iPhone 5s

449 'iPhone 5s' stories January 2013 - September 2013

Released in mid-September 2013, the iPhone 5s ($99 to $149 from the Apple Store) is a cosmetically minor but internally significant update to the iPhone 5. Featuring the same aluminum and glass design as the iPhone 5, including the same 4″ screen size, dimensions, and weight, the iPhone 5s introduced gold and space gray options to Apple’s product lines, while remaining available in the same white and silver combination as the iPhone 5.

From the outside, the most obvious change was the addition of Touch ID: a fingerprint sensor inside of the iPhone’s Home button. Ringed with metal color-matched to the iPhone 5s’s body, the sapphire-crystal coded fingerprint reader can unlock the screen by matching its scan to 5 distinct fingers, and similarly substitute a scan for a password when making iTunes purchases.

Internally, the iPhone 5s makes significant improvements over the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5c in two main categories: processing and cameras. Replacing the iPhone 5’s A6 processor is a new A7 chip with twice the speed, much improved graphics, and a 64-bit architecture. The A7 enabled the iPhone 5s to be the first 64-bit smartphone, capable of enhanced gaming, video processing, and even more advanced apps in the future. It continues to support LTE cellular networks and 802.11n wireless.

The camera system benefitted from an all-new rear 8-megapixel sensor with improved light sensitivity for low-light photography. Also new is a True-Tone flash, a dual-LED flash that increases skin color accuracy when taking photos in the dark. Apple also added a Burst Mode feature to capture 10 photos per second, and a new Slow-Mo video capture mode to take 120FPS video.

As of 2015, the iPhone 5s is in the middle of the iPhone pack in performance, but still the best option available for users with small hands and/or small pockets. Everyone else should give serious consideration to the thinner, faster, and longer-running iPhone 6 or 6 Plus. The iPhone 5s is sold only in 16GB and 32GB storage capacities, the former very small. If you’re going to buy this model, we’d strongly advise spending the extra $50 for the 32GB model.

Purported (brief) video claims to show light blue ‘iPhone 5C’ in action

Mark Gurman Sep 9 2013 - 6:25 am PT

6 Comments

Similar in style to the previous purported iPhone 5C hands-on video, website CTech has uploaded a new video claiming to show the light blue/cyan iPhone 5C in action.

It’s unclear if the video is legitimate, but it certainly looks plausible. The video shows no new information, but the leak of the device is notable as it likely means that the product will be shipping sooner than later. The user interface on the low-cost device running iOS 7 appears smooth in the video.

The video shows the Lock screen, Home screen, and a bit of tab organization in the Safari app. The iPhone 5C will be announced at the Apple event tomorrow, and it will launch alongside the higher-end iPhone 5S, which will sport a faster processor, fingerprint scanner, and come in a gold color option.

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How will AAPL stock price react to iPhone 5S/5C launch? Let’s look at history

Ben Lovejoy Sep 9 2013 - 6:18 am PT

4 Comments

A chart posted by Fortune showing what happened to Apple’s stock price for 12 months before and after each new iPhone launch shows that it rose after four of the six launches.

Conventional wisdom says that Apple traders buy the rumor and sell the news, but the series of stock charts Deutsche Bank’s Chris Whitmore shared with clients Monday suggest the opposite.

The brief piece explains the exceptions by observing that the 3G launched just before a major recession and the iPhone 5 when the stock was already at an all-time high, but we wouldn’t suggest investing any money on the basis of those six squiggly lines …

Update: BTIG’s Waltyer Piecyk has posted some more short-term historical data, suggesting that the separation of iPhone announcements from WWDC ended the ‘sell on the news’ phenomenon:

Sketchy photos claim to show iPhone 5S box with tweaked home button as fingerprint sensor speculation increases

Michael Steeber Sep 6 2013 - 9:31 am PT

37 Comments

Update: C Technology has provided higher quality versions of the images above, which can be seen in the gallery at the bottom.

