If you’re in the market for an iPhone there are currently four models on sale and more than that if you don’t mind going pre-owned, so while iPhone buyers don’t have as much choice as Android fans picking the right handset can still be a tricky business.
The iPhone 5C isn’t the phone for everyone, but despite often being overlooked in favour of the shinier iPhone 5S or iPhone 6 it’s potentially a much better buy for some people. Here’s why:
The iPhone is a notoriously expensive handset whichever version you buy, but the iPhone 5C is the most affordable way to get it. Right now it has an RRP of £319 with many shops selling it for well under £300.
That’s a distinctly mid-range price tag which isn’t bad at all for an Apple phone that’s only around 18 months old. If you’re on a tight budget or just don’t fancy spending a small fortune on a phone the iPhone 5C is ideal.
But get it on contract and you could save even more money. A budget friendly network like Three for example stocks the iPhone 5C free from £23 per month with no upfront cost and of course you’re not only getting the phone then but some generous allowances to use with it, including unlimited texts, a sizeable bundle of minutes and depending on which of those plans you opt for up to 2GB of monthly data.
Stump up a little more and you can even get it with unlimited data and it will still be a relative bargain compared to what any other iPhone and many Android phones cost.
The iPhone 5C might be the cheapest iPhone but it runs the same OS as the most expensive one, iOS 8.3 to be precise. So you can enjoy almost all the same software features as on the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, including the slick interface overhaul that came with iOS 7 and the various tweaks and features that came with iOS 8, like third party keyboard support.
It’s also very likely that the iPhone 5C will be upgraded to iOS 9 when it becomes available, so the phone is in no danger of becoming outdated any time soon.
The iPhone 5C also has a very similar screen to other iPhones. It’s got a 4.0-inch 640 x 1136 Retina display with a pixel density of 326 pixels per inch, which makes it every bit as sharp as even the iPhone 6 and identical in size and resolution to the iPhone 5S.
In short if you use an iPhone 5C you won’t feel like you’re using a budget phone, as the screen really is still one of the best around.
One reason the iPhone 5C might actively be a better buy than the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus beyond its lower price is its smaller screen. Apple pushed the size of its devices up last year and while that proved a popular move overall it’s not ideal for everyone.
The 4-inch form factor of the iPhone 5C is still big enough to comfortably use for everything you’re likely to want to do, whether that’s using apps and games, browsing the net or using maps.
Better yet you can do it all one-handed, which is all but out of the question on the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus and a little trickier on the 4.7-inch iPhone 6.
The compact design also makes it more pocket friendly and combined with the lower price tag makes it a great travel companion, especially if you’re travelling light.
It might not make the best festival phone (though if you’re set on an iPhone it’s your best option) but pair it with free roaming through Feel At Home on Three and it could be the perfect partner on an international adventure. The battery life is solid too, which is always handy when away from home.
The iPhone 5C has the same processor as the iPhone 5, which is a little dated now, but it’s still a smooth performer, helped in all likelihood by the 1GB of RAM it has, a figure which even the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus haven’t beat.
You will get better performance from them but you’ll also pay a lot more and for most things the iPhone 5C is more than competent.
It also has a powerful 8 megapixel camera, so it really doesn’t feel like a phone that’s making too many compromises.
If there is a compromise to be made it’s in the design and build, but even that may be a good thing depending on your tastes.
The iPhone 5C has a colourful plastic shell in place of the metal body found on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus or even the metal and glass design of the iPhone 5S, so it looks less premium but it looks far more distinctive.
No other iPhone has this design and with its playful bright colours it will stand out in a crowd. It also feels just as solid and well-made as any other iPhone. So it may look cheaper but once held no-one will mistake the iPhone 5C for a low end phone.
