Apple iPhone 5S/5C

[Thai]

Hey all,

Like what i did with iPhone 5 thread, this is all about 5S/5C. I will post reviews and tech stuff in this thread. Feel free to do the same.

5S specs: Apple - iPhone 5s - Technical Specifications

5C specs: Apple - iPhone 5c - Technical Specifications

LTE bands: Apple - iPhone 5 - View countries with supported LTE networks.

(For SPRINT customers, iPhone 5S/5C is a DUAL-band LTE phone, not a tri-band LTE phone. The two [out of 3] LTE bands that it covers are the most important...they are LTE 800 [26] and 1900 [25]. It does not cover LTE 2500 [41].)

A7 Chip and what it means (best article to date): The real reasons Apple's 64-bit A7 chip makes sense | Mobile - CNET News

iCamera features quick overview: iPhone 5S Camera Improves Photo-Taking Experience

(And, BTW, if you just hate Apple and want to crap on it, then be prepare to give INTELLIGENT arguments...otherwise, i will make fun of you. And yes, i have both Android and Apple at home and have plenty of experience with both.)

 

[TomT]

I'm getting a 5s as soon as they are released. Getting a $441 credit from Amazon for my current iPhone 5. Coincidentally that's right around the price for th N-Fab sliders I've been looking at. ;-)

 

[Thai]

I'm getting a 5s as soon as they are released. Getting a $441 credit from Amazon for my current iPhone 5. Coincidentally that's right around the price for th N-Fab sliders I've been looking at. ;-)

Yup, that is the beauty of iPhones...they have really good resale value!

 

[TomT]

Yup, that is the beauty of iPhones...they have really good resale value!

And family plans, I have three lines and one of them is always due for a hardware upgrade.

 

[Thai]

And family plans, I have three lines and one of them is always due for a hardware upgrade.

Same here...i will always have two lines update every year!

 

[zopperman]

getting the 5s in 9 days, cant wait. dont knwo what i get for my 4s? :noidea: where di you find the trade in values?

 

[Thai]

getting the 5s in 9 days, cant wait. dont knwo what i get for my 4s? :noidea: where di you find the trade in values?

Many different places on Google. Or you can go thru Amazon. Or you can go thru your carrier. Values vary a lot. Amazon tends to give the best value. Don't forget, Apple Store also does trade-ins, but their value is not as good as Amazon.

 

[zopperman]

Many different places on Google. Or you can go thru Amazon. Or you can go thru your carrier. Values vary a lot. Amazon tends to give the best value. Don't forget, Apple Store also does trade-ins, but their value is not as good as Amazon.

Sweet, amazon trade in is cool, never knew that existed. May still take my chances on craigslist

 

[BigNuge]

First, let me say that I am a fan of Apple. I own a lot of Apple products (2 iPhone 4s's, 3rd gen iPod, 4th gen iPod (Classic), 2nd gen iPad, 1st gen Apple TV, 13" MacBook Pro, 17" MacBook Pro, brand new Mac Mini).

So, it is safe to say I am not here to "crap" on Apple.

Having said that, this iteration of the iPhone (and more importantly iOS) better be a home run. The last 2 two iOS updates, combined with the generally poor performance of BOTH of my iPhones is not settling well with me. SIM card failures/issues, lock ups, sloooooow performance, app instability.....the list goes on. I will be giving Apple one last shot with the new phone.

I truly believe we are witnessing the initial slide in the attention to detail, top build quality, leading innovation and second to none customer service that was once the foundation of what drove Apple to the top. Having recently dealt with Apple support, I can say their ability to help and general helpfulness has slipped considerably.

All told, I really do hope they turn this around. Putting profits first is what everybody else did, not Apple. They keep this going you will see the big white Apple tumble.

Disclaimer: I'm not an Android guy either, had 4 different Android phones and I was never impressed with them either. But that fact alone does not excuse Apple for the erosion of their core values; Customer First.

 

[snivilous]

First, let me say that I am a fan of Apple. I own a lot of Apple products (2 iPhone 4s's, 3rd gen iPod, 4th gen iPod (Classic), 2nd gen iPad, 1st gen Apple TV, 13" MacBook Pro, 17" MacBook Pro, brand new Mac Mini).

So, it is safe to say I am not here to "crap" on Apple.

Having said that, this iteration of the iPhone (and more importantly iOS) better be a home run. The last 2 two iOS updates, combined with the generally poor performance of BOTH of my iPhones is not settling well with me. SIM card failures/issues, lock ups, sloooooow performance, app instability.....the list goes on. I will be giving Apple one last shot with the new phone.

