The idea of a plastic iPhone is a bold one – for a company renowned for its attention to design and build quality, it seems an odd move to go from a solid, aluminium bodied handset to plastic.

Could the iPhone 5c be the most misunderstood iPhone so far? From early whispers of a budget model for emerging markets, though chatter of a new entry-level phone, the iPhone 5c in fact slots right in the middle of Apple's range, relegating last year's flagship to early retirement and leaving the...

If you can overlook the cases, colours and marketing (and they're big ifs), the 5c's a powerful, smart package, with a great OS

An iPhone 5 for less; iOS 7 lives up to the hype; Excellent new camera app

Colour theming will alienate diehards; Legibility issues with some fonts and icons; Still too darn expensive

We never expected Apple to build a cheap anything and the 5c is testament to that. Launching a phone to appeal to a wider demographic is a brave move, especially when you're considered a premium brand.

Colourful chassis; iOS 7 looks incredible; Improved battery life

Price-tag compared to rivals; Smaller screen than rivals

An iPhone 5 for less; iOS 7 lives up to the hype; Excellent new camera app;

Colour theming will alienate diehards; Legibility issues with some fonts and icons; Still too darn expensive;

Its makeover and quality construction make it a pleasure to use and the new pre-loaded iOS 7 operating system complements the high quality hardware to create the sort of experience only Apple can deliver.

If you think you know the new Apple iPhone 5c ($99 for 16GB/$199 for 32GB with contract), you do. It's the guts of the iPhone 5 wrapped in a colorful enclosure, with a new front-facing camera and battery. That's basically it.

Bright and cheerful new colors; Solid value; iPhone 5 internals are still solid; Stronger RF reception than iPhone 5; iOS 7 is a dramatic upgrade

That 4-inch screen is starting to feel small; No significant new hardware features

The iPhone 5C is the iPhone 5 in plastic for $100 less, and that's not a bad thing. The polycarbonate colored cases look and feel a lot better than you'd guess.

More comfortable to hold than iPhone 5S/5; Bigger battery; Colors look great and plastic doesn't feel cheap; iOS 7 looks fantastic

iOS 7 still has a few nagging issues; Poor Google services integration

For over a decade, the most persistent criticism of Apple has been that the company's power comes not from invention, but from marketing - that millions of customers are buying into a logo and a lifestyle more than radically new products.

Look at all the colors; iPhone 5 internals still solid; Great camera

Not as nice as the iPhone 5; iOS 7 still needs polish

The iPhone 5c is the cheapest iPhone currently available and comes in a choice of Blue, Green, Pink, White or Yellow. It's underpowered in various ways however, with a tiny screen, weak battery and miniscule memory.