On 10 September, Apple for the first time announces two new iPhones, the 5S and 5C.

[ price ]
The iPhone 5C takes the place of a discounted iPhone 5 in Apple’s lineup and is nearly the same. The 5C comes in two sizes: 16GB at $99 and 32GB at $199 on-contract pricing and $549 off-contract. The iPhone 5S, meanwhile, ranges in price from $199 to $399, depending on your memory choice, and starts at $649 for an unlocked version.

[ specs ]
The 5C has an A6 chip and compares to the iPhone 5 and is made of plastic rather than glass and aluminum. I have an iPhone and a Galaxy S and have no problem with plastic.

The 5S has a 64-bit processor and can accommodate more sophisticated future apps. There’s an improved camera sensor and not exactly sure what that means yet. There’s also a fingerprint scanner in the home button for logging in and making purchases, as well as a new chip that tracks movement for health apps. Also not yet sure what these features really mean. Apple says that the fingerprint data will be stored only on your device and not uploaded to Apple’s servers.

[ privacy ]
Fingerprint scanning and biometric data gathering, collecting information about your movement, though the way of the future is something consumers should think about.

[ availability ]
In the U.S. — AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon — are carrying the phones and will be available 20 September.

[ upgrade ]
The 5S is a significant upgrade for iphone 4 owners and the 5C it is said to be aimed abroad based on pricing though the phone will still be considered expensive.