back camera and a 1.2MP front camera. The video recording is high quality, except for zooming in on the footage, because the closer the zoom, the more pixilated the picture becomes.
The writers from Macrumors.com claim that for the price of $99 for 16GB of storage and $199 for 32GB, that the iPhone 5c is not worth upgrading to from an iPhone 5. “Performance and battery life of the iPhone 5c is comparable to the iPhone 5,” they wrote.
For users who just ended their two-year contract for an iPhone 4s, the 5c is a great option if the 5s ($199 for 16GB and $299 for 32GB), 6 ($199 for 16GB, $299 for 64GB, and $399 for 128GB), or 6 Plus ($299 for 16GB, $399 for 64GB, and $499 for 128 GB) models are too pricy.
The iPhone 5c deserves five out of five stars because of its sturdy feel, high speed performance, and long battery life, which combine to create a phone that is worth the price and has an overall enjoyable user experience. It doesn’t need to be instantly replaced; this phone can outlast the two year contract typically expected of today’s phones.
“The 5c is my first iPhone, and I am so happy I chose the brightest, most durable phone Apple has,” said Chee.
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