Hands on with Apple’s 'most colourful' iPhone 5C

Analysts claim Apple's iPhone 5C buyers won't stand in line like their 5S friends.

So two weeks after its launch across New Zealand, how is "the most colourful iPhone yet" performing?

For starters, it's safe to say the device is not Cupertino's new "budget smartphone", in fact, from first impressions it appears to be a solid extension from the incredibly successful iPhone 5 model - as predicted by CEO Tim Cook a fortnight ago.

Some may joke that the 5C model is simply a carbon copy of its predecessor, given a quick lick of funky coloured paint and back on the shelves.

But let me ask you this - if the iPhone 5 did so damn well, is continuity necessarily a bad thing?

Colour through and through...

The 5C model screams fun, available in unapologetic colours such as blue, green, pink, yellow and white, this is an iPhone for everyone.

Whether you're moving on from your iPhone 5, making the leap from the 4S or below, or even stranded at first base with no iPhone experience - the 5C is friendly and welcoming, which is exactly what Cupertino envisaged.

The device is simply colourful through and through, starting with a vibrant new design based on rich and particular colours.

The seamless hard-coated polycarbonate enclosure is steel-reinforced - designed and built to feel solid in the hand, which it does.

While the tech giant has faced serious stick for turning to plastic, they made the right call as infusing the blend of intense colours with metal simply wouldn't be possible.

But it also seems Apple had no interest in imitating the typical, fragile plastic phone, constructing the device around a steelthat also acts as a wideband antenna.

This structural integrity genuinely does make the iPhone 5C pleasingly solid to the touch - unlike any plastic phone I've ever held.

Throw in the fact the iOS 7 was designed with the colours of iPhone 5C in mind to complement the colourful experience, and all of a sudden we're starting to see the attention to detail which made the iPhone such a popular smartphone in the first place.

iPhone 5 extension…

While its appearance may be new, the way iPhone 5C performs is instantly recognisable because it has the things that people love about iPhone 5 and more.

iPhone 5C features the 4-inch Retina display that Cook alluded to during its release, the blazing-fast A6 chip, iSight and new FaceTime HD cameras, ultrafast LTE wireless, and solid battery life - up to 10 hours to be precise.

iOS 7

In delivering the most significant changes that Apple has made to the user interface since the introduction of iPhone, iOS 7 takes an experience that people know very well and adds to it.

Redesigned with subtle motion, an colour palette, and distinct, functional layers that make it feel more alive, the typography has also been refined for a cleaner, simpler look, and the use of translucency and motion makes even simple tasks more engaging.

From the clean, redesigned icons, to the colour-matched wallpapers that seem to radiate through the Home screen, colour is everywhere in iOS 7.

And it was designed with the colours of iPhone 5C in mind - so using it feels more personal.

Apple-designed casing…

From the beginning, Apple told me the iPhone 5C Case was "envisioned as a significant part of the colourful experience."

And in fairness to their design team, every detail has been meticulously considered.

A soft-touch silicone was chosen for the exterior and provides not only a great feel in the hand, but also contrast to the hard-coated enclosure on the actual device.

Precisely drilled holes align perfectly with the speakers on iPhone 5C, while the circle pattern draws focus to the colour underneath, creating 30 combinations across six new cases and five iPhone 5C colours.

Summary

There's lots to love about the new iPhone 5C, and for the haters who claims the smartphone is a dressed up version of the iPhone 5 consider this; everybody loved last year's phone.

The reviews were astonishing, the feedback incredible - so why not extend a piece of hardware that will live long in the memory.

Yes technology updates at a rate of knots, far greater and faster than the average salary, so for those keen to move on from the iPhone 5 - why shouldn't a cheaper option be available?

If you want to be wowed by the iPhone 5S by all means, but if that is just out of your price range, the iPhone 5C is the perfect substitute.

While calling it a substitute doesn't do the product justice, if you do want a cheaper, colourful way into the world of Apple, then the iPhone 5C is just for you.

To check out the pricing for the iPhone 5C, click here