With the fresh worldwide release of Apple’s newest phones (the iPhone 5C and the iPhone 5S), users might get confused as to whether or not it’s great to upgrade their still relatively fresh iPhone 5. These two new devices, especially the budget-friendly 5C, gives another option to those who are yet to get on the iDevice hype train. Below, we’ll help you in making the decision of moving to the new iPhone or staying with the old one.
Basic specifications
To give you a better idea on which new Apple smartphone is the best purchase for you, here are some fast facts to help you decide.
- The iPhone 5 will be phased out as the iPhone 5C replaces it with the same pricing scheme of $99 with contract ($549 on unit only). The iPhone 5S is priced at $199 with a contract for 16GB.
- The 5C is offered in brighter colors: green, blue, white, yellow, and pink. The 5S is only offered in three hues – silver, space grew, and rarer and more expensive gold. Check out this shimmering paint on our mobile phone selection.
- The old iPhone 5 lasts 25 hours shorter than the newer ones on standby.
- Both cameras and display are exactly the same throughout the 5 series. They retained the 8-megapixel camera and 4-inch Retina display on two new handsets.
- Only the iPhone 5S has the ability to take burst photos, has an A7 64-bit processor (which enables next level graphics for mobile games and faster loading times), and the Touch ID fingerprint scanner
- Only the iPhone 5S is optimal in shooting for nighttime despite the same megapixel count. Apple mentioned that the 5S’ light absorption was improved due to its wider shutter opening of f2.2.
- The iPhone 5S’ flash now has two lights and a program which extrapolates ambient lightning settings deduced from them. Additionally, only the same device will be able to take slow motion videos naturally.
- Image stabilization is a technology only developed for the iPhone 5C and 5S.
In summary, buy the iPhone 5S if:
- You are looking to upgrade from a 3GS phone. The iPhone 5S is definitely a great choice for a new phone that could last you a very long time in terms of battery life. By this time, you probably are finished with the contract that came along with the iPhone 4 and 4S. But those who took the iPhone 5 might look at a hefty early termination fee, which is not all worth it.
- Mobile gaming is a very big thing for you. You’ll appreciate the high quality graphics being offered by the more expensive new phone.
Buy the iPhone 5C if:
- You are a neophyte to the Apple world. The iPhone 5C is a great phone to start getting acquainted with all things related to Apple such as the iCloud, Airdrop, syncing and more.
- You are still on contract with an older model and want to pay the early termination fee. The relatively cheaper iPhone 5C will not put as big a dent as the iPhone 5S will, but will still have the quality features everybody desires.
Stay with your iPhone 5 if:
- You can resist the temptation of having the latest. Seriously, the iPhone 5 is still a phone worthy of laurels. The iPhone 5C is technically the same as the iPhone 5, so there is no need to upgrade if you consider the interiors alone. If you prefer the colors of the 5C, there are always thousands of casings available on eBay.
- You are desperately in need of the latest bands of LTE. But that won’t make much of a difference anyway in terms of download speed. (Initial tests show that the iPhone 5S only had marginally faster download speed against the iPhone 5).
Will you be making the move? Which new iPhone do you have your eyes on? Tell us in the comments section below.
About the Author
Jenni Birch is a UK-based freelance writer with a burning desire for design, branding, and tech companies like Microsoft, Apple or LG. Her love of playing guitar takes up most of her spare time while she maintains a passion for sci-fi.