Considering getting an iPhone 5C or 5S

donovan1983 · Jun 25, 2014

I currently have a Nokia Lumia 925 on T-Mobile that I really like except for a couple of issues: reception is rather iffy on it and the music experience is just plain horrible. My JUMP upgrade is coming early next month and I'm really considering using it. Only a few phones really interest me, namely the Nexus 5, Samsung Galaxy Note 3 (I used to have a Note 2), the iPhone 5C, and iPhone 5S.

I've had a couple of iPhones previously, a 3GS and 4S, so I'm fairly well acquainted with iOS at least up to iOS 6. I use and am quite happy with Microsoft services like Office 365 and Outlook.com and it seems that support for those on iOS is a bit better than on Android and rather close to how they are supported on Windows Phone.

For the same price I can get either a 32GB 5C or a 16GB 5S and I'm having a tough time figuring out which one might be better. I have played with both in a T-Mobile store briefly and the 5C looked and felt better than the 5S to me. The plastic backing and the softer clicking home button on the 5C just felt more pleasant than the metal backing and too-clicky home button on the 5S. I didn't notice a speed difference between them in store except for the fact that the 5S could snap photos much more quickly than the 5C. The 5S's fingerprint scanner seems like a very useful feature and the improved low-light performance of the camera would likely be handy, even though I thought even the 4S did pretty well in low light. Yet 16GB of storage is too little which further pushes me in the direction of the 5C since 32GB is just about right for me. I know I new iPhone is coming out in a few months but I don't really care about that since in as little as 6 months I'll have another JUMP upgrade available if I want a new phone then.

What really concerns me is which one has better reception. I imagine the antenna designs are a bit different since the 5C doesn't use the outer casing for an antenna like the 5S (and for that matter, my Lumia 925). Has anybody been able to compare the 5C and 5S on the same carrier in the same spot to compare their reception? Even more of a longshot, compared it to a Lumia 920/925/928? In store it seemed the 5C did the best in the ever-unreliable bars test, though they had different iOS versions and the baseband radio firmware may have been different.

Appl3FTW · Jun 25, 2014

Are you willing to wait?
Yes: wait for the iphone 6 in 3 months (rumored)
No: buy the 5S

done.

iPhone7ate9 · Jun 25, 2014

I can't STAND the metal frame/design of the 4-5s. I'd LOVE an iPhone with plastic colorful back. But given the specs I couldn't cheat myself for a colorful shell.

makerleone · Jun 26, 2014

Agree. Advising you to wait for iPhone 6 otherwise nexus 5 in an also great alternative.

Septembersrain · Jun 26, 2014

I have a 5c. Even after buying a 5s, I choose my 5c. Sold my 5s with zero regrets. I love the feel, the color, and the build quality of my blue toy.

The 6 is right around the corner though. Perhaps if you can be patient...

Destroysall · Jun 26, 2014

It really depends how long you wish to wait.. If you can't, I'd recommend the iPhone 5C a bit more than the 5S. Especially if you liked it more yourself. It's still a great phone, made by Apple, and if it feels great in the hand then that is a bigger plus!

Although you do have the JUMP program upgrade coming up, I'd say wait a bit.. T-Mobile tends to have sales on phones that will be receiving upgrades all the time. They did that when the iPhone 5S was coming out and discounted the iPhone 5. Who knows what they'll do when the new iPhone is released..

Badrottie · Jun 26, 2014

Forget about those phone...You got to try a Blackberry Passport. :apple:

mofunk · Jun 26, 2014

I have the 5s and my parents have the 5c. There are reports saying the 5c camera is better. I have to agree with that a little. The 5c shoots better in low light. I'm hoping that the next update will improve that cause it seems to be more of a software issue. Now they both do take great photos. here is one I shot the other day in the backyard.

https://flic.kr/p/o69fqH https://www.flickr.com/people//

Remember if you are huge gamer then the 5s is the one you want. Downloads/upload speeds do help with a faster processor. The finger print thing, I thought I didn't need it. But I find myself holding my parents 5c waiting for it to unlock. lol Great to have. I would wait til the 32GB 5s is in your price range. The camera I use Camera+ to edit.

