iPhone 5C leaks: Is this the plastic version of the iPhone 5S ? Apple is gearing up to release a cheap version of the iPhone 5S, called the iPhone 5C, if some compelling leaks from the Chinese supply chain are to be believed. While the new iPhone 5C will almost certainly be cheap, the C probably stands for Color. Is the iPhone 5C the much-speculated, cheap, colorful, plastic iPhone that will finally give Apple a slice of the non-premium smartphone market? The iPhone 5C name stems from the image you see below, which presumably shows the plastic boxes that will ensconce new iPhone 5Cs. The image was leaked to the Chinese site WeiPhone, presumably by someone who works at one of Apple’s Chinese production lines. The font (Myriad) and typography look legitimate, but it could be a very elaborate hoax. As for the phone itself, the iPhone 5C name would suggest that the overall design and internals will probably be quite similar to the iPhone 5. We wouldn’t be surprised if the iPhone 5C has the same screen, CPU, GPU, and RAM as the iPhone 5, while the iPhone 5S receives a significant spec bump. Chassis-wise, the iPhone 5C is expected to maintain the same general look of the iPhone 5 (top image), but it will be made of plastic instead of aluminium. Instead of chamfered edges, they will be rounded instead, making it look a little cheaper — but still quite attractive, if the leaked photos are anything to go by. By moving to plastic, Apple will gain the ability to produce a wide range of vibrant colors — though at this point, we’d only be guessing what colors they might be. Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 5C alongside the iPhone 5S at an event this fall, probably in September. A new iPad and iPad Mini could also be announced. All of these new devices will run iOS 7, which is scheduled to roll out at the same time as the devices. Price-wise, we assume that the iPhone 5C will be free on contract, and primarily targeted at developing markets that can’t or won’t fork out for the top-of-the-line premium iPhone 5S/6. Despite almost every industry analyst agreeing that Apple will introduce a cheaper iPhone — Lite, Mini, 5C, whatever you want to call it — many of us won’t believe it until it actually happens. With the retirement of the white MacBook/iBook, Apple has spent the last few years almost exclusively producing premium products — and, perhaps more importantly, it has been massively successful at selling them, too. The Western market is reaching saturation, though, and to drive profits Apple will need to branch out into different product lines and different territories. The iPhone 5C is probably the best way of doing that.
Posted on: Mon, 29 Jul 2013 20:06:37 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015