Disappointed in iPhone 5s

[austriak]

Let me start by saying that I really love my Apple products. I have had an ipod touch (I forget which generation), iPhone 3GS, 4, 5, and 5S, iPad 2, 4, and iPad Air. This is not an anti-Apple rant, just a rant on the iPhone 5s.

I recently got an iPhone 5s after using the 5 since launch day and I am very disappointed. Setting aside specs and looking purely at the actual user experience, I don't really see much of a difference between the 5 and 5s. Touch ID works well but I never locked my iPhones by pin before so I don't feel like it is shortening my time to unlock the phone and other than itunes, you can't use it for anything else. The camera has its moments of performing well but I don't find it substantially better than my 5's camera. I don't see it performing any faster or battery lasting that much longer. I just would not recommend getting the 5s if you have the 5.

I know that "s" years are usually incremental improvements and that Apple spent a lot of time working on ios 7 in 2013, but it just feels like in a market where smartphones are making leaps and bounds year to year, iphone 5s was just a very weak upgrade. I have hopes for the iphone 6 and there is a lot of hype already. I just hope it lives up to it.

 

[iRiidium]

Let me start by saying that I really love my Apple products. I have had an ipod touch (I forget which generation), iPhone 3GS, 4, 5, and 5S, iPad 2, 4, and iPad Air. This is not an anti-Apple rant, just a rant on the iPhone 5s.

I recently got an iPhone 5s after using the 5 since launch day and I am very disappointed. Setting aside specs and looking purely at the actual user experience, I don't really see much of a difference between the 5 and 5s. Touch ID works well but I never locked my iPhones by pin before so I don't feel like it is shortening my time to unlock the phone and other than itunes, you can't use it for anything else. The camera has its moments of performing well but I don't find it substantially better than my 5's camera. I don't see it performing any faster or battery lasting that much longer. I just would not recommend getting the 5s if you have the 5.

I know that "s" years are usually incremental improvements and that Apple spent a lot of time working on ios 7 in 2013, but it just feels like in a market where smartphones are making leaps and bounds year to year, iphone 5s was just a very weak upgrade. I have hopes for the iphone 6 and there is a lot of hype already. I just hope it lives up to it.

Hmmm...the 5s is the tock to the 5's tick. I've read that CPU/GPU performance is a significant upgrade. You also have a finish that wears better in the space grey vs. the 5's black. You also have that slick slo-mo and other camera features introduced. I like Touch ID too. I personally don't find the 5S and it's 64-bit CPU any less of a significant upgrade to the 5 than the S4 was to the S3 or the Note 3 was to the Note 2 or the G2 was to the Optimus G. What list of phones were you thinking of when you noted significant year over year improvements that the 5s seemed to lag behind of?


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[Just_Me_D]

I'm sure others feel the same way, but still they are those who find the upgrade to the iPhone 5S worth it. I've stated on the forum on numerous occasions how I didn't think the iPhone 5 was worth the upgrade from the iPhone 4S (and I had no intentions of upgrading), but as soon as I received it, I realized I was wrong overall. Having said that, although my iPhone 5 is faster and more powerful than the iPhone 4S, I would have still been content with the 4S had I not upgraded.

 

[Beyond Fire]

I disagree, I believe the 5s is a significant improvement over the 5. First phone to introduce 64bit architecture which will lay the ground work for future devices and applications. First phone to successfully implement a fingerprint scanner(a great feature for the many people that do lock their phones). Touch ID becomes even better once the phone is JB.

The 5s may not have been much of a upgrade for you, but for many people coming from a 5(myself included)it was a significant upgrade.

You said so yourself that it's been understood that the "s" models are incremental upgrades, however you still chose to buy the 5s knowing that.


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[i7guy]

First off not having a pass code on your phone is like leaving the locks on your house open but to each their own. A usable touch id to me is the biggest thing ever in personal security on a mobile phone. Foolishly (IMO) not locking your phone renders this impressive innovation useless.

Secondly if you don't use your phone to take pictures, the advances in camera technology is a moot point.

Also the integration with fitness devices is fairly cool.

The rest of the stuff new CPU, 64 bit, motion coprocessor, etc all cool stuff.

But I can see why it wasn't much if an advance to you.


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[iRiidium]

First off not having a pass code on your phone is like leaving the locks on your house open but to each their own.

I've read that some people don't keep or keep access to any personal or sensitive data on their phones. So, perhaps the OP is in that category.


