Apple iPhone 5C vs Apple iPhone 5S
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Apple iPhone 5C and the Apple iPhone 5S, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
Head to head
| Apple iPhone 5C | Apple iPhone 5S |
|---|
| Price | £4,995 | £25 |
| Our rating | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Battery | 1,510 mAh | 1,560 mAh |
| Storage (max) | 32 GB | 64 GB |
| Screen size | 4 in | 4 in |
| Main camera | 8 MP | 8 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 132 g | 112 g |
| Released | Sep 2013 | Sep 2013 |
Summary: Apple iPhone 5S is ahead on battery, storage (max), weight (lower is lighter).
★ Which should you buy? Apple iPhone 5S is the stronger overall pick on the measured specs.
Researched with AI assistance by infozme.com from manufacturer and retailer sources — see how we research & rate phones.
Display
| Apple iPhone 5C | Apple iPhone 5S |
|---|
| Type | IPS LCD, LED-backlit | IPS LCD |
| Size | 4.0 inches, 44.1 cm2 (~59.9% screen-to-body ratio) | 4.0 inches |
| Resolution | 640 x 1136 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~326 ppi density) | 640 x 1136 pixels |
| Protection | Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating | Corning Gorilla Glass, oleophobic coating |
| Features | 800:1 contrast ratio (typical), 500 cd/m2 max brightness (typical) | 800:1 contrast ratio (typical), 500 cd/m2 max brightness (typical) |
Platform
| Apple iPhone 5C | Apple iPhone 5S |
|---|
| Chipset | Apple A6 | Apple A7 (28 nm) |
| CPU | Dual-core 1.3 GHz Swift | Dual-core 1.3 GHz Cyclone (ARM v8-based) |
| GPU | PowerVR SGX543MP3 (triple-core graphics) | PowerVR G6430 (quad-core graphics) |
| OS | iOS 7, upgradable to iOS 10.3.3 | iOS 7, upgradable to iOS 12.5.8 |
| Coprocessor | — | M7 motion coprocessor |
Memory
| Apple iPhone 5C | Apple iPhone 5S |
|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 8GB, 16GB, 32GB | 16GB, 32GB, 64GB |
| RAM | 1GB LPDDR2 RAM | 1GB LPDDR3 |
Main Camera
| Apple iPhone 5C | Apple iPhone 5S |
|---|
| Modules | 8 MP, f/2.4, 33mm (standard), 1/3.2", 1.4µm, AF | — |
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama, tap to focus, face detection, backside illumination sensor, five-element lens, hybrid IR filter | Dual-LED dual-tone flash (True Tone flash), HDR |
| Video | 1080p@30fps, video stabilization | 1080p@30fps, 720p@120fps |
| Single | — | 8 MP, f/2.2, 29mm (standard), 1/3.0", 1.5µm, AF |
Selfie Camera
| Apple iPhone 5C | Apple iPhone 5S |
|---|
| Modules | 1.2 MP | — |
| Features | Face detection, FaceTime over Wi-Fi or cellular | Face detection, HDR |
| Video | 720p@30fps | 720p@30fps |
| Single | — | 1.2 MP, f/2.4, 31mm (standard) |
Battery
| Apple iPhone 5C | Apple iPhone 5S |
|---|
| Type | Li-Po 1510 mAh, non-removable | Non-removable Li-Po 1560 mAh (5.92 Wh) |
| Talk time | Up to 10 h (3G) | — |
| Stand-by | Up to 250 h (3G) | — |
| Music play | Up to 40 h | — |
Body
| Apple iPhone 5C | Apple iPhone 5S |
|---|
| Dimensions | 124.4 x 59.2 x 9 mm (4.90 x 2.33 x 0.35 in) | 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm (4.87 x 2.31 x 0.30 in) |
| Weight | 132 g (4.66 oz) | 112 g (3.95 oz) |
| Build | Glass front, plastic back, plastic frame | Glass front, aluminum frame, aluminum back |
| SIM | Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM |
Comms
| Apple iPhone 5C | Apple iPhone 5S |
|---|
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, hotspot |
| Bluetooth | 4.0, A2DP, LE | 4.0, A2DP |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS |
| NFC | No | No |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | Lightning port | Lightning, USB 2.0 |
Launch
| Apple iPhone 5C | Apple iPhone 5S |
|---|
| Announced | 2013, September 10 | 2013, September 10 |
| Released | 2013, September 20 | — |
| OS at launch | iOS 7 | — |
| Status | — | Released 2013, September 20 |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Apple iPhone 5C or Apple iPhone 5S?
Apple iPhone 5S — 1,510 mAh for the Apple iPhone 5C versus 1,560 mAh for the Apple iPhone 5S.
Which is lighter, Apple iPhone 5C or Apple iPhone 5S?
Apple iPhone 5S — 132 g for the Apple iPhone 5C versus 112 g for the Apple iPhone 5S.
Is the Apple iPhone 5C or the Apple iPhone 5S rated higher?
We rate the Apple iPhone 5C 6/10 and the Apple iPhone 5S 6/10.
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