Cupertino (USA) - For the first time, Apple has announced two different iPhone models to cater to the changing consumer markets for smartphones. The iPhone 5S is the traditional upgrade of an existing model, while the iPhone 5C is a slightly cheaper phone that is available in brighter colours.
Both devices will run on the company's latest mobile operating system, iOS 7, and Singapore will be one of the first countries to get the phones when they go on sale on Sept 20 via the local Apple online store, select Apple resellers and across all three local telcos.
The new iPhone 5s sports the exact design and dimensions of its predecessor, offering the same 4-inch touchscreen display and aluminium chassis. The new iPhone 5S is 7.7mm thin and weighs a mere 112g.
But the insides have been upgraded, with a new camera and faster processor. It is also the world's first smartphone to use the 64-bit desktop computing architecture.
Available in five colours, the iPhone 5C is the first iPhone with a plastic exterior, which has been moulded over a steel frame. It is also bigger than both the existing iPhone 5 and new 5S, as it is 1.3mm thicker and 20g heavier. It also lacks the fingerprint sensor of 5S, and does not come in 64GB storage capacity.