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It took me about a month to decide to pick up an iPhone 5s, but thanks to the hardware, accessories, software, and available applications I am using it as my daily driver.
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I seem to get bored with iPhones, but keep buying them to test them out and compare to my other phones. However, after two months with the Apple iPhone 5s , I am more satisfied than I have ever been with an iPhone and my desire to purchase a new phone is cooled at the moment.
There are several reasons I enjoy the iPhone 5s with the defining factor being the quality and quantity of available applications and services. Android and Windows Phone may have better pieces of hardware, but it is the complete iOS experience that appeals to me and has made my life simpler and richer. Here is why I still like the iPhone 5s.
Hardware
Like the iPhone 5, the 5s is a very well designed smartphone with metal and glass used in an elegant manner. The chamfered polished edges look great and the display has one of the widest viewing angles of any smartphone. I love that I can slide it into my front jeans pocket and carry it at any time without worrying about too much bulk.
The speaker is very loud and clear, I can actually hear podcasts in my car better with the iPhone 5s than with my HTC One and BoomSound speakers.
The TouchID home button is fantastic and I find it very convenient to unlock my iPhone and make iTunes purchases. TouchID became even more useful when I set it up with my fingers at a slight angle. When I first set it up with my fingers straight on it never worked and frustrated the heck out of me. The straight on approach is not how I naturally press the button so I recommend you try it at a slight angle and ignore the image in the wizard.
The camera is wonderful and I have captured hundreds of great photos and videos over the last couple of months. The front facing camera also works well and I have been enjoying FaceTime video with my college daughter.
Performance has been great and I haven’t even seen the crashes and issues that many have been talking about. Apple included a 64-bit processor so the iPhone 5s is built for the future too.
Accessories
There are thousands of accessories for the Apple iPhone, including cases, batteries, chargers, and more. With so many accessories, you can find high quality options and low cost options so the entire spectrum is covered.
Having so many accessories also means it is easy to find these accessories when you are out and about. I travel quite a bit and like that I can pick up something I forgot in the airport or at any local drugstore.
Software
I personally like iOS 7, maybe because I wasn’t a die hard iPhone user before the iPhone 5s and I wanted to see something a bit different from Apple with this version of the operating system.
The multi-tasking interface reminds me of webOS and is the best I have used on a current smartphone OS. I like that you can swipe up with multiple fingers to close multiple apps as well.
I didn’t find Siri to be that useful in the past, but am using it quite a bit with the iPhone 5s and am enjoying the accurate results and complete functionality. I ask questions using Siri all the time and my family has even grown to start depending on its capability.
Applications and services
As I mentioned earlier, the major reason I am enjoying the iPhone 5s is the selection of apps and services. Even though Android and Windows Phone have thousands of applications, I still find more apps and services I use on the iPhone. You can see a few of these apps in the following screenshots. While some of these are available on Android, some are iOS specific and the quality is more appealing to me on the iPhone.
In regards to services, Apple is able to offer more to consumers due to their consistent hardware. For example, the Jawbone UP24 currently only works with the iPhone due to a manageable Bluetooth stack. The UP24 will likely eventually work with Android devices, but there will probably be limits to which devices are supported. I personally am tired by this type of support and find it easier to just stick with the iPhone.
Anything missing?
I think the only thing I would like to see on the iPhone is a slightly larger display, probably on the order of 4.7 inches. Sometimes this 4 inch display seems a bit small. I think it is important for Apple to keep the iPhone as a readily pocketable device and with a display greater than 5 inches that can be tough to do.
Wireless charging is convenient, but not essential and actually takes a bit longer to charge up your phone. NFC still hasn’t really taken off and until someone fully figures out wireless payments I don’t think it will be something the mainstream consumer cares much about.
Further reading
- Apple iPhone 5s review: The best gets better
- Use Google services? Your iPhone may work better than an Android device
- Top 10 smartphones for the 2013 holiday season
- One month with iOS 7: An old soul with style and substance (review)
- The iPhone 5s secret weapon: the camera
- Apple announces iPhone 5S: What you need to know?
- Why Apple went 64-bit with the iPhone 5s
Caption by: Matthew Miller
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