Only days away from Apple’s September 10th iPhone event, new photos have come out which claim to show the box for the upcoming iPhone 5S. The same site has also leaked alleged photos of iPhone 5C packaging in the past. Notable here is the tweaked home button design, which appears to ditch the iconic inset square in favor of a ring around the edge.

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Analysts predicting record iPhone launch, China & Japan deals adding up to 38M extra sales

Ben Lovejoy Sep 6 2013 - 6:03 am PT

1 Comment

Photo: mshcdn.com

Analysts are predicting the the launch of the iPhone 5S and 5C will set new records for Apple with the company selling up to 13M handsets in the first nine days following the predicted availability date of 20th September. That’s close to double the 7M phones sold in the first nine days of the iPhone 5 launch.

The prediction is made by Pacific Crest analyst Andy Hargreaves, cited by AllThingsD:

For Hargreaves, that means fourth-quarter iPhone sales of 31 million iPhones. Of those, he figures 10 million will be the new models. That’s a big number considering the limited number of selling days left in the quarter, but Hargreaves feels it could go higher still — to 13 million, with some “extremely efficient supply chain management” …
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Japan’s largest carrier DoCoMo & Apple reportedly agree to iPhone partnership, sales start this fall

Mark Gurman Sep 5 2013 - 11:43 am PT

1 Comment

Japan’s largest mobile carrier, DoCoMo, will finally begin selling the iPhone this fall, according to Nikkei. Apple and DoCoMo reportedly recently came to an agreement, and reports regarding the discussions emerged late last month.

With Apple announcing two new iPhones next week, it is likely that DoCoMo will carry the new devices. Apple will be announcing a successor to the iPhone 5 (the iPhone 5S) as well as a lower-cost, plastic backed iPhone 5 geared towards emerging markets.

Earlier today, chatter increased regarding other next-generation iPhone launches in China, including debuts on China Telecom and China Mobile…

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China Telecom apparently slips iPhone 5S, 5C arriving in China at launch, temporarily offers pre-orders

Mark Gurman Sep 5 2013 - 11:28 am PT

4 Comments

“Gold” iPhone 5S backplate

China Telecom, one of the carriers in China to carry Apple’s iPhone, posted a message on microblogging website Weibo indicating that it will soon carry both of Apple’s upcoming iPhones: the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C. The message has since been deleted.

With Apple holding a satellite stream of the September 10th media event in China, it is already likely that the country will see a promoted launch of both of the new iPhones. However, the information from China Telecom seems to indicate that the launch will occur early in Apple’s new iPhone release cycle. With past iPhone launches, Apple saved the China debut for weeks or months after the device’s first hit countries like the United States, Germany, and Australia.

A post on Sina indicates a September 20th launch, a date forecasted by some reports.

Perhaps corroborating a launch soon after the unveiling, major China-based retailer Dixintong is said to begin carrying the new iPhones on September 25th. It’s unclear if this is a general launch date for China, or just the date that this specific retailer has chosen.

In addition to seeing the device early-on in the release plan, recent chatter seems to indicate that China Mobile, the largest mobile carrier in the country, will gain the iPhone with the launches of the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C. The lower-cost, plastic backed iPhone 5C seems to have been developed with markets such as China in mind…

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What did Apple have to concede to get the China Mobile deal?

Ben Lovejoy Sep 5 2013 - 7:50 am PT

8 Comments

Photo: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg

Bloomberg is running an interesting piece speculating that Apple may be having to concede far more than it might wish in order to sign the all-important deal with China Mobile.

“In this relationship, China Mobile has all of the power,” said Edward Zabitsky, chief executive officer of Toronto-based ACI Research. “China Mobile will offer the iPhone as soon as Apple gives in on price.”

It is, as the piece observes, rather an unusual position for Apple to find itself in: the weaker party in negotiations with a carrier.

Speculation has encompassed significant discounts, a contribution to marketing spend and even a share of App Store revenue.

“China Mobile certainly believes they should be able to get a part of the content pie,” said HSBC’s Tucker Grinnan in Hong Kong. “Apple is going to have to be a bit more flexible on how they approach that.”

