Anybody on the fence about getting the 5S? Why?

[tigerinexile]

I was on the fence from the beginning but in the end a silly desire for a "gold" looking iPhone with a better camera(I use mine a lot) won out.

Had no interest in the TOUCH iD but after using it I actually really like it. Originally worried about it being too slow but, turns out it is very quick.

This. I wanted a better camera, I wanted gold, and I was a skeptic about the touch-ID, but now am a huge fan.

So bought a 64 GB 5s outright. Good times.

Shall try to avoid buying another phone till the iPhone 7, now -- I have a 5 and a 5s (one for the home line, one for travel, with sim-swapping between them), and near-global LTE.

 

[theKHMERboy]

For me I'm not choosing to get the iPhone 5s cause I already have the 5 and so soon to make an upgrade again I am still happy with my phone

 

[dkhmwilliams]

For me I'm not choosing to get the iPhone 5s cause I already have the 5 and so soon to make an upgrade again I am still happy with my phone

We should only upgrade devices when we feel that we need to. I have been guilty if buying phones just because. But no more. I'm not upgrading until I feel like I need to.


Sent from my smokin hot, white, 64 GB, iPhone 5 on AT&T wrapped in a classic black BookBook case. FTW!

 

[Rocket_Girl]

Camera is what got me. I use it a LOT - and care about that.

As for upgrading when we feel we "need" to - the meaning of need is pretty personal. Did I need a 5s - no. Yet when thinking about it is driving me to distraction *for days*, there is a trade off that starts to make sense (for me, and for my work).

After buying it, I received a survey from Apple, asking me about my online purchase experience. One question asked if I\
"always have the newest technology";
"wait a bit to see about problems and make sure they're fixed"
"wait for prices to come down"
"never buy new technology" or
"prefer not to answer"

I marked "prefer not to answer" because here's the thing: the answer to that question is entirely dependent on the technology in question. Television? Never. To wit - TV? HA - you would laugh at the television that is not connected to cable and is smaller than most standard-size. computer monitors. Car? Nope - buy used. Audio? Nope (though I am a music nut), my last acquisition of audio equipment was a gift from then-boyfriend, who wanted to be able to plug in his iPhone to stream Spotify. Laptop? Had one for work, but haven't used it in years, and do not have one of my own. Computer for home? Nope again (have iPad mini with keyboard: see no laptop, no computer at home). Roomba? No - old-school upright with bag for me. Internet/wi-fi at home? Finally got that almost a year ago - when I sold cellular-enabled iPad in favor of wi-fi only mini. Before then, connected only via cellular.

My point is 1) that Apple's tecchnology question is overly broad - to the point where I could not give them an accurate answer. They didn't even let me say 'none of the above!'

And 2) How we decide on tecchnology purchases and priorities is highly individual. One person's important is another person's snoozer - and that's a beautiful thing. cosumer research shows that people get more satisfaction from spending money on experiences (vacations, concerts, trips to Disney World etc...) than on things. Its to the point now where -- for me -- buying a 5s *IS* buying an experience more than buying a thing. It wasn't always so with phones, but now it is (or can be). For others, buying a flat-screen the full size of one wall might be similar - buying the experience of friends and family, relaxing and watching [football...PGA...US Open...NASCAR...TheVoice...live-streams of Congress on C-Span... you get the picture.

To each his or her own. It's all good. And I do dearly love my 5S. So glad it fell into my lap (with a little OCD help) on Monday. We'll all be happy if we enjoy your own choices and honor the choices of others. Its all good.

Also - one last thing: I turned off the fingerprint sensor - never set up let alone activated it. It would be great - because work requires us to have passwords, but see Apple tech qustions above, I am (wait for it... ) waiting to see if there are problems and if they get fixed. Not sure I want my fingerprint potentially out there just yet -- willl see how that plays out. So, with space gray in a black case w/ folio-cover, nobody knows it is a 5S, so nobody will be asking to manhandle it. Nobody needs to know - I'm happy with my stealth 5s.

 

[maryjane2300]

We should only upgrade devices when we feel that we need to. I have been guilty if buying phones just because. But no more. I'm not upgrading until I feel like I need to.


Sent from my smokin hot, white, 64 GB, iPhone 5 on AT&T wrapped in a classic black BookBook case. FTW!

That's what I always say....then it happens again


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

 

[pr1nce]

I have a 4S running great on iOS 7. I have an upgrade available in November, but I might hold off for awhile.

