Apple iPhone 5C review: Discontinued and no longer supported

Update: iOS 10.3.2 update stops iPhone 5C support

Got an iPhone 5C? You need to read this. Apple is no longer supporting its near four-year-old handset, with its latest iOS update – iOS 10.3.2 – not coming to the device. That’s bad news for iPhone 5C owners, but there’s reason behind Apple’s madness.

For starters, it’s pretty obvious that Apple is trying to give you a little nudge to upgrade from your ancient handset. The iPhone 7 is out, and it’s a decent phone, so now’s better than ever to take the jump. So long as you can afford it of course.

Most importantly, though, iOS 10.3.2 only supports Apple’s devices with a 64-bit infrastructure. Anything older than an iPhone 5S is all but dead in the water, as Apple’s earlier handsets all ran on a 32-bit architecture. This may have caused headaches within Apple’s software team whenever updates came about.

Regardless, you can read my original iPhone 5C review, below.

Apple iPhone 5C review

The iPhone 5C didn’t go down well with many, as it was Apple’s first colourful, but yet plastic phone to the market. Due to its high price, and low performance – many opted to buy an Android phone instead, such as the Moto G.

However, since its launch, where it was priced at £469, it can now be found refurbished between £80-130 through eBay or Amazon. This makes it a lot more affordable that the iPhone SE which costs £359. Continue reading for our original review (priced at £469).

Apple iPhone 5C review: Plastic fantastic

It’s important to note that the iPhone 5C is essentially, specs wise, an iPhone 5 in new clothing, making the handset three years old today. Of course the 5C looks different, with a plastic chassis. Before the phone launched and we got our hands on it, there were some questions as to whether plastic was the right choice. This being Apple, it’s fair to say that it has managed to make plastic feel premium.

A single moulded piece of polycarbonate attached to a reinforced cage means the iPhone 5C feels extremely tough and well made

For starters Apple has used a single piece of moulded polycarbonate. This means that the iPhone 5C looks incredibly well made with no gaps or joins in the case. Plastic can often feel a bit creaky, but Apple has attached the case to a steel frame inside, which means it feels exceptionally tough and durable. Finally, the company lacquered the outside, which will reduce scratching, although a case is still a good idea.

Moving to this design means that the iPhone 5C is slightly heavier than the iPhone 5, at 132g compared to 112g. It’s fair to say that this minor weight difference isn’t going to make any difference to anyone. Of course, moving to plastic, means that Apple can now work with a wider range of colours, with the iPhone 5C available in white, red, yellow, blue and green. No matter what your preference, there’s a colour out there that will suit you.

There’s a wide-enough range of colours that you’ll definitely find an iPhone 5C that you like the look of

Apple also sells a range of cases in the same colours, with holes cut out so you can see through to the iPhone’s original colour. This lets you mix and match your colours to get the effect you want, although we’re not massive fans of the new case and prefer a shell or something that protects the screen. However, we like the way that Apple pre-sets each iPhone 5C so that its screen backdrop matches the colour of the case. Admittedly we’ve seen the same from Nokia and Windows Phone, but it’s still a nice touch.