I truly believe we are witnessing the initial slide in the attention to detail, top build quality, leading innovation and second to none customer service that was once the foundation of what drove Apple to the top. Having recently dealt with Apple support, I can say their ability to help and general helpfulness has slipped considerably.

All told, I really do hope they turn this around. Putting profits first is what everybody else did, not Apple. They keep this going you will see the big white Apple tumble.

Disclaimer: I'm not an Android guy either, had 4 different Android phones and I was never impressed with them either. But that fact alone does not excuse Apple for the erosion of their core values; Customer First.

x2. I have an iPhone 4s, and oh my god does it dog down to just search something it seems like. I thought iOS/OSX was supposed to remain useful after some years, not like Windows which continually degrades over time for some reason. Likewise, my 2011 MacBook Air struggles often, mainly it seems like the computer uses way too many resources on some tasks (like syncing the phone), though it is only a dual core computer so can't complain much.

Lastly, Apple support is horrible. We got the extended 3 year warranty or whatever for my MacBook Air and a few weeks ago the charger stopped working because the puny cord had failed as is a common issue. We took the charger in, and after about an hour of screwing around the guy concludes that yes, we can get a new charger but have to call some number to get it ordered or some BS. Then after that we have to schedule an appointment to pick up the charger and swap out the old one. For some reason they couldn't just give us a damn charger right on the spot. I was away at school already, so I had to just go out and buy a brand new charger since it was such a pain in the ass and would take days to get a new one. Lessoned learned that Apple warranty is all but worthless.

That said, I think they have good products that are well refined and work well and are very simple and straightforward which is nice, though I'm not sure it's worth the super high price tag anymore (though I've never used Android, and wouldn't run Windows 8).

 

[zopperman]

x2. I have an iPhone 4s, and oh my god does it dog down to just search something it seems like. I thought iOS/OSX was supposed to remain useful after some years, not like Windows which continually degrades over time for some reason. Likewise, my 2011 MacBook Air struggles often, mainly it seems like the computer uses way too many resources on some tasks (like syncing the phone), though it is only a dual core computer so can't complain much.

Lastly, Apple support is horrible. We got the extended 3 year warranty or whatever for my MacBook Air and a few weeks ago the charger stopped working because the puny cord had failed as is a common issue. We took the charger in, and after about an hour of screwing around the guy concludes that yes, we can get a new charger but have to call some number to get it ordered or some BS. Then after that we have to schedule an appointment to pick up the charger and swap out the old one. For some reason they couldn't just give us a damn charger right on the spot. I was away at school already, so I had to just go out and buy a brand new charger since it was such a pain in the ass and would take days to get a new one. Lessoned learned that Apple warranty is all but worthless.

That said, I think they have good products that are well refined and work well and are very simple and straightforward which is nice, though I'm not sure it's worth the super high price tag anymore (though I've never used Android, and wouldn't run Windows 8).

My brand new macbook pro 15" has a ton of dead pixels on the screen, apple tried to tell me they wouldnt fix it but eventually agreed to... caveat emptor, i have to be without my computer for a week and as a senior in college writing a thesis, i cant afford to do that. their service is generally piss poor, but i do love my apple products

that being said, my iphone 4s SUCKS. the battery lasts MAYBE an hour after a full charge, the power button has gotten stuck on THREE iphones and apple refuses to acknowledge a systemic issue.

I agree. This better be a home run.

 

[-JD-]

I'm interested to see how the new camera upgrades perform for everyday users.

 

[Thai]

I am perfectly Ok with valid criticism and/or discussion of iphones.

 

[Thai]

With iBeacon, Apple is going to dump on NFC and embrace the internet of things ? Tech News and Analysis

iBeacon...Apple's answer to NFC... and a better solution.

 

[Thai]

Reviews of interest:

Anandtech 5S (best technical): AnandTech | The iPhone 5s Review

Anandtech 5C (best technical): AnandTech | The iPhone 5c Review

GSMArena 5C Review (extensive!): http://www.gsmarena.com/apple_iphone_5c-review-993.php

GSMArena 5S Review (extensive!): http://www.gsmarena.com/apple_iphone_5s-review-994.php

Inside 5S: http://www.chipworks.com/en/technical-competitive-analysis/resources/blog/inside-the-iphone-5s/

ARS Technica: Review: With the iPhone 5S, Apple lays groundwork for a brighter future | Ars Technica

Engadget: iPhone 5s review

PCMag: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2424245,00.asp

CNET: Apple iPhone 5S Review - Watch CNET's Video Review

Gotta be Mobile: http://www.gottabemobile.com/2013/10/27/iphone-5s-review/

T3: iPhone 5s review | T3

Gizmodo Australian: iPhone 5s Australian Review: The Best iPhone Yet | Gizmodo Australia