We’d be pretty astonished if Apple were willing to go that far, but it does need to bring this deal home, and its press event in Beijing on 11th September (the day after its global media event) creates a deadline it has to hit.

Other possibilities are offering exclusives on new models for a limited time, or exclusive colors. Neither would be at all likely in normal circumstances, but these circumstances are far from normal.

We may never get to learn the precise terms of the deal, but one thing will be very visible: the cost of the handsets. In a country where low-cost handsets proliferate, the expectation is that China Mobile wants price concessions not to boost its margins, but rather to make the iPhone 5C in particular sufficiently attractive to local buyers.

Apple announces its September 10 iPhone event in Cupertino: ‘This should brighten everyone’s day’

Benjamin Mayo Sep 3 2013 - 9:04 am PT

65 Comments

Apple has just sent out invites for their September 10th event, scheduled for 10 AM PST, via The Loop. Apple is hosting the event on campus in Cupertino.

The invite reaffirms expectations that Apple will launch two new models of iPhone for the first time, dubbed the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5C. As indicated by the numerous case leaks over the last few months, the iPhone 5C is expected to be available in a variety of colors. The invite seems to back this up, showing many different colored dots and uses the strapline “This should brighten everyone’s day”, which further hints at the possibility of different colors.

For the 5S, the design will be similar to the current iPhone 5, with improved internals (such as a faster, more efficient A7 processor), a possible fingerprint sensor and be offered in a gold variant, alongside the usual black and white color choices.

Apple will announce the official launch dates for these new devices at the event. Apple’s behaviour in the previous years would suggest that the new iPhones will be available to buy on the 20th September, two weeks after their announcement. On Friday, we reported that Verizon is blocking employee vacations between the 18th and the 22nd of September, a very good indicator that new iPhones will be released in this timeframe.

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New photo claims to show iPhone 5S home button part, possibly pointing to fingerprint sensor

Michael Steeber Sep 3 2013 - 9:02 am PT

9 Comments

New photos coming out today claim to show the flex cable and home button for the upcoming iPhone 5S. Although labeled as an iPhone 5C flex cable, this image points to an iPhone 5S part, not 5C. Of note here is the drastically different design when compared to both the iPhone 5 home button assembly and earlier iPhone 5S leaks, pointing to support for the much rumored fingerprint sensor...

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Case-Mate’s iPhone 5C designs ‘evleak’ out, including September 20th ship date

Ben Lovejoy Sep 3 2013 - 5:12 am PT

12 Comments

Update: A bunch more cases have been added below.

Evleaks, a source with an excellent reputation for reliability, has tweeted two photos of aftermarket iPhone 5C cases, together with a very specific shipping date: 8am on 20th September.

It’s widely expected that Apple will announce the 5C (along with the iPhone 5S) on 10th September, and that it will go on sale on the 20th. Both T-Mobile and Verizon have blocked employee vacations around this date.

The photos as posted were rather small – we’ve enlarged them to give a better look …
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Higher-capacity iPhone 5 seeing shortages as Verizon blocks Sept. 18-22nd vacations

Mark Gurman Aug 30 2013 - 9:13 am PT

5 Comments

As Apple’s September 10th iPhone unveiling approaches, we’ve heard that Verizon Wireless is blocking its retail employees from requesting vacations between Wednesday, September 18th and Sunday, September 22nd. Based on Apple historically shipping new versions of the iPhone about a week and half following the unveiling, it would make sense for the new iPhones to arrive for customers on Friday, September 20th.

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Gold, Graphite iPhone 5S shells shown on video, structure compared to iPhone 5

Michael Steeber Aug 29 2013 - 3:19 pm PT

8 Comments

In what seems to be a never-ending string of “gold” iPhone 5S part leaks, new high-quality videos analyze what appear to be legitimate rear shells for the upcoming iPhone 5S…

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Apple’s iPhone ‘Reuse and Recycle’ trade-in program detailed, begins rolling out August 30th

Mark Gurman Aug 27 2013 - 9:58 am PT

21 Comments

Yesterday, we reported that Apple is gearing up to launch its iPhone trade-in program in September. The program will allow an iPhone user to exchange an older iPhone model for a new iPhone at a discounted price. Today, we’ve learned several new details about the program, including how it works, the official name, and information about the launch.

