CUPERTINO, Calif. — Apple has grown too big for just one iPhone.

That is why Apple is releasing two new iPhones this month instead of just one, including a cheaper model aimed at less wealthy countries where new Apple phones have been desired but are out of reach because of their price.

The lower-cost model, the iPhone 5C (the C for color) comes in a plastic case and has the same features as the now-discontinued iPhone 5. The fancier model, the iPhone 5S, comes in aluminum and includes a faster processor and a fingerprint sensor for security, among other features. The iPhone 5S costs $200 with a contract, and the iPhone 5C costs $100 with a contract.

But at full price without a contract, which is how many overseas carriers allow people to pay for phones, the iPhone 5C costs $550 — only $100 less than the iPhone 5S. That is far higher than the range of $300 to $400 that many analysts believed could help Apple against lower-cost competition.

“I thought the 5C could come in at a lower price point to really drive more unit sales,” said Michael Walkley, a technology analyst for Canaccord Genuity, an investment bank.