It’s been an exciting September for Apple fans with the announcement of the new iPhone 5 models and iOS 7. I won’t steal OWC Michael’s thunder and rehash the details of all of the new features on the iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C and iOS 7, but you can check them out on our recap post from Tuesday’s special event.
But look around at the various Apple or tech-related message boards and blogs, and you’ll likely see backlash aimed at the latest iPhone iterations. Many people seem to think that they’re just the same old iPhone. That the new models don’t justify an upgrade, even with an expired contract.
While my contract still has a year (or as most would call it – an eternity) before it expires, I’ve made a decision: I am going to upgrade early from the iPhone 5 to the iPhone 5S.
I already know what my friends and family and co-workers and neighbors and financial advisors (which are basically all my family members) will say: “That’s a waste of money. It’s basically the same phone.” And on the surface, it is. From an aesthetic standpoint it’s essentially the same.
What lies beneath that silver, gray or sort-of-ugly gold surface, however, is another story. The iPhone 5S has a ton of features I want in an upgrade: a better and faster processor, a co-processor that makes it a great fitness tracker that will tell me how many miles I’ve sat walked that day, and even a state-of-the-art gimmick. Apple really went above and beyond for this “S” iteration.
But the biggest reason I’ll be upgrading to 5S: the fancy new camera. My iPhone is the only camera I ever carry. Actually, it’s the only camera I own. So it needs to get good shots wherever I am. And the new camera on the 5S looks fantastic. The bigger sensor (Apple thankfully didn’t just needlessly cram in more megapixels) along with new burst mode and slow-motion video capabilities are huge upgrades over the iPhone 5 camera.
The main reason I’m able to make this upgrade, though, is because of how well iPhones hold their value. I can sell my phone on any number of sites that purchase used phones and get a nice amount, or get even more by selling it privately. And thanks to the NuGuard KX, my iPhone 5 has remained in great condition, so I can get top dollar. (Plus, my KX will still fit the iPhone 5S!) After all is said and done, I will be out a little bit of money. But for security, performance and the important camera upgrades, I think it’s a worthwhile investment.
What do you think? Do you agree or disagree that the 5S is a worthy upgrade over the iPhone 5? Tell us what you think in the comments sections.
Yes, I think it is an interesting challenge with respect to the I5s versus i5, however I have a greater challenge to see if you have any thoughts as to how to address. While I am not quite ready to make the leap to i5s just yet, I did decide to upgrade my i4 to iOS 7. This seems to have been a mistake as about a day after upgrade, it went into recovery mode. It required that I set the phone up as a new one using my Mac and iTunes. After attempting this numerous times, the installation hangs about 75% through and will not complete leaving my i4 useless in effect. So far Apple’s Genius Bar receives the same results and has no further comment other than they would sell me another refurb for $150. By the way, this was the 3rd i4 in a year that has gone down hard. Any thoughts or suggestions on how to reverse or resolve a software issue of this nature? The phone really wants to work, it comes on showing a bright Apple logo, but never fully boots as the software has not been fully restored. I also noticed a slow down on my iPad 2 after iOS 7, but it is working reasonably well at this time. It appears to me and from what others have suggested to me, that the i4 was never intended to run iOS 7…if that is the case, it would have been nice to have heard that from Apple or the Carriers in advance of the software push. Thanks and really enjoy your blogs, service, and products!
Interestingly, Apple has said that cases can be designed to work with both the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5, but that cases originally designed for the iPhone 5 may not work properly with the iPhone 5S, particularly with regard to such things as proper light dispersion from the new dual-flash system, image capture with the new camera, etc.
Note that Apple once learned the hard way that just changing the colour of the back of the phone around the camera can affect the camera adversely, if it’s not properly compensated for, so it’s hardly surprising that things like size and shape of a case’s aperture could affect the camera system, even if there’s no direct obstruction.
Given this, has OWC had time to properly validate the NuGuard KX with the iPhone 5S?
The cutout on the back side of the KX case was designed provide ample room for the iPhone’s rear camera and won’t cause interference with the new dual True Tone flash on the iPhone 5S.
Not to mention its new, slightly larger aperture lens system. :)
Excellent. Good forward thinking in design. Thanks much!