iFixit Completes iPhone 5c Teardown, Highlights Include Durable Shell, Larger Battery

Following last night's teardown of the iPhone 5s, iFixit has completed its iPhone 5c teardown. Unsurprisingly, the iPhone 5c's dismantling has revealed numerous similarities with the iPhone 5, including nearly identical innards with matching A6 processors.

While the internals and form factor are largely the same, the iPhone 5c is slightly thicker and heavier than the iPhone 5 and due to its polycarbonate shell. The 5c also has a larger battery, measuring in at 1510 mAh compared to the 1440 mAh battery of the iPhone 5, and it shares camera parts with the iPhone 5s, though the latter has a larger aperture. iFixit found that the plastic shell was nearly impossible to bend, largely because of its heft – the rear case weighs in at 43.8 grams.

We may not have super strength, but we put this case to the muscle test, anyway. The results: this lacquered plastic is as strong and blue as Captain Planet.

It's good to know that, though the rear panel is made with plastic to presumably cut costs, Apple did not compromise build quality in the process.

iFixit gave the iPhone 5c a 6 out of 10 repairability score, one point lower than the iPhone 5 and the same score given to the iPhone 5s, due to the lack of the pull tab on the battery, the proprietary screws, and the considerable amount of adhesive used to hold the phone together. iFixit has a number of other pictures and a detailed rundown of the iPhone 5c dismantling process on its website.

Popular Stories

apple intelligence black

Report: Apple's AI Strategy Could Finally Pay Off in 2026

Tuesday December 30, 2025 9:01 am PST by
Apple's restrained artificial intelligence strategy may pay off in 2026 amid the arrival of a revamped Siri and concerns around the AI market "bubble" bursting, The Information argues. The speculative report notes that Apple has taken a restrained approach with AI innovations compared with peers such as OpenAI, Google, and Meta, which are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in data...
apple fitness 2026 1

Apple Teases 'Something Big' Coming Soon to Apple Fitness+

Tuesday December 30, 2025 2:11 pm PST by
The Apple Fitness+ Instagram account today teased that the service has "big plans" for 2026. In a video, several Apple Fitness+ trainers are shown holding up newspapers with headlines related to Apple Fitness+. What's Apple Fitness+ Planning for the New Year? Something Big is Coming to Apple Fitness+ The Countdown Begins. Apple Fitness+ 2026 is Almost Here 2026 Plans Still Under ...
maxresdefault

Hands-On With a Rough iPhone Fold Mockup

Monday December 29, 2025 10:55 am PST by
Apple is rumored to be introducing a foldable iPhone in September 2026, and since it will bring the biggest form factor change since the iPhone was introduced in 2007, curiosity about the design is high. A 3D designer created an iPhone Fold design based on rumors, and we printed it out to see how it compares to Apple's current iPhones. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
maxresdefault

Where's the New Apple TV?

Monday December 22, 2025 11:30 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Apple TV 4K since 2022, and 2025 was supposed to be the year that we got a refresh. There were rumors suggesting Apple would release the new Apple TV before the end of 2025, but it looks like that's not going to happen now. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said several times across 2024 and 2025 that Apple would...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max Users Report Static Speaker Noise While Charging

Tuesday December 30, 2025 10:39 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max owners are having trouble with the speakers of their devices, and have complained about a static or hissing noise that occurs when the iPhone is charging. There are multiple discussions about the issue on Reddit, the MacRumors forums, and Apple's Support Community, where affected users say there is a noticeable static noise "like an old radio." Some people report...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Next Year With These 12 New Features

Tuesday December 23, 2025 8:36 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another nine months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models. The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras Under-screen Face ID Front camera in...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These 8 New Features to Your iPhone

Monday December 22, 2025 8:47 am PST by
Earlier this month, Apple released iOS 26.2, following more than a month of beta testing. It is a big update, with many new features and changes for iPhones. iOS 26.2 adds a Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. Below, we have highlighted a total of eight new features. Liquid Glass Slider on Lock Screen A new slider in the Lock...
samsung glitter blue

Samsung's Year End Sale Introduces Major Discounts on Popular Monitors and TVs

Monday December 29, 2025 6:29 am PST by
Samsung kicked off a new end-of-the-year sale this week, introducing great deals on monitors, TVs, Galaxy smartphones, and home appliances. Many of these deals are the exact same all-time low prices we tracked during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Samsung. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep ...