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[Just_Me_D]

(snipped) in 2013, but it just feels like in a market where smartphones are making leaps and bounds year to year, iphone 5s was just a very weak upgrade. I have hopes for the iphone 6 and there is a lot of hype already. I just hope it lives up to it.

One other thing, keep in mind that our personal expectations can have an effect on our perceptions of a given product. They can minimize the advancements contained within the device because it didn't mesh with what we thought it should look like or should contain.

 

[anon(4698833)]

And I have to say that I totally disagree with you...

The Touch ID, for starters, is just an amazingly convenient security function. I also NEVER used a pin on my phones before...I never needed to, I was never without them unless at home, and there I didn't really care. With the Touch ID, I use it for unlocking my phone and making purchases constantly. It has become second nature, and now, I can't see how I did without it before as far as securing my phone and convenience for other things.

My camera works perfectly every time I use it. The camera itself is a clear improvement over the 5's in terms of low light photography as well as the simple speed in which the pictures are taken...let's face it, with point and shoots, speed is as important as, if not more important than many of the features that people look for in a camera...getting that shot off before it's gone. The iPhone 5S does this better than the 5...there's no opinionated view on that, it just is what it is.

Lastly, you said yourself that this was a mid model refresh in that it is an "S" line phone...it's not going to be a total revamp, redesign or reimagining...it's going to be the previous version of the phone, but BETTER. The iPhone 5S DEFINES this...better camera, better security function, more features, better technology and of course, better internals (substantially better internals...in fact, market leading internals).

You can be disappointed, that is your right as a consumer...but blame it on the fact that you wanted a brand new phone, and not a refresh...then blame yourself for buying the refresh, having all the details about the device spelled out for you before you even bought it (through online sources and word of mouth here and outside in the real world). Bottom line...if you wanted a totally new phone, you should have waited until the iPhone 6 comes (and even there, I bet we still see a lot of similarities). The 5S was a substantially improved iPhone 5...Apple never represented it as anything other than that, and within that, it was actually improved MORE than almost every other "S" model we've seen.

 

[HAWK]

You can be disappointed, that is your right as a consumer...but blame it on the fact that you wanted a brand new phone, and not a refresh...then blame yourself for buying the refresh, having all the details about the device spelled out for you before you even bought it (through online sources and word of mouth here and outside in the real world). Bottom line...if you wanted a totally new phone, you should have waited until the iPhone 6 comes (and even there, I bet we still see a lot of similarities). The 5S was a substantially improved iPhone 5...Apple never represented it as anything other than that, and within that, it was actually improved MORE than almost every other "S" model we've seen.

This.... says everything I was thinking

 

[BreakingKayfabe]

I know that "s" years are usually incremental improvements and that Apple spent a lot of time working on ios 7 in 2013, but it just feels like in a market where smartphones are making leaps and bounds year to year, iphone 5s was just a very weak upgrade. I have hopes for the iphone 6 and there is a lot of hype already. I just hope it lives up to it.

This pertains to the 5S, also. The 5S didn't "live up" to its hype if you just base it on what some of the rumors for it were. Just keep that in mind before you buy an iPhone 6.

 

[iEd]

Let me start by saying that I really love my Apple products. I have had an ipod touch (I forget which generation), iPhone 3GS, 4, 5, and 5S, iPad 2, 4, and iPad Air. This is not an anti-Apple rant, just a rant on the iPhone 5s.

I recently got an iPhone 5s after using the 5 since launch day and I am very disappointed. Setting aside specs and looking purely at the actual user experience, I don't really see much of a difference between the 5 and 5s. Touch ID works well but I never locked my iPhones by pin before so I don't feel like it is shortening my time to unlock the phone and other than itunes, you can't use it for anything else. The camera has its moments of performing well but I don't find it substantially better than my 5's camera. I don't see it performing any faster or battery lasting that much longer. I just would not recommend getting the 5s if you have the 5.

I know that "s" years are usually incremental improvements and that Apple spent a lot of time working on ios 7 in 2013, but it just feels like in a market where smartphones are making leaps and bounds year to year, iphone 5s was just a very weak upgrade. I have hopes for the iphone 6 and there is a lot of hype already. I just hope it lives up to it.

If the 5S wasn't enough of a upgrade from the 5 maybe you should have researched it further before purchasing it or just waited on the 6. Some people upgrade every new iPhone some every other iPhone. Either way they don't complain about their decision.

I don't understand if you have a 5 and the 5S is similar to the 5 but with new cam, processor,touch id how can 5S not be a improvement?