The trade-in program will be marketed as the “iPhone Reuse and Recycle Program.” It will begin rolling out in select Apple Stores this upcoming Friday, August 30th. Like we previously reported, a larger-scale rollout will occur during the month of September.

The program is applicable to both standard customers and business customers that want to purchase a new iPhone.

Here’s how it will work:

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New ‘leaked’ photos claim to show fourth iPhone 5S color – graphite – but we’re skeptical

Ben Lovejoy Aug 26 2013 - 6:02 am PT

23 Comments

With a dramatic title of ‘Behold: The First Part Leaks of the Grey or Graphite iPhone 5S!’, Sonny Dickson has released what he claims are leaked photos of a fourth iPhone 5S color: grey.

Given the extent of the apparently solid leaks of the gold or champagne color, it would be odd for there to have been no prior leaks of a fourth color. There are several alternative explanations for what is apparently shown here.

First, this type of photo is very easy to fake, either in Photoshop or by overlaying readily-available black glass on a white iPhone. Second, it could be a genuine Apple prototype from a stage at which Apple was trying out other colors. Third, it could be a quality-control failure. Finally, and most likely of all, it could be a counterfeit. Counterfeit iPhones have been around in China for years (hell, there are even counterfeit Apple stores), some of which attempt to be close replicas and some of which use different colors. It’s a near-certainty that there are already knock-offs in existence based on the 5S.

Even lighting and angle can create this kind of illusion. The photo below is simply a standard white iPhone 5 which appears very similar in appearance to the claimed graphite 5S without any alteration:

This doesn’t appear likely to be the explanation in this case, as we see the phone from several angles, but it does serve as a useful reminder not to get too excited by such claims.

Remember what the iPhone 5 looked like in all the pre-announcement leaks?

Let me remind you; http://t.co/vWv9ZAUUx2 http://t.co/AxR3F51DHn

— 𝑵𝒆𝒘𝒂𝒓 (@sentry) August 26, 2013

None of this means the photos couldn’t be genuine, but that’s certainly not where we’d be putting our money. Either way, we don’t have too long to wait: the iPhone 5S is expected to be unveiled at a media event on 10th September and go on sale on the 20th.

Apple said to have tested 64-bit ‘A7’ chips for iPhone 5S, 31% speed increases reported

Mark Gurman Aug 25 2013 - 8:32 am PT

25 Comments

As Apple’s iPhone 5S event approaches, some new details about the new device’s internals are emerging. Clayton Morris has claimed on Twitter that the iPhone 5S’s A7 processor is “running at about 31% faster” than the iPhone 5’s A6 chip. The iPhone 5’s A6 chip is dual-core, and it seems like the iPhone 5S will also remain dual-core.

However, there could be a major differentiator: 64-bit. We’ve independently heard claims that some of the iPhone 5S internal prototypes include 64-bit processors.

It’s unclear if 64-bit will make the cut, but it’s been in testing. We’re told that the 64-bit processing will assist the A7 chip in making animations, transparencies, and other iOS 7 graphical effects appear much more smoothly than on existing iOS Devices…

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‘iPhone 5S’ box photos making the rounds are certainly fake (updated)

Michael Steeber Aug 22 2013 - 11:11 am PT

1 Comment

Update: The creator of these images has spoken out on Twitter, confirming that he made them in Adobe Illustrator:

https://twitter.com/nate_0102/status/370632905304702976

Chinese site Tencent Digital [translated link] has posted photos of what they claim to be the iPhone 5S’s official packaging, as well as a shot of the device itself, revealing the much-rumored dual-LED flash. Also of notable interest in the photos is the “128GB” capacity marking on the alleged packaging, lining up with previous rumors… According to our analysis, these photos (above) are absolutely fake. However, they have unfortunately begun making the rounds online.

