2 years ago in the world of the smartphone, the iPhone dominated the market, and the competition seemed weak. Android was super laggy, with OS fragmentation and lack of applications. Now that we're in the end of 2013, the smartphone age has changed dramatically. New and powerful phones from once underrated companies are starting to emerge. Phones that could arguably lead the next generation. From the Sony Xperia Z1 to the Note 3, the competition is getting tough, and does the Apple iPhone 5S deserve to be the crowned king again?
The iPhone 5S is nothing new to the iPhone 5. Theoretically, the processor is the same, only in a 64 Bit architecture, hence the reason why they were comparing the 5S's specs to the ORIGINAL iPhone. If the processor was any better, they would be comparing it to the 5's processor. The screen remains the same "retina display" 4 inch screen with 326PPI which was good 2 years ago, but now with the rise of 720P and now 1080P screens and phones with a sweetspot of 4.7 to 5.7 inches, the iPhone 5S is a dwarf. However, iOS is smooth like always. Thanks to iOS, it covers up for the mediocre processor specs, and the screen doesn't look that bad. The small screen helps you be able to sneak a text in class, or have it in your pocket comfortably. One handed use is a pleasure on the 5S without a case, but if you plan of getting a case for your 5S, why not just save some money and get a 5C?
Anyway, the 5S has a very nice camera, even though it is only a 8MP camera (while Sony has a 20MP one, and the Note 3 has a 13MP one that shoots 4K resolution) the iPhone 5S really stresses the fact that Megapixels don't matter. Lowlight performance is quite nice on the 5S, but the dual flash is just a gimmick. The larger aperture is quite noticeable if you put the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5 cameras side-by-side. The front facing camera is a joke, but it still produces some good selfies.
The main feature that makes the iPhone 5S stand out from the others is Touch ID. Apple pretty much took a really good fingerprint scanner, managed to cram it into the Homebutton of the iPhone, utilized the proximity sensor as a slick looking ring around the homebutton and finished it with a sapphire crystal button without the square thing in the middle. The homebutton is also slightly smaller on the iPhone 5S, but it's hardly noticeable. Touch ID is not one of Apples gimmicks, Touch ID works. Of the 30 times I tried, all of them were successful. This feature is useful for people who tend to text in class or at work, or for people who press their homebutton to wake the phone up.
Overall, the iPhone 5S is NOT the total beast you've been looking for, it is only a polished version of the iPhone 5. I would not recommend anyone with a iPhone 5 to get the 5S as it is a disappointing experience. If you have the 4S (or lower) it is a great experience with innovative features (not specs). If you have an Android phone, unless you have a reason to switch to iOS (people at school/work uses iMessage, rich Emoji's, a lot of people have an iPhone) it would be slightly awkward at first because chances are, you used a bigger screen, but you won't be disappointed with the number of app's there are (Google PlayStore is catching up though).
I would rate this phone a solid 8.5/10 because, it doesn't matter if the spec wars is stupid to Apple, but a 1.2GHz DUAL CORE processor and 1 GB of RAM is truly ridiculous (these are the specs of a GALAXY NEXUS aka a 2 year old phone). iOS's redesign is a mixed bag for everyone, but the thinner fonts, more colors, and the focus on movement makes iOS a more lively OS to use. iOS barely has any lag or stutters, so this partially make up for the disappointing specs. The camera is OK, at least a 12 MP camera with a bigger aperture and more features than Slow-Mo would have been a definite way to win people over. TouchID is flawless, and makes up for all of the points lost, but still, same design, same screen, same processor that is in 64 Bit now, and a somewhat acceptable camera holds the phone back from getting more than a 8.5/10.
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