iPhone 5S vs iPhone 5C vs. iPhone 5: iOS7 and Phone Release Date, Prices, Differences in Specs, Speed, Camera

Sep 12, 2013 08:48 PM EDT

If you are thinking about getting an iPhone, but am not sure whether to get iPhone 5, iPhone 5C, or iPhone 5S or if you already have iPhone 5, but not sure about upgrading to Apple's latest smart phones, then we can begin by crossing out iPhone 5. iPhone 5C will replace the iPhone 5 that was just unveiled last year.

Of these three phones, iPhone 5S comes preloaded with the iOS 7, but iPhone 5 users would be able to install the latest operating system beginning September 18. iPhone 5S uses the latest silicon chip processor that makes the 5S twice as fast compared with the A6 processor used in iPhone 5 and iPhone 5C. All three models come with 1GB of RAM.

The iPhone 5, iPhone 5C, and the iPhone 5S are built with an aluminum unibody and a glass front panel, making the devices extremely lightweight. Just last month, Google has released its first smart-phone Moto X that allows users to customize the color schemes of their devices. Apple's decision to allow for different colors on the iPhone 5C will probably help boost its market share. For the iPhone 5S, the color schemes include space grey with a black trim, silver with white trim, and champagne gold with white trim. It also features a metallic trim around the Home button.


iPhone 5S comes with a fingerprint scanner, which, Apple says, will make security both tighter and less frustrating, but the iPhone 5C and iPhone 5 do not. Although Apple will continue to service and update iPhone 5, it will be discontinued and replaced by iPhone 5C.

The picture display for all three phones is the same - 4 inch IPS LCD with an 1136x640 resolution at 326 pixels-per-inch (ppi).

Although Apple did not significantly upgrade its camera specs, iPhone 5S comes with a slightly larger sensor for low-light settings and two-tone flash for improved color accuracy than its predecessor iPhone 5. It has a larger f/2.2 aperture, uses a larger pixel size, an improved back-illuminated sensor (BSI), a Hybrid IR filter and a dual-LED flash with both amber and white LEDs.

Also, internal storage is the same on all models and comes in the usual capacities of 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB. The iPhone models don't have microSD card. 

The iPhone 5S will go up for pre-oder on the 13th of September, alongside iOS7 for existing iPhone, iPad and iPod models. It will go on sale a week later on the 20th of September. Prices start from $199 on a two-year contract in the US for a 16GB model. The 32GB version will cost $299 and the 64GB will set you back $399.