Apple iPhone 5c

Apple iPhone 5c

Description
Reviews

Please note that this A1526 iPhone 5c model officially does not support LTE/4G or CDMA EV-DO connectivity, but it is compatible with both UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA and GSM. It is intended for the mainland China market on China Unicom's network.

The iPhone 5c models, regardless of network compatibility, have a 4" (diagonal) widescreen multi-touch IPS LED-backlit 1136x640 native resolution (326 ppi) "retina display," and dual cameras -- a rear 8 megapixel, 1080p "iSight" camera and a front 1.2 megapixel, 720p "FaceTime" camera -- all housed in a polycarbonate "unibody" case offered in five playful color options (white, pink, yellow, blue, or green).

Each iPhone 5c model is powered by a 1.3 GHz dual core "Apple A6" processor, has 1 GB of RAM, and 8 GB, 16 GB, or 32 GB of flash storage. This model also supports both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0, has a bottom-mounted headphone jack and uses the "Lightning" connector to hook up with a Mac, PC, dock, or power adapter. This model does not officially have 4G/LTE support (the A1532 China Telecom model does not either).

Apple estimates that the iPhone 5c models provide "up to" 40 hours of audio playback, 10 hours of talk time on 3G, 8 hours of Internet use on 3G, 10 hours of Internet use on 4G/LTE (when applicable), 10 hours of Internet use on Wi-Fi, 10 hours of video playback and 250 hours of standby time.

In China, this A1526 iPhone 5c originally was available unlocked and contract-free (for use on China Unicom's network or another GSM carrier) with 16 GB or 32 GB of storage, for RMB 4,488 and RMB 5,288, respectively. On September 9, 2014, Apple discontinued the 16 GB and 32 GB configurations in favor of an 8 GB option for RMB 3,288, which still was available unlocked and contract free. It was discontinued altogether on September 9, 2015.

Tech Specs
Global Original Prices
Popular Q&As

Click on a category for related details. The most commonly needed info is "open" by default, but all info is important. Asterisks (*) reference data in details fields.

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Introduction Date:

September 10, 2013*

Discontinued Date:

September 9, 2015

Processors:

1 (2 Cores)

Geekbench 2 (32):

Geekbench 3 (32):

Geekbench 3 (32):

Geekbench 3 (64):

Geekbench 3 (64):

Geekbench 4 (SC):

Geekbench 4 (MC):

Geekbench 5 (SC):

Geekbench 5 (MC):

Processor Speed:

1.3 GHz*

Processor Type:

Apple A6*

Onboard RAM:

1 GB*

Storage Capacity:

8, 16, 32 GB

Details:

*Apple provides no official details regarding RAM used by the iPhone 5c. However, third-party software analysis has confirmed that it has 1 GB of LPDDR2 RAM.

Also see: Is it possible to add external storage to the iPhone? How?

USB Support:

Sync & Charge

Firewire Support:

Connectivity:

Ports:

Lightning, Headphone

Case Type:

Handheld

Form Factor:

iPhone 5c

Housing Color:

Colors*

Controller:

Multi-touch

Built-in Display:

4" Color

Display Resolution:

1136x640 (326 ppi)

Details:

The iPhone 5c models have a 4" (diagonal) widescreen multi-touch IPS "Retina" display with a 1136x640 native resolution at 326 ppi. Apple also reports a 800:1 typical contrast ratio and a 500 cd/m2 typical brightness.

Also see: How do I replace the glass cover, digitizer, and display (LCD screen) on the iPhone 5c?

In the UK, site sponsor ALB Repair offers component-level logic board repair, display repair, and other repair services for this iPhone. No fix, no fee!

In Spain, site sponsor iRepairs provides affordable repair and data recovery services. In-person and by mail repair services include the display, motherboard, charging port, and more for this iPhone.

In Singapore, site sponsor Esmond Service Centre provides highly regarded repairs for the display, battery, home button, water damage issues, and more, all with a free estimate and fast turnaround for this iPhone.

