4S to 5S Users, was it worth it?

[Aquaporin]

I really want to hold out until the next iPhone comes out but my phone's battery seems to be doing much worse than it originally did and it's nearing 2 years old.

So to individuals who upgraded from the 4S, are you content with your 5S and would you do it again?

 

[Pharmscott]

Yep, would do again. But, wouldn't do now. I'd wait for the next model, even if I had to live with a temporary phone until then (i.e. your battery dies 100%).

 

[Xeyad]

I have an iPhone 4S too, and I'm waiting for the next iPhone. I was tempted to upgrade last year to a 5s, but I personally just don't see what's worth it yet. The jump from 3.5" to 4.0" isn't so big, while the camera is much better on the 5s, the 4S still takes great 8-megapixel shots and 1080p video recording, and in terms of speed, the 4S is still quite speedy, especially on iOS 7.1. While the 5s does benefit from a big speed upgrade, the difference between the 4S and 5s are still relatively marginal (you can wait 2 more seconds to open your mail ) and the 4S is still very capable of running games too. I would love to experience Touch ID, but I wouldn't get the phone just for this feature.

The 4S never had good battery to start with, and yes, my 4S battery has aged too. Recently, it would barely get a day on juice, and if I played a few games, I would charge it twice a day. In the past few weeks, I decided to just keep my iPhone charged wherever I go. Keep it charged at home, charged in the car, charged at the office, so when I go out some place, I know I got enough juice.

Trust me, you'll want to wait. The next iPhone will surely have a bigger display with higher resolution, it'll have an A8 chip with hopefully more than 1GB and of course they'll update the camera. I'm hoping for new features we still can't think of The next iPhone will also include a bigger battery, so probably better life than previous iPhones. With the whole rumormill around the next iPhone, I bet this will be one of the biggest jumps in the iPhone's timeline.

It'll probably arrive around end of summer, early fall. We can wait

 

[sviato]

Yes, it was very worth it. I gave the 4S to my mom and I when I pick it up sometimes I know instantly I wouldn't go back to it.

 

[TWD98j]

It was quite worth it. To be honest, it took all my greater restraint to NOT upgrade to the 5 back in 2012 when it came out. I wanted the bigger screen and LTE.

But I held back on the 5 partially because of how underwhelming iOS 6 was, partially because I wasn't due for an upgrade at that point (still on 4S contract), and partially because AT&T hadn't yet had LTE coverage in my city. We did end up getting LTE coverage about a month and a half after the 5 released.

So I told myself that I'm on the "S" cycle, having gone from 3GS to 4S previously, and that I would wait for the 5S which was sure to be a powerhouse.

By the time last fall came around for the 5S launch, I was yearning for an upgrade from my 4S. Having waited the extra year made the 5S that much sweeter.

I imagine I'll be in a similar boat later this year when the iPhone 6 comes out, but I fully plan on sticking with my 5S for the duration of my contract.

 

[Mrbobb]

What's the point of asking others if they are happy with their upgrade? Everybody have their own reasons, tastes, resources, needs. If you have to ask this question it means you don't have a good reason to upgrade. I suggest put a fresh battery on that 4S and you should be happy for another good year. Some people just do things for no other reason just to make a change and it's perfectly OK, no need to ask permission, as long as your banker doesn't balk.

 

[Russiaone]

I'm gonna say "yes," but hesitantly. Nothing about the phone (hardware-wise) is especially impressive to me.

The extra .5 screen real-estate does much to enhance gaming, though.

And i dig how much better the speaker is. I really thought about bringing it back and waiting for the next HTC One, but i'm pretty content.

Besides that, most importantly to me, Apple supports multiple platforms for years on end, so if for some reason decide to keep this phone for 2 years i know i'll be okay.

Unlike with Android.

Overall, I've only ever owned Apple smartphones. Don't see that changing anytime soon.

Reasonably worth it/10

 

[wordoflife]

I went from a 4S to 5S. I didn't really need it because of how limited my phone use is. I was reluctant to upgrade, but I'm glad I did - even though my 4S was more than adequate for me.

The big thing I'm liking so far is LTE, although HSPA+ was very good in my area.

 

[lordofthereef]

If you want the short answer, then MAYBE.

With iOS 7.0, the 5S was night and day different. My mom recently moved in with us after her heart attack and she constantly joked that her heart couldn't handle much more of her phone (my old 4S that I gave her a few years back). Ever since we updated to 7.1 it is like a breath of fresh air.

