With the simultaneous release of the iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s, Apple has expanded their iPhone product line to accommodate two phones. The iPhone 5s was Apple's traditional yearly upgrade to the iPhone, where it added many features to the previous generation, the iPhone 5. Apple designed the iPhone 5c, on the other hand, as a "cheaper, but still brand new" budget phone. It does, in fact, cost $100 less than the iPhone 5s. There's more behind Apple's latest money-making gimmick, though...

"C" for Color

There is no official definition for the "C" in the iPhone 5c. However, judging by Apple's heavy advertising of this aspect of their newest phone type, is likely stands for color. The new plastic enclosure on the iPhone 5c is certainly a step down from the solid aluminum enclosure on every other generation of iPhone up to now. Yet Apple has still managed to positively advertise the polycarbonate iPhone 5c. For one thing, when describing the enclosure, they tend to focus on its smoothness and glossiness. To make consumers less afraid that the product feels cheap, Jony Ive, Apple Senior Vice President in Design, states:

"[The assembly] process culminates in an extraordinarily rigid structure and a solid, dense feel that you would not expect from a plastic product."

This is mostly true thanks to the steel frame inside the polycarbonate, but the feel doesn't quite match that of a phone with an aluminum casing. Apple also states how a plastic enclosure was required to allow certain colors to be visually appealing. The pink, yellow, blue, and green colors of the iPhone 5c are certainly bright and attention-grabbing. These colors are quite powerful in self-expression and are appealing to many younger phone users. Bare in mind that color doesn't serve a functional purpose. Many iPhone users buy a case anyway, often completely covering up the color of the phone itself. To take advantage of this, Apple released iPhone 5c silicon cases in the same colors as the phone itself. They offer several contrasting color combinations between the phone and case. With any other case, the color of the phone matters minimally, so it's not a major reason to favor the iPhone 5c.

"C" for Cheap

The iPhone 5c isn't quite as cheap as it was originally rumored to be, but it is $100 cheaper than the top-of-the-line iPhone 5s. Last year, Apple's iPhone product line, assuming an included two-year contact and minimum storage capacity, consisted of the iPhone 5 for $200, the iPhone 4s for $100, and the iPhone 4 free. In comparison to the latest model, the one-year-old model was $100 cheaper, and the two-year-old costed $200 less. However, taking advantage of this discount didn't appeal to many, as they knew they were getting an outdated phone.

Now let's look at this year's line. With similar conditions, the iPhone 5s costs $200, the iPhone 5c costs $100, and the iPhone 4s is free. Notice something strange? It would be expected for Apple to sell the iPhone 5 for $100, continuing their pattern of selling the previous generation phone for $100 cheaper. Instead, they basically replaced the iPhone 5 with the 5c. Why would Apple choose to do this?

Essentially, the iPhone 5c is an iPhone 5 in a plastic shell. Both devices have approximately the same speed, as they both possess an Apple A6 processor. The iPhone 5c has exactly the camera quality of the 5. The screen dimensions, sensors, connectors, and other features are also alike among the two devices. The iPhone 5 can easily be updated to iOS 7, the software in the iPhone 5c. The two devices only differ in that:

• The iPhone 5c has a slightly larger battery than the 5
• The 5c supports more LTE bands than the 5
• The 5c comes with six Apple apps that iPhone 5 users must pay for
• The 5c is encased in plastic, unlikely the aluminum casing on the 5

The battery life difference is barely noticeable, the new LTE bands are not prominent in the United States, and the free Apple apps on the 5c can easily be purchased for just a couple of dollars each on the iPhone 5. The only major difference between the two devices is the aforementioned enclosure. Though the two devices have a drastically dissimilar appearances, barring a case used on the devices, the technology on the inside is about the same between the two models.

"C" for Choice

The addition of the iPhone 5c to Apple's product line now offers an element of choice to iPhone buying an iPhone. If you're budget isn't quite large enough to attain Apple's latest and greatest, the iPhone 5s, you don't have to settle for an outdated phone. Consumers can now confidently buy the iPhone 5c, knowing that it's not an outdated model. Knowing that the technology in the 5c is the same as that in the iPhone 5, this is simply a business tactic from Apple. Their products are inherently pricey, and they wanted to open up their market to those on a more strict budget. The phone isn't quite cheap, though, as the full, contract-free price costs $549. What do you think of Apple's latest marketing tactic?