 

[jmr1015]

I've been eligible for an upgrade for some time now. I think even before the iPhone 5 came out. I've been very satisfied with my iPhone 4. With iOS 7 installed, it feels like a new phone. It may not have all the features and speed/power of the newer iPhones... but it's enough to keep me happy. It does its job of being a smartphone, reliably and well.

I might add, I hate being tied down to a carrier by a contract. I haven't come across a phone over the past few years that makes me want to take on another 2-year commitment. The iPhone 5S could be that phone, but I'm also considering just buying one outright off-contract.

Being honest, I'm also tempted by the Blackberry Z30. 5" 16:9 Super AMOLED 720p HD display, BB OS 10.2, huge 2800mAh battery and crazy 18 hour talk time, power efficient 1.7GHz dual core with 2gb RAM, some crazy multispeaker/multimicrophone setup that supposed to offer more natural sound and call quality in all conditions, some new antenna tech that is supposed to pull in stronger signal from the network, and expandable memory... if it performs as advertised, this could finally be the BB device to rival the top dogs and offer a decent alternative to iOS. OS 10 is pretty slick. I just haven't been impressed by the Z10 or Q10 hardware. An Android sized device, running BB OS, offering iOS-like battery life, with blackberry connectivity... could be amazing.

 

[Nolander07]

I see it this way (in the US):
You buy a $600-800 phone that is subsidized for $100-200, then the company locks you into a contract and charges you a lot every month to make up for what they paid for the phone, and then some. If you do not upgrade when your contract is up, you are still paying them exorbitant monthly charges when they have not subsidized a phone for you. This is good for the phone companies, bad for us. That is how I justify upgrading as soon as I can.

 

[neurodave]

I had an upgrade, I had a 16GB iPhone 5 (valued at $300 on a trade-in) and working for Verizon, I knew a few managers who could get me a 5s on launch day.

I guess you can say it was a no brainer for me, albeit I didn't see it being a worthy upgrade. If all of that had not been in place, I probably would still have my 5.

 

[Coachbulldog]

I have a 4S running great on iOS 7. I have an upgrade available in November, but I might hold off for awhile.

I have a 4S that is running iOS7 with no problems, my upgrade is available in October, and I'm going ahead and getting a 5S. If Apple/iPhone's release pattern remains the same, I will have the latest phone and be eligible for what I'm sure will be an even better iPhone 6S in October of 2015.

 

[theKHMERboy]

since i have the iphone 5 i just feel that the 5s is not enough for me to upgrade... i will be waiting for the next iphone in line.. but until then i am still happy with the iphone 5

 

[doublebullout]

I find myself thinking along the same lines as Coachbulldog. The iPhone 6 may be dramatically different or not, and will probably have some additional whiz-bang feature. But looking back at the 4 and 5, it becomes apparent that the upgrade cycle that may make the most sense is to wait to upgrade to the S versions.

 

[rewNATION]

i have a 4S now and i can upgrade whenever i want. I was originally planning on getting a 5S but after seeing all the specs i feel like it might not be a bad idea to maybe get a 5C instead. I don't really see a whole lot of difference between the two. Even from my 4S i don't really see much difference when compared to a 5S or 5C. I think i'm gonna at least wait until the shipping times get quicker and then make a choice.

 

[anon(4698833)]

i have a 4S now and i can upgrade whenever i want. I was originally planning on getting a 5S but after seeing all the specs i feel like it might not be a bad idea to maybe get a 5C instead. I don't really see a whole lot of difference between the two. Even from my 4S i don't really see much difference when compared to a 5S or 5C. I think i'm gonna at least wait until the shipping times get quicker and then make a choice.

If you don't see a difference between the 5S and the 4S...you're just not looking. Between the 5 and the 5S? Sure, there are quite a few differences, but only when you really start breaking down the phone itself...the 4S and the 5S are a WORLD different.

 

[TLD1]

I'm not on the fence any more. I'm not buying one. iOS7 is running fine on my iP5 which is running fine...and there is not enough difference between the 5 & 5s to make me pay $350 difference for the 5s after trade-in. The camera is maginally better...and that's not even a deal to me since I use the camera very little. The A7 processor makes the 5s minimally faster than the 5 with the A6. Side by side there is little if any real difference. Fingerprint sensor? Bah! I'm not so sensitive to others getting into my phone that I have to go to such extremes for security...and it was hacked easily within the first day of release anyway! It's a hyped up gimmick at the very best. Apple has put less effort into the 5s upgrade than they did with the 3s or 4s.They will undoubtedly sell all they can build, and that's totally cool with me. They just won't get my dollar...yet. Heck, I think the 5c is more innovative than the 5s!

