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Apple announces the iPhone 5c: 4-inch Retina display, plastic design, available in five colors starting at $99 on-contract

And then there were two. Apple has for the first time announced a second new iPhone model: the iPhone 5c. As rumored, the device has a colorful new polycarbonate design, which Apple says is made from a single part save the front panel -- the whole of which is a multitouch surface -- and reinforced with a steel structure that's said to be made using a new construction method. It's "beautifully, unapologetically plastic," according to Apple's Jony Ive.

As for specs, you'll get the same 4-inch Retina display as the iPhone 5 (full sRGB), plus an A6 processor, LTE, Bluetooth 4.0 and dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi connectivity, a higher capacity battery and an 8-megapixel, backside-illuminated camera with a 5-element lens. A new front-facing camera also promises better performance in low light.

Available in blue, white, pink, yellow and green, the 5C will set you back $99 on a two-year contract for the 16GB version, or $199 for the 32GB (off-contract options run $549 and $649). Those looking for a bit of added protection can also opt for one of the new cases that Apple has designed to match the phone -- they'll set you back $29 apiece. Pre-orders will open up on September 13th, with the phone set to ship alongside the iPhone 5s a week later on September 20th.

Check out all the coverage at our iPhone 'Special Event' 2013 event hub!

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Apple Introduces iPhone 5c-The Most Colorful iPhone Yet
All-New Design, Packed with Incredible Features in Five Gorgeous Colors

CUPERTINO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apple® today introduced iPhone® 5c, featuring an all-new design, packed with incredible features in five gorgeous colors-blue, green, pink, yellow and white. iPhone 5c is built on a foundation of features people know and love like the beautiful 4-inch Retina® display, blazing fast performance of the A6 chip, and the 8 megapixel iSight® camera-all while delivering great battery life. iPhone 5c comes with more LTE bands than any other smartphone in the world, a new FaceTime® HD camera, and iOS 7, the most significant iOS update since the original iPhone.

"iPhone 5c is designed with a beautiful polycarbonate enclosure that looks and feels so solid in your hand."

"iPhone 5c is everything iPhone 5 was and more, in an all-new design packed with great features," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. "iPhone 5c is designed with a beautiful polycarbonate enclosure that looks and feels so solid in your hand."

iPhone 5c features an all-new design crafted from a single, hard-coated polycarbonate body with a steel reinforced frame for a solid, sturdy feel. The steel frame holds the internal components and also doubles as the iPhone 5c's multiband antenna. The enclosure is one continuous and seamless structure that is finished with a hard coat for a durable and incredibly glossy surface. To complement the all-new iPhone 5c design, Apple created soft, matte, microfiber-lined cases in a very intentional contrast to the glossy, hard coat finish. These sleek silicone cases with unique circular patterns let splashes of color show through, and with five iPhone 5c colors and six cases to choose from, you can mix and match for dozens of fun combinations.

iPhone 5c comes with all the features customers love in iPhone 5, and more. The Apple-designed A6 chip provides incredible performance and power efficiency, all while delivering great battery life, so almost everything you do on iPhone 5c is blazing fast, from launching apps and loading web pages to downloading email attachments. iPhone 5c features a stunning 4-inch Retina display and an 8 megapixel iSight camera, the most popular camera in the world. iPhone 5c also includes a new FaceTime HD camera for even better FaceTime calls and self-portraits, and with iOS 7, you can make audio-only FaceTime calls for the first time.

iPhone 5c makes it even easier to connect to high-speed networks with support for up to 13 LTE¹ wireless bands, more than any other smartphone in the world. With download speeds up to 100 Mbps², you can browse, download and stream content even faster. iPhone 5c includes dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi support for up to 150 Mbps² and Bluetooth 4.0. iPhone 5c delivers an amazing 10 hours of talk time on 3G networks, up to 10 hours of web browsing on Wi-Fi and LTE networks and up to 8 hours on 3G networks, and up to 10 hours of video playback and up to 40 hours of audio playback.³

iPhone 5c comes with iOS 7, the most significant iOS update since the original iPhone, featuring a stunning new user interface, completely redesigned with an elegant color palette, distinct, functional layers and subtle motion that make it feel more alive. iOS 7 is designed to complement the gorgeous exteriors of iPhone 5c, with matching wallpapers and translucency that carry the color through the entire experience. iOS 7 has hundreds of great new features, including Control Center, Notification Center, improved Multitasking, AirDrop®, enhanced Photos, Safari®, Siri® and introduces iTunes Radio℠, a free Internet radio service based on the music you listen to on iTunes®.⁴

iPhone 5c customers have access to the revolutionary App Store℠, which offers more than 900,000 apps to iPhone, iPad® and iPod touch® users in 155 countries around the world. More than 50 billion apps have been downloaded from the App Store to date, offering customers an incredible range of apps in 23 categories, including newspapers and magazines in Newsstand, games and entertainment, business, news, sports, health and fitness and travel.

Designed specifically for iOS, iPhoto®, iMovie®, Pages®, Numbers® and Keynote® are among the most popular apps in the App Store and are now available as free downloads with the purchase of iPhone 5c. iPhoto and iMovie enable you to do more than you ever thought possible with your photos and movies, and with Pages, Numbers and Keynote you can create, edit and share stunning documents, spreadsheets and presentations on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.

Pricing & Availability

iPhone 5c comes in blue, green, pink, yellow and white and will be available in the US for a suggested retail price of $99 (US) for the 16GB model and $199 (US) for the 32GB model.⁵ iPhone 5c will be available from the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple's retail stores, and through AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and select Apple Authorized Resellers. iPhone 5c cases will be available in blue, green, pink, yellow, black and white for a suggested retail price of $29 (US) through the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple's retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers. iPhone 5c will be available in the US, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore and the UK on Friday, September 20, and customers can pre-order their iPhone 5c beginning Friday, September 13. A new iPhone 4S 8GB model will also be available for free.⁵ iOS 7 will be available as a free software update starting on Wednesday, September 18 for iPhone 4 and later, iPad 2 and later, iPad mini and iPod touch (fifth generation). Some features may not be available on all products.

¹ LTE is available through select carriers. Network speeds are dependent on carrier networks, check with your carrier for details.

² Based on theoretical speeds, actual speeds may vary.

³ Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.

⁴ iTunes Radio will be available with the launch of iOS 7 in the US.

⁵ For qualified customers.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.

NOTE TO EDITORS: For additional information visit Apple's PR website (www.apple.com/pr), or call Apple's Media Helpline at (408) 974-2042.

© 2013 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, Mac OS, Macintosh, iPhone, Retina, iSight, FaceTime, AirDrop, Safari, Siri, iTunes Radio, iTunes, App Store, iPad, iPod touch, iPhoto, iMovie, Pages, Numbers and Keynote are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.