September 21, 2013

iPhone 5c Drop Tested In The Name Of Science

September 21, 2013/ Nir Schneider

How durable is Apple's iPhone 5c anyway? One way of finding out is by conducting the ultimate test, a realistic drop test. And what better way of capturing the potential destructive damage of such a test than to use the assistance of the brand new iPhone 5s, and its impressive 120fps slow-motion HD video recording capabilities. Unbox Therapy did just that, and after two drop tests from various heights, only one part of the iPhone 5c survived the impact and it's that shiny polycarbonate shell.

Not surprisingly though, the iPhone 5c survived the carnage with only considerable damage to its 4-inch Gorilla Glass touchscreen after being intentionally dropped screen-side down from a height of roughly six feet straight onto concrete - which only validates our hands-on impressions of the iPhone 5c's polycarbonate build quality. The device kept on working even after every bit of its touchscreen had a crack in it. As for its polycarbonate shell, apart from little cosmetic damage the iPhone 5c held it together quite well and could be repaired with a replacement touchscreen. Leason learned? Use a case or an anti-shatter tempered glass screen protector such as Spigen's Glas.t Nano Slim if you want to protect your otherwise fragile glass touchscreen from impacts.

September 21, 2013

Hands-On With The Apple iPhone 5C

September 21, 2013/ Nir Schneider

We've finally managed to get a hold of Apple's new plastic-fantastic iPhone 5C in blue, one of the five available color options the iPhone 5C comes in. As expected, it's as pretty up close as it is displayed on Apple's website. The iPhone 5C is Apple's more affordable iPhone 5 successor, essentially an iPhone 5 with a redesigned exterior shell. Instead of an expensive and more premium machined aluminum unibody, the iPhone 5C features a machined polycarbonate unibody casing reinforced with stainless steel interior chassis that gives the iPhone 5C its ultra-durable and rock solid construction.

While sporting a radically different exterior design, offered for the first time in vibrant colors, the iPhone 5C's internal hardware are that of the iPhone 5 with the exception of slightly better battery life as well as a much improved 1.3-megapixel 720p HD front-facing FaceTime camera with a backside illuminated sensor - also found on the new iPhone 5S. It means that the iPhone 5C's A6 processor, 1GB of RAM, 4-inch Retina Display and 8-megapixel back-facing camera with a five-glass element f/2.4 lens make the 5C perform and feel just like the iPhone 5 in terms of performance. Snappy, fast and silky smooth operation goes without saying. At $100 less than the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5S, Apple's iPhone 5C is no slouch and a force to be reckoned with. What might deter you from picking one up is the fact that it's still a plastic device, perceived by virtually everyone to be less superior to an all-metal device. Drop on by after the break for our full unboxing and iPhone 5C hands-on gallery plus a lot more first impression details.

September 18, 2013

Apple's Designed Together Ad Shows Design Influences Between iOS 7 & iPhone 5C

September 18, 2013/ Nir Schneider

Along with the public launch of iOS 7, Apple's new "Designed Together" ad shows how iOS 7 compliments the iPhone 5C's industrial design, colors and even its now controversial perforated case. It all makes sense when you pay attention to the small details which seem to all share a circular design language as Apple makes note of in its ad using slick transitions from one iOS 7 feature to another design element found on the iPhone 5C. From the looks of it, we see that in the ad Apple may be implying that its official iPhone 5C Case's dotted grid pattern design was influenced by the circular number pad for user passcode and phone number dialing found in iOS 7

September 10, 2013

Apple Announced The iPhone 5C, Starting At $99

September 10, 2013/ Nir Schneider

Behold, Apple's colorful new iPhone 5 replacement. The iPhone 5C is Apple's new colorful, polycarbonate-made iPhone with a 4-inch Retina display, 4G LTE support, an 8-megapixel back-facing camera, an improved FaceTime HD camera with larger 1.9u pixels and backside illumination all powered by an A6 processor. Yes, the iPhone 5C's internal hardware is basically an iPhone 5 covered with hard-coated polyarbonate. It's also cheaper, the iPhone 5C will be available in 16GB and 32GB storage capacities for $99 and $199, respectively - with a two-year contract.

August 30, 2013

iPhone 5C Captured In Final Retail Packaging

August 30, 2013/ Nir Schneider

Spoiler alert, this is what you'll be getting when you purchase Apple's upcoming cheeky iPhone 5C. Shown in this leaked photo, dozens of red iPhone 5C devices in retail packaging which in this photo appear pink in color most likely due to poor white balance. The white plastic capsule packaging checks out with previous leaks that displayed dozens of white empty packaging capsules casually tossed into a bin inside the factory with "iPhone 5C" branding on the side. It looks like Apple has gone with an iPod-esque clear top packaging to showcase all six iPhone 5C colors.

In addition, the default wallpaper is set to match the color of the device similar to how the iPod nano 7th generation is packaged. As if we didn't already know, both the iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S will come with iOS 7 at launch. Apple will hold a media event on September 10 where it'll announce its new iPhones.

Update: More colors have been leaked.

July 29, 2013

Alleged Plastic Budget iPhone Packaging Leak Confirms iPhone 5C

July 29, 2013/ Nir Schneider

Apple's more affordable plastic iPhone is being mass produced at this very moment, and it seems it cannot be kept a closely guarded secrete as it nears its official debut. This time a photo taken during a factory inspection by a member of a Chinese labor rights group shows empty plastic packaging shells of the plastic iPhone marked with an iPhone 5C branding, which is believed to stand for "Color" as it will be offered in 5 vibrant colors. This would be the first time Apple has moved from its iconic, minimalist cardboard box packaging to hard plastic pod-shaped packaging reminiscent of HTC's smartphone packaging.