If you look at the 5S features and say to yourself I don't need to upgrade that's fine just don't upgrade. Look at all the factors before buying.

 

[anon(4698833)]

It'd be like buying a Honda Civic and being disappointed in it because you wanted a car like the Ford Mustang.

 

[Illustrator Joe]

It'd be like buying a Honda Civic and being disappointed in it because you wanted a car like the Ford Mustang.

I agreed with everything you said until this. Honda>Ford
Lots of factors, but I would take a Honda Civic over a Ford Mustang any day. And of the days of spec whoring Apple is much more like a Honda than a Ford.

 

[anon(4698833)]

I agreed with everything you said until this. Honda>Ford
Lots of factors, but I would take a Honda Civic over a Ford Mustang any day. And of the days of spec whoring Apple is much more like a Honda than a Ford.

You completely missed the point...lol. Honda Civic being an economy car and Ford Mustang being a sports car...buying an economy car when you really wanted a sports car and being disappointed in general with a Honda Civic because of such. I was saying that it would make no sense to do that, since you'd understand what you were buying before you bought it in the first place.

 

[iRiidium]

I agreed with everything you said until this. Honda>Ford
Lots of factors, but I would take a Honda Civic over a Ford Mustang any day. And of the days of spec whoring Apple is much more like a Honda than a Ford.

+1,000,000,000

Ford has gotten A LOT better but I'd rather have a Honda any day too. I think I like the Apple = Honda Ford = Moto analogy my mind just created.

I'd rather have an S2000 than a Mustang convertible any second of any day. I'd much rather have a 5s than even a black Moto X (with red trim, I might add). To me, the build quality and performance of the Honda/Apple is more desirable than the Ford/Moto.




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[Illustrator Joe]

You completely missed the point...lol. Honda Civic being an economy car and Ford Mustang being a sports car...buying an economy car when you really wanted a sports car and being disappointed in general with a Honda Civic because of such. I was saying that it would make no sense to do that, since you'd understand what you were buying before you bought it in the first place.

Oh I gotcha. Thanks for clarifying. I was reading way too far into the analogy.

 

[Illustrator Joe]

+1,000,000,000

Ford has gotten A LOT better but I'd rather have a Honda any day too. I think I like the Apple = Honda Ford = Moto analogy my mind just created.

I'd rather have an S2000 than a Mustang convertible any second of any day. I'd much rather have a 5s than even a black Moto X (with red trim, I might add). To me, the build quality and performance of the Honda/Apple is more desirable than the Ford/Moto.


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I worked at a Honda dealership during college, I drove a few S2000's they were not popular at all. A hell of a fun car to drive, but I would never want to own one. Anyways I am a huge fan of Moto actually and the Moto X, but I get your comparison. Apple build quality is very very good. Should be interesting to see what happens to Moto now that Lenovo is at the reigns.

 

[dc9super80]

I think the question is what did you expect after reading all the reviews of the 5s? The 5s is a significant upgrade, but in my case it was not significant enough for me to get it, in that the changes werent going to be sorely missed in my day to day activites. That I learned from reading blogs, and playing with the device as a few friends have it. That is a valid and personal decision. I am sure you research before upgrading so what ever you found when you upgraded shouldn?t have been a surprise. It is the same form factor basically minus the better camera and the Touch ID. It has a processor that is leaps and bounds over the 5?s A6, but iOS is so well written that your 5 will continue to work just fine, and it will take time for developers to jump on board. As some mentioned Apple?s upgrades are incremental and the 5s came as expected and I would say it surpassed our expectations becuase the processor was not expected. As another poster mentioned other manufacturers do very similar upgrades.

 

[anon(4698833)]

+1,000,000,000

Ford has gotten A LOT better but I'd rather have a Honda any day too. I think I like the Apple = Honda Ford = Moto analogy my mind just created.

I'd rather have an S2000 than a Mustang convertible any second of any day. I'd much rather have a 5s than even a black Moto X (with red trim, I might add). To me, the build quality and performance of the Honda/Apple is more desirable than the Ford/Moto.




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Read my reply above...that was not the point of my analogy.

For what it's worth, I own a Prelude and a 600RR (love both of them), and have owned an S2000, Civic Hatchback, Civic Si and CL Type S...so please understand, I'm kind of a Honda head and would never claim Ford as a better maker than Honda ever, lol.

 

[RobertAdams313]

It was a huge upgrade for me since I came from the 4s


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