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roxics

macrumors 6502
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Aug 4, 2013
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My girlfriend and I were talking last night about all the different iPhones we've owned. She started with the 4s, I started with the original. We both had traded in our 4s for an iPhone 5c at the Apple store, but the only reason I did is because they were out of the 5. It was day one. She was getting a 5c, and honestly I just think I didn't want to walk out empty handed that day. So I went for the 5c as well and ended up loving it. Even though I also kind of regretted not getting the 5 just because of some of its features. But I still have that 5c.

Looking back now, I'm glad I got the 5c. It was original. Apple really hasn't made a phone like it since. Everything has been aluminum and glass, or I guess lately some titanium.

But we also talked about how it was kind of a missed opportunity with the colors they offered on the 5c. They were a bit too pastel. I ended up with the white one because I didn't care for the pastel colors. She got the green because she liked how it looked under the black case with all the holes in it. Had they offered something like electric blue or hot pink or neon green, something akin to the colors offered on the old iPod Nanos, I think that would have been a better fit. Brighter more playful colors to match the plastic bodies. I would have had a harder time picking which one I wanted.

I would love to see a modern rendition of the 5c. In fact if we didn't have specs already floating around for the new SE4, I think that would be the perfect platform for a lower cost, bright colored, polycarbonate iPhone that still bares the iPhone 14 screen size and overall shape. Maybe throw in the option to toggle on a virtual home button at the bottom with an under screen touch-id sensor so all the boomers won't feel out of place trading in their SE3 models. :)
Considering I'm still on the 8 plus myself, that would be perfect for me too.
 
I get the appeal of the colours but plastic and metal side by side don't have the same appeal in quality and feel to me. In the end Apple wants to charge their premium pricing right? Also bear in mind that a plastic back increases weight and thickness:

iPhone 5 - 112 grams, 7.6mm
iPhone 5C - 132 grams, 8.97mm
 
I get the appeal of the colours but plastic and metal side by side don't have the same appeal in quality and feel to me. In the end Apple wants to charge their premium pricing right? Also bear in mind that a plastic back increases weight and thickness:

iPhone 5 - 112 grams, 7.6mm
iPhone 5C - 132 grams, 8.97mm
I don't mind the extra thickness. Especially if we could get rid of camera bumps and maybe put in user removable batteries.Though I doubt Apple would ever do either.
 
My girlfriend and I were talking last night about all the different iPhones we've owned. She started with the 4s, I started with the original. We both had traded in our 4s for an iPhone 5c at the Apple store, but the only reason I did is because they were out of the 5. It was day one. She was getting a 5c, and honestly I just think I didn't want to walk out empty handed that day. So I went for the 5c as well and ended up loving it. Even though I also kind of regretted not getting the 5 just because of some of its features. But I still have that 5c.

Looking back now, I'm glad I got the 5c. It was original. Apple really hasn't made a phone like it since. Everything has been aluminum and glass, or I guess lately some titanium.

But we also talked about how it was kind of a missed opportunity with the colors they offered on the 5c. They were a bit too pastel. I ended up with the white one because I didn't care for the pastel colors. She got the green because she liked how it looked under the black case with all the holes in it. Had they offered something like electric blue or hot pink or neon green, something akin to the colors offered on the old iPod Nanos, I think that would have been a better fit. Brighter more playful colors to match the plastic bodies. I would have had a harder time picking which one I wanted.

I would love to see a modern rendition of the 5c. In fact if we didn't have specs already floating around for the new SE4, I think that would be the perfect platform for a lower cost, bright colored, polycarbonate iPhone that still bares the iPhone 14 screen size and overall shape. Maybe throw in the option to toggle on a virtual home button at the bottom with an under screen touch-id sensor so all the boomers won't feel out of place trading in their SE3 models. :)
Considering I'm still on the 8 plus myself, that would be perfect for me too.
Well, the iPhone 5c was premium plastic…so Jony Ive convinced you I guess.
 
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Polycarbonate is such a good material for phones: strong, incredibly lightweight, durable, etc... I wish phone manufacturers got back into it. 😞
Well, they’d still need to incorporate a strong metal frame for it to not be the iPhone 6 reloaded.
 