The Verge: Apple iPhone 5S review | The Verge

TechCrunch: iPhone 5s Review: Apple?s Latest Smartphone Goes For (And Gets) The Gold | TechCrunch

Slashgear: iPhone 5s Review - SlashGear

WSJ: iPhone 5S Review: New Touch ID for iPhone - WSJ.com

Techradar: iPhone 5S review | Phone Reviews | TechRadar

TechnoBuffalo: http://www.technobuffalo.com/reviews/iphone-5s-review/

PhoneArena: http://www.phonearena.com/reviews/Apple-iPhone-5s-Review_id3430

Time: Review: Apple?s iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c and iOS 7 | TIME.com

Pocket-lint: Apple iPhone 5S review - Pocket-lint

Laptop Mag: Apple iPhone 5s Review (AT&T) | Smartphone Reviews

Wired: http://www.wired.com/reviews/2013/09/iphone5s/

iPhone 5 Display vs. others: LG G2 takes on Xperia Z Ultra's Triluminos display, the GS4, HTC One and the iPhone 5: screen comparison

Popular Mechanics: iPhone 5s: Hands-On Review - Popular Mechanics

Cult of Mac: iPhone 5s: The Closest Any Smartphone Comes To Being Perfect [Review] | Cult of Mac

MacWorld: http://www.macworld.com/article/2049401/iphone-5s-review-tomorrows-technology-today.html

Computer World: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9242904/Review_The_iPhone_5S_really_is_the_best_iPhone_yet

Phone Scoop: Review: Apple iPhone 5s (Phone Scoop)

iLounge: Reviews: Apple iPhone 5s (16GB/32GB/64GB) | iLounge

Gizmag: Review: iPhone 5s

Stuff: iPhone 5s Review | Stuff

What Hi-Fi: http://www.whathifi.com/review/apple-iphone-5s

TUAW: The TUAW iPhone 5s Review: Two writers, two phones, one review | TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog

Daring Fireball: Daring Fireball: The iPhone 5S and 5C

Ice Flow Studios: iPhone 5s Review | IceflowStudios Design Training
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Camera reviews:

DPReview Full Review: http://connect.dpreview.com/post/7518611407/apple-iphone5s-smartphone-camera-review

Professional photographer testing 5s: iPhone 5S Review

Professional photographer 5s vs. 5: http://austinmann.com/trek/iphone-5s-review-patagonia

DPReview samples: Sample gallery: Apple's iPhone 5s: Connect

Tom's Guide 5S vs. P&S Daytime: http://www.tomsguide.com/us/iphone-5s-daylight-photo-quality,news-17760.html

Laptopmag: http://blog.laptopmag.com/iphone-5s-vs-lumia-1020-camera

Nighttime: http://www.tomsguide.com/us/point-and-shoot-beats-iphone-5s,news-17619.html

PCMag 5S vs. 1020: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2425415,00.asp

GSMArena: http://www.gsmarena.com/six_way_camera_shootout-review-998.php

CNET: http://asia.cnet.com/smartphone-cam...-galaxy-note-3-vs-sony-xperia-z1-62222509.htm

Nokia 1020 vs. 5s: Apple iPhone 5S vs. Nokia Lumia 1020: Which Camera is Better? - CIO.com

LA Times: http://framework.latimes.com/2013/09/28/iphone-5s-camera-comparison-test/

5S vs. Nokia 1020 with flash: The iPhone 5S flash really is better than the rest - Recombu

5S Panorama vs. others: Panorama shooting on iOS - the iPhone 5s vs. the 4s / 5: Mobile Photography Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

Gizmodo: http://gizmodo.com/iphone-5s-camera-battle-a-stand-up-camera-that-doesnt-1357856416

5S vs. 5C vs. 5 pics: http://www.imore.com/iphone-5s-vs-iphone-5c-vs-iphone-5-camera-shootout

5S vs. 5 pics: http://www.todaysiphone.com/2013/09/iphone-5s-vs-iphone-5c-camera-shootout/

USA Today (5S vs. Nokia 1020 vs. GS4): http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/...rison-iphone-5s-lumia-1020-galaxy-s4/2868951/

WP Central (Windows vs. 5S): http://www.wpcentral.com/camera-showdown-iphone-5s-lumia-925-and-lumia-1020

MobileBurn: http://www.mobileburn.com/22070/review/apple-iphone-5s-vs-nokia-lumia-1020-camera-shootout

 

[Thai]

Until we can get some benchmarks and real-world reviews, this article sure makes me want the A7: Apple iPhone 5S event showcases Infinity Blade 3 using new 64-bit A7 chip | Apple - CNET News

The 64-bit chip in the iPhone 5S allegedly has graphics performance 56 times that of the original iPhone, and 40 times its CPU performance. "That's almost five times faster than on a iPhone 5," said Chair Entertainment co-founder and creative director Donald Mustard during the onstage demo.

