iPhone 5S Review & Specs Comparison

The new iPhone came out, and we got a hold of it. In this review, I'll be telling you the Pros, Cons, Features, and the competition.

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.

EXCLUSIVE REVIEW OF THE SONY MDR-XB 500's!

(photo's coming soon)



The SONY MDR-XB 500's are legendary over ear headphones that has gotten a great reputation. The XB-500's are well known for it's cheap price, EXTRA comfy cushions, and great sound quality. However, sadly, these were replaced by the new XB 600's which in my opinion are terrible compared to the XB 500's. Let's get started on this review.

The SONY MDR XB-500's are by far the best headphones (with super charged bass AND an great comfort) for under 100 dollars. Currently, these headphones are starting to get rare, and if you are reading this review, you are probably thinking on buying these vs other "top notch" headphones. I am not an audiophile, however, I can assure you that these headphones have the best "bang for your buck" ratio. These headphones have great, strong bass, and a punchy and crisp sound. If the bass is too much for you, there are equalizers you can use to turn it down. These headphones actually follow equalizers unlike most headphones such as Beats by Dre (Solo, Mixr, Studio, Pro, you name it). These are also much comfortable, however, it may take time to get your ear in the right place because the cushions are very deep. Also, these headphone leaks a lot compared to other headphones because of the giant cushions and the noise isolation is not great on these. The cables are NOT detachable and they do not feature an inline mic or controls, but they are flat, so they do not tangle. SONY includes a very minimalistic soft case so your headphones will not get dirty. 

Bottom line, these headphones are great, you can get them on Amazon.com for 69.99 dollars (may change as demand increases or stock depleats) LINK (Sony MDR XB-500 Headphones - Amazon.com) and they will be the best 69.99  you will spend. The quality is great, the ear cushions are hand sewn, and the sound quality is top notch. If you are thinking of buying Beats, or any other celebrity endorsed headphone, don't be a douche bag, and get the SONY MDR XB-500 instead.

Link to Amazon to buy these headphones: Sony MDR XB-500 Headphones - Amazon.com 

Link to Amazon to buy the XB 700 (A step up from these headphones, more punchy sound, sounds a bit muffled, bigger ear cushions): SONY MDR XB-700 Headphones Amazon.com

Link to Amazon to buy the XB 600's (Successor to the 500's, way smaller cushions, same sound, on ear, not over ear): SONY MDR XB-600 Headphones Amazon.com

Be sure to use the link above to purchase the headphones! It helps the site out! You do not get charged extra, however we get commission from referring you!

Pilot Dr. Grip CL Play-boarder Review: Elite for your money.

So, recently I got an awesome lead pencil called the Pilot Dr. Grip CL Playboarder from Japan that only cost about 6 bucks, and let me tell you, it was one of the best I have ever gotten for 6 bucks. Now before you ask, Why the heck would I spend 6 bucks on some lame pencil? Here are just some basic form factor description. So basically, you have about 8 different varieties to choose from and if you like customizing, this is for you. The ease of use is fantastic. If you spend 6 bucks on 30 bic pencils, you are missing out. Not only do these have the best grips ever, they also feature a mechanism were if you shake your pencil, led will come out. The build quality is fantastic. The head of the pencil (were the lead comes out) is made of metal. The inside of the pencil also has a metal cylinder used for the shake for lead mechanism. The plastic does not feel like cheap plastic, instead the plastic feels sturdy and feels like a very premium pencil. However, the cons are, of course these only cost 6 bucks but to some people, quantity is much more that quality. These may seam too expensive for others considering the fact that there are deals were 4 lead pencils for 6 bucks or 100 for 12 bucks, however, if you love good quality pencils with a great looks, you shouldn't hesitate. There are other Dr. Grips such as the classics that was introduced in 1999 or the ones that were introduced in 2006 that has a more dull and unattractive look, so when you go pencil hunting, be sure that it is these because these are more cheaper  sometimes, and they also have a more better look than the others. If you want to buy it off the bat, you can buy it from this link: Link to buy CL Playboarder.

                   

HTC One S Rants, HTC One S vs Samsung Galaxy S3 vs HTC Amaze

Right now, at this point I have owned a HTC Amaze, however, I was thinking to upgrade to the HTC One S. But, I changed my mind because of the fact that HTC One S is worst than the HTC Amaze. On the HTC Amaze, the front facing camera is 2 megapixel and the rear camera is a 8 megapixel camera with many amazing features (see what I did there?). Yet the HTC One S has a VGA front camera (the one on the HTC Sensation) and the rear camera is 8 megapixels but the image warps in film mode, and has a badder camera than the HTC Sensation. The only reason people would buy the phone is because of the sleek aluminum unibody and probably the Beats Audio. The sleekness and the aluminum body does look much better than the HTC Amaze, and right now its the same price as the HTC Amaze. The Beats audio has no difference to the audio though, the only thing this does is make you buy Beats headphones and when you plug the headphones (Beats) in, a Beats logo pops up in the task bar. So impressive. The stunning this about this phone is the screen quality. You've got to admit, its much better than the Galaxy S3 and even though the One S still has the same screen size as its predecessors. The Galaxy S3 clearly learn from the mistakes of the Galaxy S2, with a bigger screen size, better camera (doesn't warp as much in video, but HTC Amaze camera looks better),bigger battery, better design , and a much smarter UI. The only way the One S evolved was to get a better screen but not bigger, crappier cameras, Beats Audio (doesn't come with headphones), sleeker, sexy aluminum unibody, and Sense 4.0 that completely blind outs Android 4.0. 

Moral of the Story: Don't get the HTC One S. It has a good exterior looks but the specs aren't so good. The HTC Amaze isn't the most thinnest or the most beautiful, but it has a much better camera, still has the genuin Android 4.0 feel, and more cheap, it becomes free on the T-Mobile website sometimes. If you have 279 dollars, get the Galaxy S3 if you want to be more happy.