Review units of the iPhone 5c were sent to specific media outlets for review prior to the launch on Friday.

Engadget was impressed by the new design in their review of the iPhone 5c: "We're not going to lie. The iPhone 5c is gorgeous -- we'd even argue that it's the most beautiful iPhone since the 4 and 4s. It instantly makes the iPhone 5 and 5s look staid in comparison. Sure, we prefer materials like aluminum and glass over plastic, and we appreciate the intricate craftsmanship that goes into building the iPhone 5 and 5s, but still, we can't help it -- the 5c just triggers some reptilian part of our brains that screams, "OMG, color!" It brings a breath of fresh air to the iPhone lineup and will appeal to consumers at an emotional level. As such, we predict the 5c is going to be wildly popular this holiday season."

The sentiment amongst the other reviews have been the same. Despite being made of plastic, the iPhone 5c feels incredibly sturdy and retains a high quality feel. Otherwise, performance and battery life of the iPhone 5c is comparable to the iPhone 5.

More Reviews

- The New York Times
- The Loop
- TechCrunch
- AllThingsD
- Engadget
- AnandTech
- USA Today
- Pocket-Lint
- T3
- CNET

With the introduction of the iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s, Apple has discontinued the iPhone 5, and kept the iPhone 4S as the entry level model -- free with contract -- iPhone. Apple maintains a comparison chart showing the differences between the models.

In making a decision, much of it depends on how price sensitive a consumer you are, and how important your iPhone is to you in your day to day tasks. At this stage, it is hard for us to recommend the iPhone 4S to anyone more than a very casual and very price-sensitive customer. The 4S has the smaller 3.5" screen, and a slower processor -- it's already 2 year old technology, and will be 4 year old technology when your contract runs out.

The iPhone 5c is based on last year's technology, but with this new refresh, that technology remains far more current. The iPhone 5c also incorporates the same 4" screen as the iPhone 5s and should support all software for the foreseeable future. The $99 starting point makes it a reasonable choice if the iPhone 5s features don't call out to you.

The standout features of the iPhone 5s are the fingerprint scanner, faster speed and camera improvements. For serious smartphone users, these can be compelling features -- but for a $100 premium over the corresponding iPhone 5c model.