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My first iPhone was iPhone 5 32GB back in 2016... I didn't have the money to purchase the latest model at the time...

I initially chose iPhone 5 [aluminum] over iPhone 5c [polycarbonate/plastic] because of the material but after holding the iPhone 5c, I realized I should have purchased the 5c instead of the 5... Yes, it is polycarbonate/plastic, it is glossy/shiny, looks cheap but it feels sturdier and heavier because of the stainless steel frame...

After iPhone 5, I have also purchased an iPhone 5s and iPhone SE 2016, again several years after they were brand new... Performance-wise, iPhone SE 2016 is the best but for in-hand feel, I will still go with iPhone 5c...

I broke the screen of iPhone 5c and got it replaced with a non-Apple part through a cheap repair and I ended up selling it instead of using it again... It was SIM-locked/network-locked and I decided not to put a screen protector which I later regretted... It was the "Hero" color - blue - which is still my favorite...

The last iPhone of that size that still used a home button was iPhone SE 2016 and because it never got a proper successor, just this year I decided to purchase another iPhone 5c which was only available in white...

I wish I can downgrade it to iOS 8.4.1 just like how it can be done with iPhone 5, but even with iOS 10.3.3, it has barely any app support... I'm surprised that Maps on iOS 10.3.3 still works even though it does not support the features found in newer versions...

I have Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto Vice City installed along with Facebook and Instagram...

It is one of the closest to a basic phone that is still a smartphone with built-in apps that are still somewhat usable... It does not support VoLTE but can still be used for calls using 3G network, although only in countries that still have active 3G networks...

Apple should repurpose iPhone 5c and release an updated version... The spiritual successor of iPhone 5c is iPhone XR although it is aluminum + glass and not polycarbonate/plastic...


 
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It was nice. It always could be seen in the crowd; sticking out. But that was actually perfect, it really looked like something new.
The only problem if they made a polycarbonate version of the SE it would not support MagSafe or qi charging (does the SE3 support it? Don’t know, the last SE I used was the original, and then my friend had the 5c)
 
It was nice. It always could be seen in the crowd; sticking out. But that was actually perfect, it really looked like something new.
The only problem if they made a polycarbonate version of the SE it would not support MagSafe or qi charging (does the SE3 support it? Don’t know, the last SE I used was the original, and then my friend had the 5c)

SE3 (and SE2) supports wireless charging but not MagSafe. Probably because Apple was too cheap to add the magnets to the SE3.

The reason Apple switched to glass backs is because wireless charging won't work through metal. Polycarbonate/plastic will work just as well as glass for that and is more durable to boot.
 
I get the appeal of the colours but plastic and metal side by side don't have the same appeal in quality and feel to me. In the end Apple wants to charge their premium pricing right? Also bear in mind that a plastic back increases weight and thickness:

iPhone 5 - 112 grams, 7.6mm
iPhone 5C - 132 grams, 8.97mm

That's aluminum vs plastic. I'm betting glass vs plastic is going to be quite different.
 
As far as I know most plastics degrades fairly quick and are sensitive to things such as sunlight and heat. I guess newer phones do need better cooling the chassis works as part of the cooling solution.

I did like the 5C when it came out but don't think plastic is a material that's optimal to use in newer phones.
 
As far as I know most plastics degrades fairly quick and are sensitive to things such as sunlight and heat. I guess newer phones do need better cooling the chassis works as part of the cooling solution.

I did like the 5C when it came out but don't think plastic is a material that's optimal to use in newer phones.

Plastics do not degrade quickly, quite the opposite! Sure plastic is sensitive to sunlight and heat and will become brittle over time but we’re talking years not mere days.
 
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Plastics do not degrade quickly, quite the opposite! Sure plastic is sensitive to sunlight and heat and will become brittle over time but we’re talking years not mere days.
It depends on what plastics we are talking about. Some plastics are designed to degrade in a few months (i.e certain plastic bags) while some last a lot longer.
Polycarbonate is used in a number of ways, not sure how the casing in the 5C has lasted, but since its being used in all from the aircraft industry to making blueray discs.

One other reason why it isn't used might be recycling, metals could be easier to recycle than a polycarbonate case.
 
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