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iPhone 5S will come in gold & likely sport fingerprint sensor, iPad iOS 7 running behind

Mark Gurman Aug 19 2013 - 9:29 am PT

30 Comments

As Apple’s September 10th event iPhone event approaches, we’ve learned some additional details and have independently heard some of the already-floating around information regarding the upcoming announcements.

We’ve long been expecting Apple to launch an iPhone 5S at this upcoming event, an iPhone that looks almost identical to the iPhone 5 but with improved internals. For past iPhone “S” upgrades, like the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4S, Apple has retained the same design and colors as the previous models. Black and white units in both of those cases.
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But, we’ve heard, 2013 will be a bit different. Color will be a differentiator. Much like the much-rumored plastic iPhone will see Apple expand its color palette for iPhones, the iPhone 5S will move beyond the black/slate and white/silver options offered for the iPhone 5…

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New photos claim to show Apple’s rumored gold color option for iPhone 5S

Jordan Kahn Aug 16 2013 - 10:48 am PT

20 Comments

Following several recent reports claiming that Apple was preparing to introduce a new gold color option for the next iPhone in addition to multiple color options rumored for a new low-cost iPhone, today MacBoutic (via Engadget) posted images allegedly showing the gold-colored back casing for the device.

Yesterday KGI’s Mingchi Kuo was the first reliable source to report that a next-generation iPhone would include “golden casing” alongside a new 128GB option. Previously, less reliable sources claimed also claimed that Apple had a gold iPhone in the works. Kuo also added that the next-generation iPhone will include “a sapphire home button with fingerprint sensor,” something we’ve heard several times in recent months.

Curiously, the source of today’s photos says it “deliberately blurred the “Apple” logo and the words “iPhone” on the back” of the device.” It’s worth pointing out that we have no way to confirm if these are the real deal (we’ve certainly seen a lot of fakes floating around), and it’s easy to get your hands on color conversions that typically don’t include the Apple logo and other iPhone markings.
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Report: Apple releasing iOS 7 GM on Sept. 5 to employees/carriers, developers on Sept. 10

Jordan Kahn Aug 15 2013 - 7:24 am PT

6 Comments

BGR is reporting that Apple is preparing to release the final beta release of iOS 7, beta 6, sometime next week followed by a final Gold Master release ahead of Apple’s expected September 10th iPhone event. It’s not exactly that surprising, as next week would mark two weeks from the release of beta 5, and Apple was on a two week schedule prior to the Developer Center outages. BGR is also claiming that Apple plans to seed a final GM version of the software on September 5th to employees and partners and release it to developers after the event early next month:

After iOS 7 beta 6, Apple will be seeding a GM (gold master) version for its employees and partners to test starting around September 5th. This will mostly likely be the software that is released to the public later on in the month of September, barring any major bugs or problems that might be discovered… After Apple and its partners are comfortable with the gold master build, the company will release it to developers on September 10th, the day of the company’s iPhone event.

It’s not hard to predict that a GM is just around the corner, as Apple would clearly want to have it ready for its September 10th iPhone event. BGR doesn’t provide a specific source of the information, but a release of the final iOS 7 version on September 10th to developers is a given if Apple continues in the tradition of years past.

Smart finally beats dumb, but while smartphones rise Apple’s share falls

Ben Lovejoy Aug 14 2013 - 4:48 am PT

7 Comments

Image: digitaltrends.com

In the circles most of us hang out, it might seem incredible that featurephones – aka dumb phones – were still outselling smartphones until recently, but that was indeed the case right up to the first quarter of this year. The latest Gartner figures show that smartphones finally broke ahead in Q2, achieving 51.8 percent of worldwide phone sales.

Smartphones accounted for 51.8 percent of mobile phone sales in the second quarter of 2013, resulting in smartphone sales surpassing feature phone sales for the first time,” said Anshul Gupta, principal research analyst at Gartner. Asia/Pacific, Latin America and Eastern Europe exhibited the highest smartphone growth rates of 74.1 percent, 55.7 percent and 31.6 percent respectively, as smartphone sales grew in all regions.

