The iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C might have been launched at the same time, but they're very different beasts in terms of design, spec and, perhaps most importantly, cost. So instead of muddling through on your own, here's our guide to help you decide which one is for you.
Are you design-conscious? Do you need that 64-bit technology? Are you tired of passwords? We've created this guide to highlight the key features of each handset to help you decide which iPhone suits you.
Design
As with every iPhone in existence, both the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5C follow very similar design strategies. The screen and the home button are both central to the 'flavour', and both the 5S and the 5C come with the Apple and iPhone logos on the rear.
The 3.5mm headphone jack sits in the lower left corner, with the lightning port in the centre of the base. Volume keys and the lock key are also identically placed on both models. In all, a very similar start, but that's where it ends.
Following on from the iPhone 5 before it, the iPhone 5S comes in a metal chassis measuring 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6mm. This makes it smaller than the plastic iPhone 5C, which measures 124.4 x 59.2 x 8.97mm. The plastic hasn't made the 5C lighter though, as it comes in 20g heavier than the 5S; 132g to 122g.
This weight is particularly noticeable whilst holding the two phones, although the iPhone 5C manages to feel a little more comfortable. The plastic back wraps around the 5C more than the metal frame of the 5S, resulting in a more pleasing grip.
- Read our in-depth iPhone 5S review
Apple's svelte design of the 5S does bring a slightly cheaper feel (borne out in the price), with the sharper lines of the iPhone 5S packing a tangibly more premium punch.
The iPhone 5C would look a little strange in the stiff working environment, but far more comfortable in the hands of a teen or young adult.
According to Apple, the C in iPhone 5C is meant to stand for colour, with five different colours available; green, blue, yellow, pink and white. The bright colours and plastic chassis give the iPhone 5C a cheaper feel - it certainly wouldn't feel out of place in a ball pit.
The metal chassis of the iPhone 5S comes in either 'space grey' and black, gold and white, or silver and white. These help give the 5S a far more premium look and feel. The redesigned home button (to incorporate Touch ID) is also a nice touch with the lack of white square giving the front of the 5S a smoother, more professional look.
While we really like the design of the iPhone 5C, it doesn't quite meet the same standards of the iPhone 5S. The plastic casing does result in a cheaper price tag, but the metal casing of the 5S matches its higher cost better than the 5C.
Camera
In terms of camera performance, the iPhone 5C and the iPhone 5S come with identical forward-facing sensors. This means that for those heavily invested in the likes of Snapchat, or enjoy posting selfies to Facebook or Instagram, both handsets have you equally covered.
The difference in cameras is exclusive to the rear sensor, although both come with 8MP to capture those candid, and less so, moments.
Differences in the cameras lie deeper than just the amount of pixels that have been crammed into the sensor though. The size of the pixels on each sensor has changed, with the iPhone 5S commanding larger pixels and therefore allowing more light in.
The iPhone 5S also comes with optical image stabilisation (OIS), helping to make images come out clearer, especially in low light conditions. Minor blurring associated with slight hand movements has been lowered as a result, if not eradicated.
