iPhone 5s Review by Apple

It’s that time of year again and Apple’s in the usual record-breaking mood at the boxoffice. This is an S year in the Cupertino calendar but distinct enough - it might be that two telephones instead of just one account for nearly double last year’s record sales. We can only guess as to which one contributed how, but that is hardly the point. We’ve got the main coverage for duty and it’ll be both the desert and also the main course, considering the 5c did not exactly impress as an appetizer.

As with every “S” version of the iPhone the developments are subtle but not illusory. There is no new layout clearly, no screen or a bulge in resolution - nothing to go from the grain of every other year how Apple normally delivers iPhone upgrades. Having said that, it truly is not this phone’s fault that the iPhone 5 wasn’t the full-digit upgrade everyone was hoping for.

As usual with Apple - we need to give it that - a particular series of users can’t just wait to get the next big thing. Others, though, will not only eliminate the 5 unless the rookie is convincing enough. An iPhone may fail to match the (generally over-inflated) expectations but it has never been a product to be displeased with.

The new OS version can be a decider too, if more people share our experience and feel the slow down on an iPhone 5 running iOS 7, but the remainder of the new material might as well be just enough to tip the scales in favor of the iPhone 5s.

The very first thing that makes a tangible difference is Touch ID, using a fingerprint scanner having made the iconic Home button its residence. The camera has a bigger sensor and dual LED flash, and happily takes advantage of what is likely the most remarkable development - the 64 bit A7 chip. The iOS enters its 64bit phase in its seventh iteration, well ahead of the competitors.

What this means is better memory management and more complex tasks and apps ahead. This might as well be the first important step to bringing the iOS closer to Apple’s dedicated desktop OS X - an early message that both platforms are due for a rendezvous eventually.

Key characteristics

• Quadband GSM and quadband or penta - band 3G support with 21 Mbps HSDPA, 42 Mbps DC - HSDPA and 5. 76 Mbps HSUPA
• LTE support on all models and CDMA support when sold by CDMA carriers
• 4″ 16M-color LEDbacklit IPS TFT capacitive touchscreen of 640 x 1136px resolution, 326 ppi
• Corning Gorilla Glass, fingerprint-resistant coating
• 1.3 GHz dualcore ARMv8 64-bit CPU, PowerVR G6430 GPU, 1GB of RAM, Apple A7 SoC
• iOS iCloud integration and 7
• 8 MP autofocus camera, 1/3” sensor size, 1.5m pixel size, True Tone dual-LED flash, touch focus, digital image stabilization
• 1080p video recording at 30fps, 720p@120fps slow motion videos
• 1.2MP secondary frontfacing camera, 720p video recording
• Touch ID fingerprint scanner embedded into home button
• Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot
• GPS with A-GPS connectivity, GLONASS support; digital compass
• 16/32/64GB storage choices
• Accelerometer, proximity sensor as well as a threeaxis gyro sensor
• Active noise cancellation using a dedicated secondary microphone, dedicated third microphone for Siri
• Regular 3.5 mm audio jack, stereo Bluetooth v4.0
• Apple Maps with free voice - guided navigation in 50-odd states
• iTunes Radio
• AirDrop file transfer
• Voice recognition, Siri virtual assistant
• Supports HD Voice (needs carrier support also)
• FaceTime video calls over Wi-Fi and cellular
• Impressively slim and light

 

Main disadvantages

• Display feels little by 2013 standards
• Very expensive without carrier subsidies
• TouchID is significantly underused
• No USB Mass Storage mode, iTunes needed for data transfer
• No FM radio
• No expandable storage, sealed-in battery
• No NFC connectivity
• 1080p@30fps video recording is low by current main status
• Mono audio recording in videos

The iPhone 5s pushes the major re-design another year back - but this is something we can live with. After all, the styling of the iPhone is still applicable - to say the least. Digging a little deeper reveals that Apple has taken good care of bringing many major facets of functionality to a brand-new level on its latest flagship. The camera, the chip, Touch ID, video recording and still imagery, low light operation, and naturally, the feel and look of iOS 7.

However many things are still annoying about the iPhone - many, if not all, repeating themselves years on end. We like the premium compact and lightweight body of the iPhone but maybe Apple is running out of excuses with regard to screen size and resolution.

Which is what makes the following point even more agonizing - the cost. Apple tax or not, the iPhone 5s is more expensive than any of the competition’s flagships, and by a great margin also. The bottom line is Apple is charging more and delivering less: a smaller screen, lower resolution, less storage. Oh well. Who can blame them when they are able to get away by it? Scratch that - make an art of it.

Anyway, an iPhone has always been more than the sum of its own specs. But we’re going to do the math anyway. Starting with the hardware, that might look similar but not without some noteworthy changes. Let’s go.

Tags : iPhone 5S Review