Apple iPhone 5s Review

With the passing years, there have become some launches that are starting to become more and more traditional. One of those is the launch of the S version in Apple’s arsenal.

As it is with each new "S" version entering the market, the changes made by Apple are refined but not deceptive. As has been the case with Apple, increasing majority users will be waiting in line for the next item being released by Apple. Still, with this version there won't be many who would just get rid of the iPhone 5 unless the newcomer is convincing enough. However, while the iPhone may sometimes fail to meet the (highly over-expected) expectations, it has never been a device to not be pleased with.

With Apple starting to move the focus on the OS as well for strength, the new OS version will play an important role as well in terms of market acceptance, as many people seem to have similar experiences of slowdown while using iOS 7 on an iPhone 5. Additionally, the device modifications may also just tip the scales in favor of the iPhone 5s.

The first thing that many users will readily accept is the Touch ID, with the fingerprint scanner in place at the Home button. The camera sensor is larger and improved, with a dual LED flash, and makes the best use of the most recent introduction of the 64-bit A7 chip, entering the 64-bit stage way ahead of its competition. With this comes better memory management and a promise of more complex tasks and apps ahead, being processed well with ease.

While unboxing the Apple iPhone 5S, you will get everything inside the retail box that you need to get started with this phone.

• Apple iPhone 5S handset
• A/C adapter with charging prong (country respective)
• Apple lightning USB cable for A/C adapter for charging
• EarPods headset with volume controls and microphone
• SIM tray eject tool
• Two stickers

The 4" Retina display released by Apple, an IPS LED-backlit LCD containing a screen resolution of 640 x 1136 and 326 pixels per inch, has been thought of as sufficient for 2013 as well. However, some of the users getting used to the market competition like Samsung, Motorola and others would beg to differ, with devices with almost the same size squeezing in the likes of 4.7” displays to accommodate to more and more screen size demands.

The design of the iPhone 5S, like with every S version in the iPhone lineup, hasn't changed dramatically, which goes on to say that Apple doesn't need to work on that aspect. The most visible change is the modified color scheme for devices. Other than that, the only difference from last year’s 4S are the home button’s additional usage as fingerprint scanner, and the True Tone flash, (a dual LED flash).

The device has cut a lot of burdensome weight to come down to an extraordinary weight of 112g. The front is complete Corning Gorilla Glass (cutouts are present for the home button and the earpiece only). The Touch ID button in its stainless steel-frame looks very refined on the iPhone 5s face, giving the device a uniform glass surface like look.

There are two strips of glass that frame the aluminum plate at the back. The aluminum has a matte finish, and has a grip-like feel to it, with the iconic logo and the iPhone inscription, in contrasting mirror-glass surface.

The Apple iPhone 5S, carrying the iOS 7 runs smooth as silk. The new OS comes with some new looks, like menus and keyboards, different system icons and apps, an overhauled control center among other changes. However, the base functionalities are the same so that users do not feel lost.

From the start, the unlock screen has been revamped, and the swipe to unlock option works when swiped anywhere on the screen, but in the same direction. A small camera icon is also present at the bottom of the unlock screen, and if swiped to that point, the device gets unlocked straight to camera. The security options for unlock, the traditional options of the 4-digit passcode and custom passcode have a new addition, the TouchID, for which the user will have to get his fingerprint scan through the Home button to unlock the device. The swiping up takes users to the Control Center, while swiping down displays the Notifications area.

The TouchID requires the passcode being enabled as a prerequisite. The user can setup a fingerprint scan, and every time the user wants to unlock the device, the finger has to be placed on the Home button, to get the fingerprint scanned and verification done. Apple allows users to be able to set up to five fingerprint scans for validation, so that users can allow their family to be able to use their device too. The TouchID is integrated in every place as a security measure, from the unlock to digital purchasing. The TouchID, though, does not allow different security levels based on different scans, nor does it allow different fnger scans for different locations, something that could have made this tool a huge hit.

The new 64-bit A7 chipset, a dual-core with 1.3 GHz, dubbed Cyclone is designed using the ARMv8 architecture. The architecture allows Apple the ability to pack in more than 4GB of RAM, however Apple has provided only 1 GB for this release, though even this feels quite enough the way the iOS handles multitasking. The dual-core is almost double the A6 that came with iPhone 5, and a stiff test to the quad-core SnapDragon 800 range as well. Even the browsing experience provided is the best around, including the most recent releases of Android sets.

