Apple iPhone 5C Launched In California

[Jazzy]

Apple has revamped the iPhone by launching two new handsets at its California headquarters - including one that has a fingerprint reader.

The California launch was streamed to a parallel event in Berlin last night and played at another launch in the Chinese capital Beijing this morning.

The firm's chief Tim Cook confirmed rumours that the high-end iPhone 5S would be equipped with a fingerprint scanner to unlock the device and put an end to the days of passwords.

He promised the cheaper iPhone 5C would come with "all the great technology that customers have loved" on its previous models - but analysts said it was "nowhere near" as cheap as some had predicted.

The "budget" version - launched at a time when Apple arguably faces stiffer global competition than ever - will be an obvious rival to some of the low-cost gadgets sold by the firm's major competitors.

The iPhone 5C costs $99 (£63) over a two-year contract, or $736 (£469) as a one-off payment.

The 5C, with its bright colours and lower price tag, is designed to attract buyers in China who currently favour cheaper android smartphones.

However, it is still far more pricey than alternative models. The iPhone 5S in China will cost 5,288 RMB (£549) according to Apple's China website.

In a survey on Sina.com.cn, a Chinese web provider similar to Yahoo!, 88.4% of those polled said the price for the iPhone 5C was too high. Only 2.6% said they would buy one.

Apple marketing executive Philip Schiller told the audience: "iPhone 5S is the most forward-thinking smartphone in the world, delivering desktop class architecture in the palm of your hand."

He received a massive round of applause as he introduced the fingertip scanner - named Touch ID - which, he said, would provide a "simple and secure way to unlock your phone with just a touch of your finger".

The security feature is built into the home button and uses a laser cut sapphire crystal along with a sensor to take a high-resolution image of a user's fingerprint.

According to Apple, the technology can "intelligently analyse" the print to provide accurate readings from any angle.

All fingerprint information is encrypted and the firm has insisted it will never be stored on Apple servers.

Beyond unlocking the phone, the feature can be used as a secure way to approve purchases from the iTunes Store, App Store or iBooks Store, Apple said.

It has promised customers that all actions on the device would be faster than on previous handsets, from launching apps and editing photos to playing graphic-intensive games.

The phone will be available in the UK for a suggested retail price of £549 for the 16GB model, £629 for the 32GB model and £709 for the 64GB model.

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What do you think about the iPhone 5C?

 

[Bea Sunny (:]

I like how the iPhones look my bf has one too.