Apple Inc. said Tuesday it is replacing the iPhone 5 with two different phones — the higher-end iPhone 5S, which can be bought with a gold case, and the more affordable “unapologetically plastic” iPhone 5C.
The iPhone 5S features a new system-on-a-chip that Apple claims will make it twice as fast as its predecessor and it is the first-ever 64-bit smartphone. It also features Touch ID, a fingerprint authentication security feature.
The 16 gigabyte model will retail for $199 with a 2-year contract. It will be available for sale Sept. 20.
The iPhone 5S case will be made of high-grade aluminum and is being made available in three metallic colors — silver, gold and “space gray.”
The phone is billed to have battery life that is as good or better than the iPhone 5: 10 hours of 3G talk time, 10 hours of LTE browsing, 10 hours of Wi-Fi browsing, up to 250 hours of standby.
On the other end of the product spectrum, the iPhone 5C is slated to come in at least five colors.
Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, showed the polycarbonate phones in five colors Tuesday: green, yellow, blue, white, red and yellow.
Schiller said the new phone, which will start for retail sale at $99, does not have visible seams. It will be available for preorder Sept. 13.
