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Apple iPhone 3G vs Apple iPhone 5c

Compare recorded specifications, size and practical differences.

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    Key differences

    Calculated from recorded specifications using minimum difference thresholds. These are differences, not an overall ranking. For three phones, numeric highlights compare the two extremes.

    • Width

      iPhone 5c: 2.9 mm narrower

      iPhone 3G:
      62.1 mm
      iPhone 5c:
      59.2 mm

    • Screen diagonal

      iPhone 3G: 0.5 in smaller diagonal

      iPhone 3G:
      3.5 in
      iPhone 5c:
      4 in

    • Depth

      iPhone 5c: 3.3 mm thinner

      iPhone 3G:
      12.3 mm
      iPhone 5c:
      9 mm

    • Height

      iPhone 3G: 8.9 mm shorter

      iPhone 3G:
      115.5 mm
      iPhone 5c:
      124.4 mm

    • Release year

      iPhone 3G:
      2008
      iPhone 5c:
      2013

    Physical size

    Relative size, not calibrated actual size. Front and side outlines share one scale and a bottom baseline. Generic outlines use recorded body dimensions, excluding camera bumps.

    1. 1. iPhone 3G

      Height:
      115.5 mm
      Width:
      62.1 mm +2.9 mm versus iPhone 5c
      Depth:
      12.3 mm +3.3 mm versus iPhone 5c

    2. 2. iPhone 5c

      Height:
      124.4 mm +8.9 mm versus iPhone 3G
      Width:
      59.2 mm
      Depth:
      9 mm

    Weight

    Bars start at zero and share a scale within this chart.

    1. 1. iPhone 3G

      133 g

      +1 g versus iPhone 5c

    2. 2. iPhone 5c

      132 g

    Screen size

    Approximate rectangular screens calculated from recorded diagonal and aspect ratio at one relative scale. Rounded corners and cutouts are not subtracted. These are not phone outlines or calibrated actual sizes.

    1. 1. iPhone 3G

      Screen diagonal:
      3.5 in
      Aspect ratio (height:width):
      3:2
      Approximate rectangular screen area:
      36.5 cm²

    2. 2. iPhone 5c

      Screen diagonal:
      4 in
      Aspect ratio (height:width):
      16:9
      Approximate rectangular screen area:
      44.1 cm²

    iPhone 5c has approximately 20.9% more rectangular screen area than iPhone 3G.

    Memory variants

    Each row compares the same storage capacity. Cells show recorded RAM alternatives, not combined maxima. Not recorded does not mean unavailable in every market.

    Recorded RAM for iPhone 3G, iPhone 5c, compared at the same storage capacity.
    StorageiPhone 3GiPhone 5c
    8 GB Unknown 1 GB RAM
    16 GB Unknown 1 GB RAM
    32 GB Unknown 1 GB RAM
    iPhone 3G: Original memory entry

    8/16 GB · 128 MB RAM

    Practical features

    Explicit Yes and No values are shown directly. Qualified or regional records retain their details. Unknown means the record is missing.

    1. iPhone 3G

    NFC:
    Unknown
    Headphone jack:
    Yes
    Memory card support:
    No

    2. iPhone 5c

    NFC:
    Unknown
    Headphone jack:
    Yes
    Memory card support:
    No

    Battery capacity

    Capacity is not battery life. No endurance test is implied.

    At least two unambiguous positive capacity values are needed for a chart. Original entries remain in the specifications.

    Specifications

    Open a section for more detail. On narrow screens, swipe sideways or use Left/Right arrow keys while the table is focused. Unknown means missing data, not No. Recorded zero values are shown as recorded.

    1. iPhone 3G2. iPhone 5c

    Everyday essentials
    Everyday essentials — specifications for iPhone 3G, iPhone 5c.
    SpecificationiPhone 3GiPhone 5c
    Dimensions (HxWxD)
    • 115.5 Х 62.1 Х 12.3 mm
    • 124.4 Х 59.2 Х 9 mm
    Weight
    • 133 g
    • 132 g
    Technology
    • TFT
    • LED-backlit IPS LCD
    Screen size
    • 3.5" inch
    • 4" inch
    Screen resolution
    • 320 x 480 px
    • 640 x 1136 px
    Internal memory Recorded storage / RAM variants. Entries are alternatives, not a combined maximum. Ambiguous formats stay as recorded.
    • 8/16 GB
    • 128 MB RAM
    • 8/16/32 GB
    • 1 GB RAM
    Memory card support
    • No
    • No
    Battery Capacity is not battery life. No endurance test is implied.
    • 0 mAh,
    • 1510 mAh
    • Non-removable Li-Po
    Operating system OS
    • iOS
    • upgradable to iOS 4.2.1
    • iOS 7
    • upgradable to iOS 10.3.3
    Chipset Unknown
    • Apple A6 (32 nm)
    Headphone jack
    • Yes
    • Yes
    Display
    Display — specifications for iPhone 3G, iPhone 5c.
    SpecificationiPhone 3GiPhone 5c
    Touchscreen
    • capacitive touchscreen
    • capacitive touchscreen
    Display colors
    • 16M
    • 16M
    Screen area
    • 36.5 cm2
    • 44.1 cm2
    Screen format
    • 3:2 (height:width)
    • 16:9 (height:width)
    Screen to body ratio
    • 50.9%
    • 59.9%
    PPI /points per inch/
    • 165 PPI
    • 326 PPI
    Screen protection
    • Corning Gorilla Glass
    • oleophobic coating
    		 Unknown
    Camera and Video
    Camera and Video — specifications for iPhone 3G, iPhone 5c.
    SpecificationiPhone 3GiPhone 5c
    Rear camera, main
    • 2 MP
    • Single
    • 8 MP
    • Single
    Camera specs
    • 2 MP
    • 8 MP
    • f/2.4
    • 33mm (standard)
    • 1/3.2''
    • 1.4µm
    • AF
    Functions Unknown
    • Face detection
    • FaceTime over Wi-Fi or Cellular
    Video
    • No
    • 720p@30fps
    Front camera, selfie
    • 0 MP,
    • 1.2 MP
    • Single
    Specifications Unknown
    • 1.2 MP
    Performance

