After several months of rumors and hypes, Apple finally announced their iPhone 5c which was expected to arrive as an affordable iPhone meant to win back the smartphone market from Android and Windows Phone. Its now clear that Apple in no way considers their iPhone an affordable device as it is priced at $550 off contract.While some may argue that the $99 price can be classed as affordable, carriers have been trying to move away from the subsided pricing platform with programs similar to T-Mobile's Un-Carrier initiative. This means that even users in the US will have to pay the full $550 to own Apple's newest iPhone.
So what exactly do we get for $550? The iPhone 5c comes with a 4 inch Retina Display, which has a 640 by 1136 pixel resolution. You also have up to 32GB of storage, an 8 megapixel camera, a secondary camera for FaceTime calls and an Apple A6 processor. In case you find these specifications familiar, its because they are the exact same specifications from last year's Apple iPhone 5. In fact Apple has cleverly hidden the iPhone 5 hardware inside a plastic polycarbonate shell and positioned it into the place where the iPhone 5 should have rightfully been in.
Cheaper Alternatives
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So we clearly have an overpriced iPhone, which Apple is trying to palm off on us, but are cheaper alternatives really better? The HTC One mini is one of the first to come to mind. It features a premium aluminum frame with two excellent BoomSound stereo speakers in its front. The One Mini is actually lighter than the plastic iPhone 5c, and the UltraPixel camera shows offers decent low light photos. The One mini even comes with a larger 4.3 inch 720p HD display. The HTC One mini is priced at just $433 unsubsidized on AT&T.
A Galaxy fan could consider the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini. Yes you still have the plastic body, but the Galaxy S4 mini has a larger 4.3 inch display, expandable microSD storage and 2GB of RAM. The Galaxy S4 mini costs less than $430 for its unlocked variant on Amazon
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Sony fans have the Sony Xperia Z with its thin water resistant body, expandable microSD memory and luscious 5 inch full (1080p) HD display. You also get a 13 megapixel camera with this device, which may not have proven to be the best in the market, but is still a reasonable one. The Xperia Z is the priciest of the alternatives at $530 on Amazon
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Nokia was most affected by the rise of the iPhone, so its only fair that the Nokia Lumia 925 makes the list of alternatives to the iPhone 5C. The Lumia 925 follows in the footsteps of the Nokia Lumia 920 and the Nokia Lumia 928, but comes in a thinner and sleeker metal/polycarbonate unibody chassis this time around. Its 4.5 inch 720p HD display is larger than the one found on the iPhone 5C and uses the luminant AMOLED technology with 600 nits of peak brightness.However its most impressive feature is its 8MP camera which features optical image stabilization that allows for blur-free night shots and steady video capture. The Lumia 925 costs $480 on Amazon
but is a little pricer at $509.99 on T-Mobile, which is still cheaper than the iPhone 5c.If you are not someone who buys into big brand names, the Huawei Ascend P6 with its metal and glass housing comes in one of the slimmest frames in the market. The Android running Ascend P6 displays excellent craftsmanship and comes with a 4.7 inch 720p HD display, expandable storage and a quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM. While the Ascend P6 also features an 8MP camera and a 5MP camera in front, its photo quality can be questionable. You can get the unlocked Ascend P6 for as low as $430 on Amazon
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Remaining true to iOS
At the end it will come down to your attachment to the iOS universe, which unmistakably continues to dominate with its selection of apps and games. If you want to stick to iOS over Android or Windows Phone, you could consider the recently discounted Apple iPhone 4S or the discontinued iPhone 5. Keep in mind that while Apple only offers the 8GB variant of the iPhone 4S, you maybe able to find a reasonably priced iPhone 4S ( Amazon
| eBay) or iPhone 5 (Amazon | eBay) if you search your favourite online websites.
You should also probably consider spending an extra $100 and investing in the iPhone 5s. Apple's flagship is the best money can buy at the moment and comes with some attractive new features which justify its price. But before you spend you money on the iPhone 5s, you may also want to look at some of the better ( and sometime cheaper) alternatives to the Apple's top smartphone.
Keep in mind that you will likely hold on to your smartphone investment for at least two years, especially if you are tied down to a contract. So its best to remember than two years comes with big changes in the smartphone world, and its best to have capable hardware than settle with an overpriced underwhelming product.