The 5c is cool too. The color is nice. It doesn't show a lot of wear. I had my 5s for a week without a case and got a tiny little scratch. Remember iOS 7 is close to 4GB. I currently have about 100 apps which is roughly 7GB. Plus I rotate the Apple iWorks apps and Garage Band. remember you need space for photos and messages and stuff.

Go big and get the 5s

I7guy · Jun 26, 2014

mofunk said:
I have the 5s and my parents have the 5c. There are reports saying the 5c camera is better. I have to agree with that a little. The 5c shoots better in low light. I'm hoping that the next update will improve that cause it seems to be more of a software issue. Now they both do take great photos. here is one I shot the other day in the backyard.

[url=https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2920/14498040801_92fd18c35c_z.jpg]Image[/url]https://flic.kr/p/o69fqH https://www.flickr.com/people//

Remember if you are huge gamer then the 5s is the one you want. Downloads/upload speeds do help with a faster processor. The finger print thing, I thought I didn't need it. But I find myself holding my parents 5c waiting for it to unlock. lol Great to have. I would wait til the 32GB 5s is in your price range. The camera I use Camera+ to edit.

The 5c is cool too. The color is nice. It doesn't show a lot of wear. I had my 5s for a week without a case and got a tiny little scratch. Remember iOS 7 is close to 4GB. I currently have about 100 apps which is roughly 7GB. Plus I rotate the Apple iWorks apps and Garage Band. remember you need space for photos and messages and stuff.

Go big and get the 5s

I don't know about the 5c camera being better in low light than the 5s. There were some serious comparos between these two cameras after they were released, 99 to 1 favored the 5s in low light. I guess the answer is it depends.

mofunk · Jun 29, 2014

@ I7guy Well the 5c focuses faster in low light and takes a better photo in low light than the 5s. I thought at first it was my ipHone but at a party there were several owners of iPhone 5s and the 5c. The 5c owners were better. When I say low light, I'm talking about shooting in a poor lit area and not using a flash.

I'm betting there is a software issue with the 5s. I do a lot of shooting in low light with my DSLR. I sat in a room with only the tv as my light source. Had both the 5c and 5s in my hands. The 5c focused faster. I don't know what else to tell you.

Something else I noticed on the 5s. The flash doesn't always fire. Again I'm betting its a software issue. If I had a choice between the 5c and 5s, knowing what I know, I would still go with the 5s.

donovan1983 · Jul 9, 2014

Thank you all for your responses. I went with a 16GB 5S that I just got today. Still setting up everything on it but so far I like it. Like is seemingly common with these phones (and occurred on my old 4S) there are some scratches on the side of the phone, otherwise it seems to be perfect so far. I have a case on it so the manufacturing scratches aren't visible.

I have pretty much every app installed that I want and have 8.7GB left so I think I will have enough space on this phone. I'm actually pretty impressed by Touch ID and it's more useful than I thought. The home button isn't as obnoxious as the first 5S I tried in store though I still prefer the feel of the older home buttons. It feels pretty responsive and is plenty fast for me. I like the automatic HDR feature on the camera and just how fast it is at taking HDR photos.

I'm glad I decided to use my JUMP upgrade for it. It's nice being able to access a wider variety of apps again and ones that are higher quality. The Xbox Music app, as an example, is far faster and actually seems to work better than the Windows Phone 8.1 version

sunking101 · Jul 9, 2014

If I *had* to buy a phone right now, I'd get the HTC One M8. It's hands down the best smartphone currently available.
Otherwise I would wait for the iPhone 6 and the Samsung Note 4, both of which are due in a few months. I'm sorry to say that the 5S is very dated. The screen is tiny, and the RAM is a paltry 1GB. Don't forget that the 'S' cycle of iPhones is only a small improvement over the one before it, in this case the iPhone 5....and that has been out for over 20 months now.