The news wasn’t quite so good for Apple, with its year-on-year marketshare dropping more than four points to 14.2 percent.

This does, however, reflect a period in which market leader Samsung launched a flurry of new handsets. Apple’s position is likely to improve substantially when the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C are launched, likely next month.

Via TechCrunch

Bloomberg: Thinner iPad 5, Retina iPad mini this year & Sept. 10 iPhone event

Mark Gurman Aug 12 2013 - 3:41 pm PT

1 Comment

Bloomberg has corroborated multiple reports regarding Apple’s next iPad and iPhone models.

Thinner full-sized iPad planned. We first reported that the next full-sized iPad would be thinner, lighter and similar in design to the iPad mini. WSJ reiterated it this morning.

Apple also plans to introduce a new iPad mini, the first with a high-resolution screen, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the development is private. The new iPad models are set to be introduced in the last three months of the year, one of the people said.

iPad mini with sharper display planned, as reported last month by the WSJ. Separately, we previously discovered iOS 7 code that points to Apple toying with a future non-Retina iPad mini.
Bloomberg has also corroborated AllThingsD‘s report that Apple will hold an iPhone-focused media event on September 10th.

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Further evidence for dual-flash in iPhone 5S emerges, promising natural-looking indoor shots

Ben Lovejoy Aug 12 2013 - 6:35 am PT

3 Comments

Further evidence has emerged for suggestions that the iPhone 5S could have dual-LED flash in the form of photos of what French leak site NWE claims are part of the rear shell. The slot for the flash has room for two LEDs rather than one.

While it’s possible this is simply to double the power of the flash, analyst Ming Chi-Kuo has previously suggested that the LED flash will feature both white and yellow-based lights. If so, the result should be far more natural-looking indoor flash-lit shots. Explanation below the fold …
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New iPhone production spurs huge growth for Pegatron even as PC decline continues

Ben Lovejoy Aug 12 2013 - 4:22 am PT

1 Comment

Photo: vr-zone.net

Apple supplier Pegatron is forecasting up to a 50 percent growth in its Q3 revenues despite its PC business continuing to decline, with the bulk of this growth likely to come from the iPhone, reports Reuters. Pegatron made the announcement after failing to hit analyst expectations in Q2.

“We expect revenue in the non-computing segment to grow by 40 to 50 percent in Q3 due to new consumer products. Q4 will also be higher,” said company CEO and President Jason Cheng in an investor conference.

Pegatron has been pretty much confirmed as making the iPhone 5C – the plastic iPhone – with some Digitimes-based rumors suggesting it may also be a secondary supplier for the 5S, whose production is being led by Foxconn. Both handsets are expected to be announced by Apple on 10th September …
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‘iPhone 5S’ (plus gold model), ‘iPhone 5C’ will actually be names of next iPhones?

Mark Gurman Aug 11 2013 - 11:32 am PT

13 Comments

<a href="http://9to5mac.com/2013/08/10/new-mockups-claim-to-show-iphone-5s-and-iphone-5c-designs-gallery/">iPhone 5S/5C physical mockups</a>

Apple’s next two iPhone models will be named iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C, according to a report from Japan-based Macotakara. With repeated reports and rumors of the next-generation iPhone retaining the same design as the iPhone 5, the “iPhone 5S” name has long been claimed and regarded as the name of the new flagship iPhone. Apple’s iPhone 4S and iPhone 3GS retained the designs of the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3G, respectively.

However, because of Apple’s surprise naming scheme for the third-generation iPad (The new iPad), an outright claim of the name “iPhone 5S” may be important to some interested in the upcoming device.

As for the “iPhone 5C,” this name gained attention when purported packaging materials for the upcoming, lower-cost, plastic iPhone surfaced in photos online. It is unclear what the “C” in “5C” could stand for, but speculation and logic points to the “C” standing for “color.” Like recent iPod touch models, this plastic iPhone is rumored to come in a series of colors…

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