Preorders for the Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) plastic coated iPhone 5C will begin at 12:01 a.m. Pacific, 3 a.m. Eastern on Friday, September 13,according to announcements published on the website of both Verizon and Sprint. Both iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S will be launched on AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T), Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) and Sprint in the United States.
Apple not taking pre-orders for iPhone 5S
Advance ordering for iPhone 5C has been announced, but iPhone 5S will probably not be available by pre-order. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has kept the timing similar to that of last year. However, there is no confirmation about when official Apple online stores will start selling the phone, but it is expected to be in line with the carriers’ usual timing.
The price of an iPhone 5C with a two year contract starts at $99 for a 16 GB model, and $199 for a 32 GB version. Shipping of both iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S is expected to begin on September 20th, one week after pre-orders open.
Pre-order available in other countries also
Verizon has published its pre-order information on the “Why Verizon” tab of the carrier’s iPhone 5S/5C feature page. Customers interested in pre-orders can sign up to get email updates and track the availability of both new iPhones. Apple officially will not take up pre-orders for iPhone 5S and network carriers are expected to abide by that practice.
Another network partner, Sprint has also released similar information about pre-orders.
Apart from the United States, pre-orders for the following countries will also go live: Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore and the UK. Timing for pre-orders is expected to be the same for all countries.
iPhone 5S, 5C two different devices
The iPhone 5C definitely has an alluring price tag, but iPhone 5S strides ahead with claims like being powered by 64 bit A7 processor and fingerprint sensor. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has achieved a clear cut distinction between the two phones with iPhone 5S being available in three different shades and has a premium high end feel to it while iPhone 5C is similar to iPod touch. Both the devices cater to different consumer segments. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) with its iPhone 5C is aiming at gaining traction in markets such as China.