Apple launches iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C – and reveals prices

Apple has tonight unveiled its eagerly-awaited latest iPhone – the iPhone 5S – along with a lower spec model, the iPhone 5C.

The iPhone 5C will be available to order from 13 September, while the 5S will be available to order from 20 September.

The Apple website says the iPhone 5C will be available from £469, while the iPhone 5S will be available from £549. If you're buying on contract, UK price plans for the two models haven't been announced yet – we'll let you know as soon as we hear anything.

But before you order or buy the new mobiles, consider whether you really need an iPhone. If you do, it's likely to be cheaper to get an older model – you can compare prices using our iPhone comparison tool, or see our Samsung price comparison tool if you're not an Apple fan.

In the usual Apple fashion, both phones will be available in different price brackets:

iPhone 5S prices

• £549 for the 16GB model
• £629 for the 32GB model
• £709 for the 64GB model

iPhone 5C prices

• £469 for the 16GB model
• £549 for the 32GB model

Both phones are 4G-ready.

iPhone 5C vs iPhone 5S

The iPhone 5C is less advanced than previous iPhone models (it's more akin to the iPhone 4S, which was launched in October 2011). It has a 4-inch screen and a plastic body available in five colours – a move away from Apple's usual black and white smartphones.

On the other hand, the iPhone 5S is a step up from the current iPhone 5. It comes in silver, gold and "space grey", with a faster A7 chip, a better camera, a fingerprint sensor and a M7 motion coprocessor, which can be used with a host of new fitness apps.

Revealing details of the iPhone 5S, Apple said: "It's the most forward-thinking phone we've ever created, perhaps that anyone has ever made. Packed with incredible technologies in service of using these in the way we want to."

iOS 7

Both new phones will come ready with Apple's new operating system, iOS 7.

This operating system, which will also be available on current iPhones and iPads through a free system update from 18 September, has a host of new and improved features. They including updates to its personal assistant app, Siri, and the new iWork suite, which is Apple's version of Microsoft PowerPoint, Word, and Excel.

Apple is also making this iWork suite of apps free for the first time for everyone who updates to iOS 7.

Looking to sell an old phone? Move quickly

If you're looking to sell an old iPhone to help you buy a new one, be warned that the price you get for it could soon plummet now the new models have been unveiled. See our Looking to sell an iPhone 5? MSE News story for more information.

Comment/Discuss

Discuss this MSE news story: iPhone 5S and 5C