Top Rated Comments

TeamMojo Avatar
160 months ago
I give iFixit a 6 out of 10 in their ability to understand that companies do not necessarily build products to be repairable by iFixit with many good reasons. For example more glue strengthens the substrate and overall monolithic nature of the device to survive falls, etc. And tamper resistant screws prevent the inexperienced from delving in to areas where they wish they had not. Such screws are quite common all throughout industry.

Oh, and let's not forget, that iFixit conveniently has a link to THEIR pentalobe screwdriver set and tools all throughout their allegedly unbiased and democratic reviews that score repair-ability devices for the good of mankind.

Funny that.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AngerDanger Avatar
160 months ago
And here I was, expecting the removal of the plastic shell to reveal a disguised iPhone 5. Oh well…
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ikramerica Avatar
160 months ago
I give iFixit a 6 out of 10 in their ability to understand that companies do not necessarily build products to be repairable by iFixit with many good reasons. For example more glue strengthens the substrate and overall monolithic nature of the device to survive falls, etc. And tamper resistant screws prevent the inexperienced from delving in to areas where they wish they had not. Such screws are quite common all throughout industry.

Oh, and let's not forget, that iFixit conveniently has a link to THEIR pentalobe screwdriver set and tools all throughout their allegedly unbiased and democratic reviews that score repair-ability devices for the good of mankind.

Funny that.

Their screwdriver kit and spudgers have helped me greatly. Otherwise, I agree that the repairability of a phone isn't a buying point. I don't recall them even caring if they could repair my old Motorola phones, or sony phones, etc. Then again, the batteries were user accessible...
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TeamMojo Avatar
160 months ago
I give your reading comprehension a 2/10. Obviously you miss the entire point of the website.

Don't misunderstand. iFixit is a great website, and their products are great and I use them frequently. I just think their tone of scoring stuff and their pithy attitude is BS. Just stick to delivering good content and tools and dispense with the holier than thou repairability ratings BS.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mac Fly (film) Avatar
160 months ago
I give iFixit a 6 out of 10 in their ability to understand that companies do not necessarily build products to be repairable by iFixit with many good reasons. For example more glue strengthens the substrate and overall monolithic nature of the device to survive falls, etc. And tamper resistant screws prevent the inexperienced from delving in to areas where they wish they had not. Such screws are quite common all throughout industry.

Oh, and let's not forget, that iFixit conveniently has a link to THEIR pentalobe screwdriver set and tools all throughout their allegedly unbiased and democratic reviews that score repair-ability devices for the good of mankind.

Funny that.

iFixit is a great website. I have a lot of respect for the time and effort they put into their breakdowns. They sell stuff to help people fix their iPhones? No way! You mean they are a company and make money by providing a service? Someone jail them all, quick.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macsrcool1234 Avatar
160 months ago
I give iFixit a 6 out of 10 in their ability to understand that companies do not necessarily build products to be repairable by iFixit with many good reasons. For example more glue strengthens the substrate and overall monolithic nature of the device to survive falls, etc. And tamper resistant screws prevent the inexperienced from delving in to areas where they wish they had not. Such screws are quite common all throughout industry.

Oh, and let's not forget, that iFixit conveniently has a link to THEIR pentalobe screwdriver set and tools all throughout their allegedly unbiased and democratic reviews that score repair-ability devices for the good of mankind.

Funny that.

I give your reading comprehension a 2/10. Obviously you miss the entire point of the website.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)