I7guy · Jul 9, 2014

sunking101 said:
If I *had* to buy a phone right now, I'd get the HTC One M8. It's hands down the best smartphone currently available.
Otherwise I would wait for the iPhone 6 and the Samsung Note 4, both of which are due in a few months. I'm sorry to say that the 5S is very dated. The screen is tiny, and the RAM is a paltry 1GB. Don't forget that the 'S' cycle of iPhones is only a small improvement over the one before it, in this case the iPhone 5....and that has been out for over 20 months now.

In your opinion the 5s is a "small" update. In reality the 5s is the biggest update ever of an s model.

I'll take this dated phone over any android model, any time.

----------

mofunk said:
@ I7guy Well the 5c focuses faster in low light and takes a better photo in low light than the 5s. I thought at first it was my ipHone but at a party there were several owners of iPhone 5s and the 5c. The 5c owners were better. When I say low light, I'm talking about shooting in a poor lit area and not using a flash.

I'm betting there is a software issue with the 5s. I do a lot of shooting in low light with my DSLR. I sat in a room with only the tv as my light source. Had both the 5c and 5s in my hands. The 5c focused faster. I don't know what else to tell you.

Something else I noticed on the 5s. The flash doesn't always fire. Again I'm betting its a software issue. If I had a choice between the 5c and 5s, knowing what I know, I would still go with the 5s.

I've seen several professional reviews comparing the 5c with the 5s. 5s wins in low light. As far as the flash firing, if I want the flash I turn it to manual. To get the 5s to focus instantly, touch the screen where you want the focus.

Robster3 · Jul 9, 2014

sunking101 said:
If I *had* to buy a phone right now, I'd get the HTC One M8. It's hands down the best smartphone currently available.
Otherwise I would wait for the iPhone 6 and the Samsung Note 4, both of which are due in a few months. I'm sorry to say that the 5S is very dated. The screen is tiny, and the RAM is a paltry 1GB. Don't forget that the 'S' cycle of iPhones is only a small improvement over the one before it, in this case the iPhone 5....and that has been out for over 20 months now.

I have had a Note 3, Moto G, M8, S5 now 5S in last few months. Guess which one was the worst? Your best smart phone currently available

wilky76 · Jul 9, 2014

Robster3 said:
I have had a Note 3, Moto G, M8, S5 now 5S in last few months. Guess which one was the worst? Your best smart phone currently available

Your as bad as me I've had the 5S on launch, then the Note 3, Moto X still got & now the S5.

I probably buy the iPhone 6 this year aswell, which i may keep this time around.

mr99 · Jul 10, 2014

Don't sign a contract and lose your upgrade, if you want to try a 5c or 5s, pick one up on craigslist and sell it when the 6 comes around.

donovan1983 · Jul 10, 2014

I found out the "scratches" I thought I found were actually just some sort of manufacturing residue that came off with a bit of buffing.

I'm still very pleased with this phone. I'm quickly getting used to the 4" screen. The browser is the fastest I've ever used on any phone and the camera is also by far the quickest I've ever used on a phone.

mr99 said:
Don't sign a contract and lose your upgrade, if you want to try a 5c or 5s, pick one up on craigslist and sell it when the 6 comes around.

I have the grandfathered JUMP program with upgrades as soon as every 6 months. If I decide I want an iPhone 6 I can get one in early January. Although that'd make it the first time I've ever upgraded from one iPhone model to another as well as my first non-S model.

mr99 · Jul 10, 2014

I say go for it then

sunking101 · Jul 10, 2014

Robster3 said:
I have had a Note 3, Moto G, M8, S5 now 5S in last few months. Guess which one was the worst? Your best smart phone currently available

Worst in what respect(s)?
My girlfriend has one and even though I'm a massive iPhone fan, the M8 makes my i5 look like a toy. It is better in every single respect, apart from the camera and the fact it runs Android (*if that's a problem for longterm iOS users).