Nope...I'm not so easily fooled. I'll stick with my 5 until next year and see if Apple can really amaze me with the iPhone 6.

 

[rewNATION]

If you don't see a difference between the 5S and the 4S...you're just not looking. Between the 5 and the 5S? Sure, there are quite a few differences, but only when you really start breaking down the phone itself...the 4S and the 5S are a WORLD different.

I don't see any drastic changes though, everything still looks the same, screen is all of a half inch bigger, and i don't really care about the processor upgrade (i never notice any difference anyway). Fingerprint sensor is not a big deal to me. If anything the 5C seems like a better choice than the 5S

 

[cbales24]

New to iMore here . My upgrade is tomorrow (Sprint) and I am absolutely torn between the 5s and the Moto X, so yes I'm on the fence. I've owned Blackberry's and Android, that's it.

My thing with smartphones is that I've always wanted a powerful and compact phone that isn't too big. This had led me to Blackberry and mid-range Androids. Well, now it's 2013 and Blackberry's are great but the lack of apps is painful, and every Android worthy of a two-year contract is 4.7"+.

Enter the iPhone. I have never considered Apple products in my life and quite frankly cannot believe that I am doing so. That being said, I look around and it turns out that it meets my specs quite well. Enough background, I'll just to jump to the "fence" that I am on:

Moto X:

(+) Android Ecosystem = Gmail, Maps, Calendar, Google+, YouTube, etc. (yes, I'm aware that these apps are available on iOS but only as second-class citizens)
(+) (Mostly) stock Android, no bs grafted-on OS
(+) 4.7" screen is excellent for web browsing, videos, Twitter
(+) Touchless control is a neat little feature
(+) Customizable everything
(+) Simultaneous voice + data over LTE

(-) Body is smaller than any flagship Android, but still probably too large for one-handed operation
(-) Not a Nexus device, so updates are slower, even if Google owns Motorola

iPhone 5s

(+) Compact size
(+) Hardware and software optimization
(+) Great build quality that will last 2+ years

(-) Google apps are there but can't be set to default
(-) Lack of customization, most notably for the keyboard
(-) No simultaneous voice + data

 

[Sekelani Zwambila]

New to iMore here . My upgrade is tomorrow (Sprint) and I am absolutely torn between the 5s and the Moto X, so yes I'm on the fence. I've owned Blackberry's and Android, that's it.

My thing with smartphones is that I've always wanted a powerful and compact phone that isn't too big. This had led me to Blackberry and mid-range Androids. Well, now it's 2013 and Blackberry's are great but the lack of apps is painful, and every Android worthy of a two-year contract is 4.7"+.

Enter the iPhone. I have never considered Apple products in my life and quite frankly cannot believe that I am doing so. That being said, I look around and it turns out that it meets my specs quite well. Enough background, I'll just to jump to the "fence" that I am on:

Moto X:

(+) Android Ecosystem = Gmail, Maps, Calendar, Google+, YouTube, etc. (yes, I'm aware that these apps are available on iOS but only as second-class citizens)
(+) (Mostly) stock Android, no bs grafted-on OS
(+) 4.7" screen is excellent for web browsing, videos, Twitter
(+) Touchless control is a neat little feature
(+) Customizable everything
(+) Simultaneous voice + data over LTE

(-) Body is smaller than any flagship Android, but still probably too large for one-handed operation
(-) Not a Nexus device, so updates are slower, even if Google owns Motorola

iPhone 5s

(+) Compact size
(+) Hardware and software optimization
(+) Great build quality that will last 2+ years

(-) Google apps are there but can't be set to default
(-) Lack of customization, most notably for the keyboard
(-) No simultaneous voice + data

If you want a device that works seamlessly with no problems and easy to learn interface, go with the 5S. I don't know much about Motorola. But it's a good phone neithertheless.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[Lamont Raccoon]

I'm STILL debating actually. I mean had I known when I got my i5 in july this year that the 5s was coming. I would've waited. But I needed a phone as I was homeless for 3 years before this year. - in my own apartment - So I dunno. I'm going over details about the 5s to see if it's worth the upgrade and trade in. I WILL say that I wish I got the white/silver 5 as my black one has like 2 VERY small marks from the otter box defender I have. :/ I done goof friends. :c