The phonebook has a new option, something long awaited, which is the Blacklist. The contacts can be added and removed from the blacklist, and once a contact is blacklisted, calls, messages or Face Time will not be received.

The phone calls have made the best possible use of the multiple mics, as well as having taken out the impending issues in reception due to embedded antenna to greatly improve the call performance. The speaker though, still provides an average sound, with only a slight improvement as compared to iPhone 5. FaceTime has been provided as a system app, with the ability to work through both Wi-Fi and cellular data, with voice calls also added.

The iMessage service allows messages exchange between iGadgets on iOS 5 via Wi-FI or 3G also. Messages are color coded for identification. The Mail app provides multiple new options like much enhanced text formatting, attachments while composing, dictionary, VIP lists, and flagging options, among others.

Onwards to the image gallery, a new view by the name of Moments has been added, to sort images by date and geo-tagging. Images in one moment can be worked on almost similar to a folder. Views for Year (displaying images grouped by year) and Collection (displays images as custom collections or groups) are also added. AirDrop is present here too, for transfer of multiple files. The Photo Editor has the added option of filters as well.

An overdue overhaul of Apple’s Safari browser was also done to bring it up to speed with the competitors. Options like search/address field unification, full-screen view and the auto-hide, as well as removal of the limit of tabs in a window. All twitter links are automatically fetched to the History in a Shared Links tab. Also, the iCloud keychain is supported, to store all passwords and credit card info, other than the security code. The sync option if iCloud means this is another huge improvement for the ability to sync passwords across all devices.

The iWorks suite s also included in 5S, including the Microsoft Word competitor, Pages, Excel competitor Numbers, and PowerPoint competitor KeyNotes. All Microsoft files for the above are supported.

There has been modification in Siri, for starters a multiple language support, options to modify your voice request in case Siri couldn’t understand correctly, Wikipedia integration, as well as new voices. Siri can also make modifications to the device state, like turning Bluetooth or Wi-Fi on or off, play voicemails, adjust brightness, play iTunes Radio, among other options. Siri also fetches information from other sites, and mostly only its own display is used for such info, like player bio, etc.

The iPhone 5S has stuck to 8MP camera resolution for a third time in a row still, this is not the same camera from the 4S or iPhone 5. The sensor unit has been increased by 15% in terms of size and the lens aperture is widened also from F/2.4 to F/2.2, to improve the performance in low lighting environments. As there was no concern in the daylight performance of the iPhone, this means that Apple had done its homework prior to initiating any revamp on the camera.

Another modification has been introduced as the True Tone flash, comprising of two LEDs with slightly different colors, devised to get a more accurate capture. Also, the switching between modes has been shifted to a swipe gesture. Users can toggle between the default photo mode (set as default), square photo and panorama by swiping in one direction, while swiping in the other will allow toggle between normal video and slo-mo video. Instagram and Pinterest fans should also be happy to know that the square pics are supported, with the option to display a grid of 3 x 3 effects (with multiple effects like Tonal, Noir, Fade, Mono, Chrome supported) in real time as well, which work with the front-facing camera pics as well.

The image processing is improved, keeping noise levels down without trading off much high-frequency detail, with plenty of fine quality image detail still available, which is great for an 8MP shooter. The new HDR panorama mode provides spotless stitching if no objects are mobile. The bright highlights and the dark shadows are handled very well in the same shot. Also, the Panorama mode can only work up till 180° rather than a complete 360° view, which is somewhat disappointing. However it has to be said that the image has a lot of detail and the resolution is impressive.

The iPhone 5s camera records 1080p video at 30fps at 17Mbps bitrate, though it does have a higher framerate mode (720p @ 120fps), currently only used for slow motion videos.

Most disappointingly or rather shockingly, the iPhone 5s has stuck to capturing sound in mono (64Kbps, 44.1kHz). This is disturbing, especially since the device has multiple mics which could both have been utilized to cater to a high class digital sound recording option.