Remember, A6 is no slouch!

 

[NateMob]

Im not a proponent of the iPhone in any manner but am an avid mobile phone and tech fan, why do you Apple guys think they strayed from their consistent business model of discounting the outgoing model while keeping it alongside the updated model? Instead they gave the iPhone 5 the axe and are going to continue to offer the 4s.

 

[Thai]

Im not a proponent of the iPhone in any manner but am an avid mobile phone and tech fan, why do you Apple guys think they strayed from their consistent business model of discounting the outgoing model while keeping it alongside the updated model? Instead they gave the iPhone 5 the axe and are going to continue to offer the 4s.

The 5C is probably cheaper to make than the iPhone 4/4S due to it being all plastic (vs. glass and steel of 4/4s). In addition, with 5C, it appeals to more people due to the different colors...and bigger screen (vs 4/4S).

You can't have iPhone 5 along side 5S because both will look identical (except for dual flash). This will lead to major confusion by customers...as it has in the past!! I think that Apple wants to get away from this. From here on out, i think that iPhone will have two distinct flavor...flagship and a colorful one. iPhone 6 will likely replace the 5S and you will once again have 6 and 6C models.

The 5S will battle with the top end, while 5C will battle the mid-grade phones from Android. Remember, despite having last year's tech, the 5C A6 chip is far from being inferior to anyone. A6 chip is much better than Qualcomm S400 chips on lower end Androids...and gives Moto X-chip and S600 a run for the money, esp. in the graphics department.

Some have postulated that the 5C was never meant to be the "cheap" iPhone, but rather a different iPhone than the all metal flagship. It is the more expressive model (for the crowd that likes to dress their phones in different color cases). It is also the iPhone that Johnny Ivy designed by himself. Notice how the iOS7 actually changes background with the 5C color.

 

[NateMob]

Pretty much my same thoughts on the model recognition, a big deal to some people to have the latest available.

And as far as the "Specs Race" i am hoping to see it slow down honestly, with the release of the Moto X i think Google has shown that like past iPhones, sytem cohesion and UI optimization goes further into bettering user experience than just slapping the latest components into a handset and calling it cutting edge. The Moto X and now the 5S are both graphic and motion-sensing beasts that dont sport the highest rated chips available.

 

[Thai]

Pretty much my same thoughts on the model recognition, a big deal to some people to have the latest available.

And as far as the "Specs Race" i am hoping to see it slow down honestly, with the release of the Moto X i think Google has shown that like past iPhones, sytem cohesion and UI optimization goes further into bettering user experience than just slapping the latest components into a handset and calling it cutting edge. The Moto X and now the 5S are both graphic and motion-sensing beasts that dont sport the highest rated chips available.

That has always been iPhone's strongpoint. Since Apple controls both hardware and software, both are optimized. Android needs all the horsepower to keep it running smooth, despite Project Butter.

The problem is that a lot of Android folks look at Ghz or RAM to say that one is better than another. This ONLY applies if you compare Android vs. Android running the same OS version. iPhone chips have always been good in the CPU department, but class-leading in the GPU. GPU is where iPhones dating back to 4/4S excelled at...and is where they have beaten Android. Then you add in the optimization, such as Safari browser which consistently beats every Android browser to date on speed despite a much lower clocked CPU (which benefits battery life).

Android GPU has never been class-leading until recently with the Qualcomm S800 introduction, which is by far the best chip of 2013 on Android. Samsung Exynos series GPU has been ordinary. S800 Adreno 330 is really good and is far better than past Qualcomm chips. You can see that in the benchmarks...it kills S600 (and by extension Moto X-Chip). The problem is that A7 will likely take the crown from it when it hits stores 9/20/13.

If A7 is truly 2x (some say almost 5x!) faster than A6, then it won't have much problem beating S800, esp. in the GPU department.

The problem with Moto X-Chip is that it may not be good enough for future proofing for 2 years (contract period). Yes, it runs fine now. But with more features coming soon (with KitKat and beyond) and some may be demanding, i wonder if X-Chip will still be smooth running. Remember, with Samsung Touchwiz (heavy UI with lots of animations), S600 stutters and lags with some features running at the same time. So, if the next round of Android update include anything like Touchwiz stuff, then X-Chip may suffer hiccups.

Fortunately, i hear that KitKat is very light and very compatible with older phones.