• Samsung Galaxy C5

Samsung Galaxy C5 (Photo : Samsung via The Verge)

Smartphone fans long-eyeing an iPhone 6S buy but is turned off by the $650 sticker price can now rejoice as Samsung added on its lineup the Galaxy C5 and C7, which practically are replicas of their Apple counterparts - nearly similar on build, specs and features -  except for the case damage. Starting at $330, these Android iPhones will no doubt prove a steal. 

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Business Insider presented a side-by-side image comparison of Apple's flagship with the C5 and C7 and immediately noticeable is the devices close similarity, at least at the exterior level. The slim build is virtually identical including the curved edges. Even the rear finish is similar as Samsung's new mid-range phones have the same antenna band found on the iPhone 6S back plater.

The only distinction is the placement of the rear camera lens - near the right corner for the iPhone while upper center for the Samsung devices. Samsung also thought it wise to unabashedly copy the iPhone 6S finish as both the Galaxy C5 and C7 will hit stores in Gold and Rose Gold color options that are rendered in metal finish.

The Verge said that while officially labelled as below flagship-level handsets, since powered by lower-end Snapdragon chips, the C5 and C7 specs and features are within the flagship range. The package includes Super AMOLED display, camera combo of 16MP on rear and 8MP on front and a massive 3300mAh battery.

But Samsung made sure that its new handsets will out-spec the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus in key areas. The RAM provision is up to 4GB while the basic storage starts at 32GB with option to expand for up to 128GB thanks to the included microSD slot. In comparison, the iPhone start only with a 16GB internal memory with no way to add storage space while the RAM is set at 2GB.

But the best part about the Samsung Galaxy C5 and Galaxy C7, boasting of 5.2-inch and 5.7-inch screens respectively, is the tag which starts $330 for the C5 and $396 for the C7 or roughly half the level of the iPhone 6S starting price. Business Insider said that picking the 64GB model for both devices is still affordable - $366 for the smaller phone and $427 for the phablet option.

Chinese buyers are now enjoying these latest flagship killers from Samsung but The Verge said that FCC is now in the process of certifying the Galaxy C5 and C7, which point to an upcoming release date in the U.S. market.