iPhone 5s or 5c: What You Need to Know to Make Your Choice

By Les Masterson 

A new iPhone is celebrated as a holiday for millions of Apple lovers. 

They line up outside stores and make a party out of it. But what about the people who aren’t so hip about Apple products? Or even those who (gasp) don’t own an iPhone but are intrigued at the new 5s or its more affordable brother, the 5c?

Here’s what you need to know about the new iPhones:

Phones are on sale on Friday

The phones go on sale on Friday at Apple Stores, Best Buy, RadioShack, Target, Walmart and other Apple authorized re-sellers. Phone stores like AT&T and Verizon Wireless will also start selling the new iPhones – both the 5s and the more affordable 5c. Find a list of stores here.

Different looks, different prices

The first two things one notices about the phones are the prices and the looks. The 5c cost $99 or $199 while the 5s goes for $199, $299 and $399. 

The two phones look quite different. The 5c cases come in white, pink, yellow, blue and green. The 5s comes in silver, space gray and gold.

The iPhone 5s and 5c are different phones and will likely interest different customer bases. Here’s something to help you learn the differences.

Here’s a quick comparison of the two phones as well as Apple’s 4s.

5s can't be pre-ordered

Customers can pre-order the 5c, but “supply constraints” have caused Apple to not allow pre-orders for the more advanced iPhone 5s.

Read all about the causes of the supply problem here.

What the experts think

Experts have already been playing around with the new phones prior to the launches. The new iOS7 will have a brighter look to it, with sleeker icons. Here’s a roundup of the reviews. 

What do you think about the new iPhone 5s and 5c? Are you buying a new iPhone on Friday? Are you sticking with your current iPhone or do you have a different type of smartphone? Let us know in the comments section below.