Standard Wireless:

802.11a/b/g/n*

Standard Bluetooth:

Details:

*Apple notes that the iPhone 5c models support both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies of 802.11n Wi-Fi.

This specific iPhone 5c -- the A1526 model -- supports "UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz) and GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)." It does not officially support 4G/LTE.

Cell Network:

Camera:

8.0 Megapixels**

Battery Type:

Lithium Ion

Battery Life (Music):

40 Hours

Battery Life (Voice):

10 Hours*

Standby Time:

250 Hours

Details:

*Apple reports that the iPhone 5c models provide "up to" 40 hours of audio playback, 10 hours of talk time on 3G, 8 hours of Internet use on 3G, 10 hours of Internet use on 4G/LTE (note that this model does not support 4G/LTE), 10 hours of Internet use on Wi-Fi, 10 hours of video playback and 250 hours of standby time.

Also see: Why does my iPhone run out of power so quickly? How can I conserve battery life?

Apple Order No:

ME679CH/A*

Apple Subfamily:

iPhone 5c

Details:

*ME679CH/A is the order number for the original 16 GB configuration, in white, unlocked and offered on China Unicom. The original 32 GB configuration, in white, also unlocked and on China Unicom, is MF104CH/A. The remaining original 16 GB and 32 GB China Unicom configurations (all unlocked) in pink are ME683CH/A and MF108CH/A; in yellow are ME680CH/A and MF105CH/A; in blue are ME681CH/A and MF106CH/A; and in green are ME682CH/A and MF107CH/A.

The 8 GB configurations in white, pink, yellow, blue, and green, are MG1Q2CH/A, MG1W2CH/A, MG1R2CH/A, MG1U2CH/A, and MG1V2CH/A, respectively.

None of these required a contract, either.

Apple Model No:

A1526 (EMC N/A)

Model ID:

iPhone5,4

Details:

Also see: All iPhones with the A1526 Model Number, the N/A EMC Number, and the iPhone5,4 Model Identifier.

Pre-Installed OS:

iOS 7.0 (11A466)

Maximum OS:

iOS 10.3.4

Details:

This model is fully supported by the last version of iOS 9 with the exception of "Facedown detection" capability. It is supported by the final version of iOS 10 with the exception of the Raise to Wake and Rich Notifications features. It is not supported by iOS 11 or subsequent versions of the iOS.

Also see: Which iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad models support iOS 10? Do some models "partially" support iOS 10? Which ones?

Dimensions:

4.90 x 2.33 x 0.35*

Avg. Weight:

4.65 oz. (132 g)

Mac Support:

Mac OS X 10.6.8*

Windows Support:

Windows XP SP3/Vista/7/8

Audio Support:

Apple reports that the iPhone 5c supports "AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), HE-AAC, MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV."

Photo Support:

Apple does not formally specify photo formats for the iPhone 5c. However, it can sync photos in JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, PSD (Mac only), and PNG formats, from iTunes and iCloud.

Video Support:

Apple reports that the iPhone 5c supports "H.264 video up to 1080p, 30 frames per second, High Profile level 4.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps per channel, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280 by 720 pixels, 30 frames per second, audio in ulaw, PCM stereo audio in .avi file format."

It also supports AirPlay Mirroring and video out to the Apple TV 2nd Gen or 3rd Gen as well as video mirroring and video out "up to" 1080p through the Lightning Digital AV Adapter and the Lightning to VGA Adapter.

Incl. Accessories:

Ships with "Apple EarPods [headphones] with Remote and Mic, Lightning to USB cable, [and] a USB power adapter."

In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor Other World Computing sells inexpensive headphones, cases and other accessories for this iPhone.

In Australia, site sponsor Macfixit sells cases, stands, chargers, docks and even parts for this iPhone.

Also see: What is the best external keyboard for the iPhone?

Original Price:

Est. Current Retail: