Apple launches the iPhone 5S and 5C : Innovation or catch up?

 

 

Yesterday Apple launched a new range of iPhones for two different segments of the market: 5S for the premium market and 5C for the low-end market. This week we shall take a closer look at the iPhone 5S before looking at the iPhone 5C the following week.

 

As with any Apple event, numbers and stats were hurled at the screen, beautiful presentations kept flowing and we got the usual set of boasts and predictions - and yet it seemed milder than Samsung’s over-the-top Galaxy S4 unveiling, which seemed right out of broadway. Admittedly, the bar is always higher for Apple, which seems to be under greater strain to launch market-changing features each year. The question, then, is Apple innovating or catching up?

I personally think it is a bit of both. Some features on the iPhone 5S definitely show Apple’s innovating capabilities but in some other aspects, you feel the iPhone is merely playing catch up, or worse, stuck at the back the crowd. Whatever your thoughts, the iPhone 5S represents a genuine leap in performance in comparison to the iPhone 5.

 

 

Pros

●        Superb design

●        More colour options (gold, silver and grey)

●        Touch ID

●        Improved specs

●        Enhanced camera
 

Cons

●        Screen tech remains unchanged

●        Still quite pricey

 

Design and Display

 

 

The 5S will features the same 4-inch retina display (326 PPI), which might disappoint some who wanted a larger screen as the industry standard evolves. The design of the 5S is pretty much the same as the iPhone 5 - interface, placement, dimensions, weight - and this is not surprising.

Ever since the release of 3GS, Apple adopted a tick-tock strategy, where it refined the product one year and then introduced deep innovation the next. Currently we are still in the refinement cycle. One of the few hardware re-designs focus on the camera, which now features a dual LED flash, and the home button, which now doubles as a fingerprint scanner.

 

Performance

 

 

Underneath the hood, Apple has managed to pack a greater punch. It comes loaded with a A7 chip with 64-bit architecture, which is complemented by a M7 motion coprocessor, which is designed to manage the device’s various sensors and thereby reduce the strain on the A7 chip and by extension, the battery. Apple does not really publicise the amount of RAM used but the iPhone 5 had 1GB. In addition, the iPhone 5S packs in the standard suite of sensors.

 

Camera

 

Thankfully Apple has sensibly given up the game of increasing megapixels to sell its camera. Instead it’s chosen the path of HTC and focused on more the light sensors and the quality of the camera. While it may not be as good as the HTC One’s ultra pixel camera, it is a still a good advancement. The 8MP main camera also f/2.2 aperture, dual-led flash, and a variety of photo options including burst and panorama. The front camera is a standard 1.2MP.

 

Battery

Apple seems to have squeezed more juice out of its battery. It claims the iPhone 5S is capable of upto 8 hours on 3G, up to 10 hours on LTE, up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi, 10 hours of video playback, 40 hours of audio playback and talk time of 10 hours on 3G. Of course mixed used of the phone might yield different results.

 

Touch ID

 

 

What might be its most impressive feature yet, Apple has unveiled a fingerprint scanner as an alternative to a passcode. The really cool thing is that the Touch ID system is built into the iconic home button so the overall design remains the same. The iPhone 5S stores a copy of the user’s fingerprint and then uses it to verify the owner’s identity.

Currently the fingerprint has limited use involving phone security and the iTunes store. However, Apple has made it clear that it will not be saving the fingerprints on its servers, which might be helpful thanks to the existence of Prism. Doubters suggest that this “innovation” might go the way of Siri, nothing more than a novelty. However, given the early feedback on the system, which many suggest is response and accurate, the naysayers might be proven wrong after all.

 

Verdict

I know there are many who are going to complain that the iPhone is not as revolutionary as it “ought” to be. It does tick all the boxes of a refined iPhone 5 including the upgraded sensors and the new features. I also, think Apple’s amazing effort to contain its upgrades in the amazing shell is something to be admired.

Apple has always had an edge with design and that’s something few in the field appreciate and fewer still have tried to emulate (maybe HTC One comes to mind). Moreover, the newer customisation options also help bolster its image. All in all, it is almost like an upgraded iPhone 5 with a neat security feature and better camera. This is not a revolutionary device as such. However, it is still worth buying and is definitely on the premium list. If it ran Android, I would certainly go ahead and add it to my wish list.

On broader question, we need to figure out what exactly is a “better” smartphone. Many smartphones pack computing power similar to those of average computers. At some point we need to start focusing almost entirely on intelligence and become less obsessed with specs. Thus, the next challenge would be to actually create a smartphone experience that integrates all these different features and sensors to provide users with a seamless experience. Smartphones can be so much more than portable computers and hopefully Apple and Google will keep racing to find the best answer.

 

 

 

 

By Navam Niles