    Scores marked * are historical catalogue entries. Test conditions are unspecified; no new testing is implied.

    Performance — specifications for iPhone 3G, iPhone 5c.
    SpecificationiPhone 3GiPhone 5c
    Processor CPU
    • 412 MHz ARM 11
    • Dual-core 1.3 GHz Swift (ARM v7-based)
    Graphics processor GPU
    • PowerVR MBX
    • PowerVR SGX 543MP3 (triple-core graphics)
    Antutu 7 score * Unknown
    • 27412
    General specs
    General specs — specifications for iPhone 3G, iPhone 5c.
    SpecificationiPhone 3GiPhone 5c
    Release date
    • 2008
    • June
    • 2013
    • September
    Colors
    • Black(8/16 GB)
    • White (16 GB)
    • White
    • Blue
    • Green
    • Yellow
    • Pink
    Historical recorded price Legacy catalogue value; date unknown. Not a current offer.
    • 90 EUR
    • 300 EUR
    Battery life
    • Stand by time- Up to 300 h Talking time- Up to 10 h Music play - Up to 24 h
    • Stand by time- Up to 250 h (2G) / Up to 250 h (3G) Talking time- Up to 10 h (3G) Music play - Up to 40 h
    Body build Unknown
    • Front glass
    • plastic body
    Communication and Connectivity
    Communication and Connectivity — specifications for iPhone 3G, iPhone 5c.
    SpecificationiPhone 3GiPhone 5c
    SIM card
    • Mini-SIM
    • Nano-SIM
    Network
    • Show all network frequencies: -2G - GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
    • Show all network frequencies: -2G - GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - all versions CDMA 800 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100 - A1532 (CDMA)
    • A1456 -3G - HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100 - A1532 (GSM)
    • A1532 (CDMA)
    • A1456 HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 - A1507
    • A1529CDMA2000 1xEV-DO - A1533 (CDMA)
    • A1453 -4G - LTE band 1(2100)
    • 2(1900)
    • 3(1800)
    • 4(1700/2100)
    • 5(850)
    • 8(900)
    • 13(700)
    • 17(700)
    • 19(800)
    • 20(800)
    • 25(1900) - A1532 GSM
    • A1532 CDMA LTE band 1(2100)
    • 18(800)
    • 25(1900)
    • 26(850) - A1456 LTE band 1(2100)
    • 7(2600)
    • 20(800) - A1507 LTE band 1(2100)
    • 38(2600)
    • 39(1900)
    • 40(2300) - A1529
    Speed
    • HSPA
    • HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps
    • LTE Cat3 100/50 Mbps
    • EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps
    GPRS
    • Yes
    • Yes
    Edge
    • Yes
    • Yes
    Wi-Fi
    • Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
    • Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
    • hotspot
    GPS
    • Yes
    • with A-GPS
    • Yes
    • with A-GPS
    • GLONASS
    USB
    • 2.0
    • 2.0
    • proprietary reversible connector
    Bluetooth
    • 2.0
    • A2DP (headset support only)
    • 4.0
    • A2DP
    • LE
    Harmful irradiation
    • SAR - 0.52 W/kg (head) 1.29 W/kg (body) SAR EU - 0.56 W/kg (head) 0.23 W/kg (body)
    • SAR - 1.15 W/kg (head) 1.17 W/kg (body) SAR EU - 1.00 W/kg (head) 0.96 W/kg (body)
    Music and Audio
    Music and Audio — specifications for iPhone 3G, iPhone 5c.
    SpecificationiPhone 3GiPhone 5c
    Radio
    • No
    • No
    Others Unknown
    • 16-bit/44.1kHz audio -Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic
    Other features
    Other features — specifications for iPhone 3G, iPhone 5c.
    SpecificationiPhone 3GiPhone 5c
    Dop
    • Sensors Accelerometer
    • proximity - Audio/video player -TV-out -Organizer -Document viewer -Photo viewer -Predictive text input
    • Sensors Accelerometer
    • gyro
    • proximity
    • compass - Siri natural language commands and dictation - Supported LTE Networks

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