Apple released the next generation of iPhones Sept. 20. Included in the new generation was the much-anticipated iPhone 5s, as well as the tradition breaking “C” series.
The company also shook things up by offering the 5s in gold, silver or slate grey. Slate grey is Apple’s new black, and is best described as a shade darker than the MacBook’s classic silver casing.
Inside the 5s’s shiny case is the new Apple A7 processor, the first 64-bit processor to be used in a mobile device. The processor is twice as fast as the A6, the chip powering the iPhone 5 and 5c.
As usual with s generations, the dimensions of the 5s are the same as the iPhone 5, so you won’t have to worry about purchasing a new case unless yours covers the home button.
Underneath the 5s’s redesigned home button is a fingerprint scanner. The scanner is protected by sapphire glass and allows users to unlock their phone without entering a pass code. Users can register up to ten fingerprints, which gives users the ability to unlock the phone with any of their fingers. Alternatively, you could enter a few of your fingerprints and a trusted friend’s fingerprint, so your friend won’t have to ask what your passcode is each time you ask them to operate Maps from the passenger seat.
Other improvements include the usual camera upgrade, this time including a larger lens for improved performance in low-lighting conditions and True Tone flash, a feature that uses different color flashes to help reduce the bluish tint that flash causes in images. This means that users no longer have to worry about having a vampire-esque complexion when friends snap their picture in a dark setting.
The 5s also features a 1.2MP front facing camera with larger pixels and an improved backside illumination sensor. The improved camera will help users see each other better while FaceTiming or video chatting. It will also allow users to view themselves in more detail.
“I really like the higher resolution front camera because I can finally take selfies without looking like a blob,” Junior Kaitlin Johnson said.
While the 5s is a must-have for tech enthusiasts, the iPhone 5c may be a better fit for users who don’t need two processors to post a tweet. The 5c is cheaper than the iPhone 5s and comes in 5 vibrant colors with a glossy finish.
In anticipation of users’ hesitance to put a protective case over the phone that would mask the 5c’s appealing colors, Apple released a line of brightly colored cases for the phone that allow the phone’s color to show through, giving users room to be creative and choose their own color scheme.
Technical aspects of the 5c are the same as the iPhone 5, which has been discontinued since the announcement. Although the technology inside the 5c is nothing new, consumers are thrilled by the 5c’s starting price. You can pick up a 16GB iPhone 5c on a two-year contract for $99 or the 32GB model for $199. The iPhone 5s is priced at $199, $299, and $399 for the 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB models. You can purchase one from an Apple retail store, the Apple online store, or your mobile carrier.
Apple’s release of its new generation iPhones has been successful as usual. Although the company hasn’t been selling as many 5c units as expected, the iPhone 5s has been flying out of stores faster than Apple can restock them. Backorder wait times for the white and gold models of the 5s were as many as 4-10 weeks just one week after the initial release.