Dmaynard83 · Jul 10, 2014

sunking101 said:
If I *had* to buy a phone right now, I'd get the HTC One M8. It's hands down the best smartphone currently available.

Otherwise I would wait for the iPhone 6 and the Samsung Note 4, both of which are due in a few months. I'm sorry to say that the 5S is very dated. The screen is tiny, and the RAM is a paltry 1GB. Don't forget that the 'S' cycle of iPhones is only a small improvement over the one before it, in this case the iPhone 5....and that has been out for over 20 months now.

The only thing I agree with in your post is wait for the 6.

Htc one m8 looks like meh. Samsung phones have horrific software (google touchwiz lag and you will see).

That's not to say I don't like android, I think the nexus is awesome for it's price. And the moto x is just as good maybe better because it has the always listening chip for touchless voice control (I wish apple would implement this chip instead of the m7 processor).

Screen is small FOR YOU. I personally think the screens got too big, I really liked the 4s screen size because I could interact with the screen on ALL sides with one hand without readjusting my grip (like I have to with 5/5s).

dad29236 · Jul 10, 2014

boring with iphone 5S , Still waiting for iPhone 6 , thanks bro for this good post

sunking101 · Jul 10, 2014

Dmaynard83 said:
The only thing I agree with in your post is wait for the 6.

Htc one m8 looks like meh. Samsung phones have horrific software (google touchwiz lag and you will see).

That's not to say I don't like android, I think the nexus is awesome for it's price. And the moto x is just as good maybe better because it has the always listening chip for touchless voice control (I wish apple would implement this chip instead of the m7 processor).

Screen is small FOR YOU. I personally think the screens got too big, I really liked the 4s screen size because I could interact with the screen on ALL sides with one hand without readjusting my grip (like I have to with 5/5s).

My Samsung tablet doesn"t suffer with lag...my dad's iPhone4 does though ;-)
The screen size thing is subjective. Using the phone for SMS, calls, emails and the odd Google, then a 4" screen is fine. If you use your phone as a computer and full-on media device, or if you have dicky eyesight, then anything less than 5" is pants.

marshallbedsaul · Jul 10, 2014

If resale matters
5s
If
Storage 5c

Both great choices.

I7guy · Jul 10, 2014

sunking101 said:
My Samsung tablet doesn"t suffer with lag...my dad's iPhone4 does though ;-)
The screen size thing is subjective. Using the phone for SMS, calls, emails and the odd Google, then a 4" screen is fine. If you use your phone as a computer and full-on media device, or if you have dicky eyesight, then anything less than 5" is pants.

Few months ago family member jumped ship from galaxy to 5c. Battery and lag were factors. (No lag on iPhone 4's though

)

I have terrible vision and with my computer glasses have no issue with the 5s to play games or a full on media device.

I've tried to do work stuff on friends bigger screen android and found out my iPad was the best of both worlds. A phatablet only goes so far but not far enough for some stuff. Ymmv.

Daniel3102 · Jul 18, 2014

I think that at this point the A6 is kinda old

I'd go with the 5s. It's got the A7 which should be around for a while.

Considering getting an iPhone 5C or 5S

macrumors newbie

macrumors 603

macrumors 6502a

macrumors regular

Cancelled

macrumors 65816

Suspended

macrumors 68020

macrumors Nehalem

macrumors 68020

macrumors newbie

macrumors 604

macrumors Nehalem

macrumors 68000

macrumors regular

macrumors 6502a

macrumors newbie

macrumors 6502a

macrumors 604

macrumors 6502a

macrumors newbie

macrumors 604

macrumors 6502a

macrumors Nehalem

macrumors 6502

Our Staff