iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C launched: There is now a better iPhone, and a cheaper one

There are two new Apple phones after all. But are there two new phones?

Yes, the iPhone 5S is a huge improvement on its predecessor. But the iPhone 5C is just the iPhone 5 in a new, plastic case with lots of colours thrown in for good measure. Yes, it is cheaper, but we in India can only hope it will still be affordable. With a two-year contract the prices are as low as $99 in the US. But here we will have to wait for a final price, whenever that is announced.

The C in India might not stand for cheap as iPhone 5C without a contract is $549. This means the phone may cost at least Rs 35,000 in India. Not exactly cheap by our standards.

The iPhone 5S, on the other hand, is a much superior phone. It has a superior processor, better graphics and a slicker camera. It also has a fingerprint scanner, as most of the tech world predicted. So only you, not even your wife or kid, will be able to unlock it. You can always lend a hand, or a finger.

Jokes apart, the fingerprint scanner means you won't have to key in a password every time you make a purchase or download an app. Now, that is a big leap. Another innovation is the LED flash, which now comprises a cold as well as warm flash to make skins tones look the way they should. Then there is the M7 motion co-processor which will keep a tab on your movements and open the doors for a floodgate of apps built to exploit this feature.

The 16GB version of the iPhone 5S is $100 more than the 5C. The phones will start selling in a bunch of countries, Including China and excluding India, on September 20. The new iOS & operating system will be available for download starting September 17.