Taking pictures during recording is becoming a norm in Android phones, and Apple has provided the same option to its users as well. The benefit of such shots is that the field of vision for the images is the same as for the still camera, while the video has a slightly narrower viewing angle. However, that being said, the video quality is perfect, with smooth recording and playback, no noticeable noise and a lot of detail. Slo-mo videos are recorded at 720p resolution and 120fps frame rate, which can go up to a 4x slowdown.

The Apple iPhone 5s has all the major connectivity options – the quad-band GSM, penta-band 3G plus a bunch of LTE bands, as well as dual-band Wi-Fi, however, the latest ac Wi-Fi standard is not supported. Tethering is supported however, in case your carrier allows it. There's Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP support as well as support for A-GPS and GLONASS.

A new connectivity option introduced in the iOS 7 is AirDrop, a service for file sharing between supported iDevices (AirDrop works when both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are enabled). The option to share via this new service is present in every share menu of iOS 7. Using this option, people can send items ranging from pictures and videos to App Store and iTunes links, Map links, and on to all sort of files from file managing apps, Office docs, and much more. Sending is as simple as marking files, selecting people and hitting the send button – the people close by with AirDrop enabled automatically appear in the list for selecting people to send items to. AirDrop works on Macs running on OS X Mavericks, but previous versions as well as other OS are not supported.

Sadly, regular USB mass storage option and expansion of internal memory is still not a part of Apple's rulebook.

Another tweak in the latest release is the Activation Lock for the Find My iPhone service, which not only protects personal data but will also turn your iDevice useless once wiped until and unless a valid Apple ID is entered. This is an added insurance for stolen or lost devices. The iCloud is also available to synchronize all important data between all the devices running iOS 5 or above.

The battery inside the iPhone 5s is slightly better than the one on the iPhone 5 to support the new 64-bit A7 processor. While the iPhone 5 had a 1440mAh battery, this one is 1560mAh.

The device promises 8 hours of browsing on 3G, 10 hours talk time on 3G, 250 hours of stand-by, and 10 hours on LTE and Wi-Fi.

The Apple iPhone 5S has quite some shortcomings, some even due to somewhat repetitive nature of the device, a few of which are listed below:

• Screen size is less by 2013 standards with manufacturers like Samsung, Huawei, HTC, Motorola, and Qmobile all coming out with devices having larger screens
• The device is very highly priced, and with no subsidies for carriers
• Underutilization of the TouchID
• No option for a USB Mass Storage (iTunes still the primary source of data transfer)
• Absence of FM radio
• Single piece device meaning a sealed-in battery and no options to expand storage
• NFC connectivity is absent
• Video recording 1080p@30fps is much under par as compared to competition
• Audio recording in videos has mono capabilities

For many years, Apple came out with one device a year and every single one used to be a frontrunner in the race for the best phone of the season. However, with the increase in the number of devices coming out from almost every competitor, Apple made a change in this strategy, which was moving towards a backfire for some time before the S series somewhat salvaged the pride for Apple.

There was a lot of skepticism for the 5S, as it was the smallest update by a new iPhone. However, after using the device for a while now, it has to be said that the modifications though minor, are thought in detail and executed to perfection, providing a greater end user experience.

The newest addition to the iOS chipset range, the A7 chipset is not designed to set speed records, it's simple target is to run iOS 7 smoother than the performance given by the A6 for the iOS 6 needless to say the A7 is a brilliant success. Also, the camera doesn't target the megapixel race, but looking into the smaller issues for both the hardware as well as software has done wonders to the overall performance of the camera. As a matter of fact, even the placement of the fingerprint sensor on the Home button is meant to be a speedy alternative to the four-digit PIN.

Some of the issues that a few if not Apple users may now be noticing are that firstly the screen size has not been raised by Apple above the 4” barrier. That may have been great in the past, but with a lot of devices coming from the 4.3 – 5” range, Apple had to at least raise to 4.3” if not more. Additionally, the iPhone 5S is charging a pretty hefty amount, making many think that if they already have an iPhone 5, the upgrade isn't worth the additional $200 or so.

There can be no denial of the fact that the iPhone 5s is an amazing phone within its own. An interesting thing is that the demand for Apple is only increasing, even at a time when Apple is lagging behind its competition in the specs race and the OS related features as well. Having said this, Apple will have to come out with a major revamp in its next release to toughen up the competition being faced from Android and its flagship devices.