All that said, there are still performance increases in the 5S. TouchID alone is enough of a convenience factor for me to not want to give the phone up. But the phone certainly is MASSIVELY better now with 7.1 We were considering getting her a replacement phone, but have since reconsidered. She is appy with what she has again, and doesn't mind not having to spend the extra money.

 

[rui no onna]

Given we're just 6 months away from a new release (assuming Apple goes by its previous schedule), I highly recommend waiting for the iPhone 6. Seeing you still have a 4S, you obviously don't upgrade often so for a phone you'll be keeping for 2-3 years, it's probably worth it to go with the latest. If battery life is your only real concern, maybe just carry a portable battery pack for charging on the go.

 

[jav6454]

I really want to hold out until the next iPhone comes out but my phone's battery seems to be doing much worse than it originally did and it's nearing 2 years old.

So to individuals who upgraded from the 4S, are you content with your 5S and would you do it again?

Yes, it was well worth it. You get a nice speed boost and faster data. I am very happy with it.

 

[Jimmy James]

I'm gonna say "yes," but hesitantly. Nothing about the phone (hardware-wise) is especially impressive to me.

The extra .5 screen real-estate does much to enhance gaming, though.

And i dig how much better the speaker is. I really thought about bringing it back and waiting for the next HTC One, but i'm pretty content.

Besides that, most importantly to me, Apple supports multiple platforms for years on end, so if for some reason decide to keep this phone for 2 years i know i'll be okay.

Unlike with Android.

Overall, I've only ever owned Apple smartphones. Don't see that changing anytime soon.

Reasonably worth it/10

I find everything about the phone impressive. Especially considering where we came from in the last number of years.

 

[iwan073]

I traded my 4S for a 5S and I'm very happy with it.
It's nice and fast, especially with iOS 7.1.
Too bad the screen isn't bigger

 

[AppleWarMachine]

Yes, it was...

but I heard the iPhone 6 is going to be even better

 

[Jimmy James]

Given we're just 6 months away from a new release (assuming Apple goes by its previous schedule), I highly recommend waiting for the iPhone 6. Seeing you still have a 4S, you obviously don't upgrade often so for a phone you'll be keeping for 2-3 years, it's probably worth it to go with the latest. If battery life is your only real concern, maybe just carry a portable battery pack for charging on the go.

In other words there's a maximum of a 6 month window for buying a phone?

 

[teknikal90]

In other words there's a maximum of a 6 month window for buying a phone?

for a macrumors lurker, i think so, yes

iPhone 4S user here. Am off contract now and couldve upgraded to the 5S btu decided against it.
The 4S is plenty fast, I dont need LTE for facebook... and most new features on the 5S came to the 4S too via iOS 7.
Plus, I like stainless steel better than the soft aluminium on the 5. and if I wanted to upgrade, I would much rather a bigger screen rather than a taller screen.
it's not like the 4, which missed out lots of key features when the 5 came out (doesnt have SIRI, slowed down a tonne on iOS 6 etc) the 4S is still capable.

 

[Xenomorph]

4S to 5S? Absolutely!

* Taller display. You really notice it when reading. More of a web page is visible. More of an email is visible. Things just feel "roomier".

* Better display. The digitizer and LCD are now one component. If you use a matte/antiglare screen protector, there is no more "shimmer" effect. It looks great.

* Much faster CPU and GPU. Benchmarks are all over that show what this can do.

* Twice as much and faster RAM. Load things quicker and have more running before background apps start to close.

* TouchID! Unlock your device without a password, purchase items without a password, etc.

* Better camera. Better low-light photography. 120FPS/slow-motion video capture. Dual-LED for better lighting.

And if you're planning on keeping it longer, it may be easier to maintain. Swapping a 5/5c/5s display a way easier than it is on the 4/4s.

 

[CandyTree]

Honestly, I never liked the iPhone 5/5S' bigger screen at first. I thought the screen of the 4S looked perfect before. I had a 16GB iPhone 4S before and the 16GB wasn't enough for me so I decided to get a 64GB iPhone 5S. The screen size feels so perfect now. I know it's not much of a difference, but everytime I hold a 4S, it just feels so small. The touch ID, despite the complaints from others around here, is great in my opinion (worked better with the 7.1 update too I think). You're also missing out airdrop with a 4S if you enjoy bluetooth features with other iPhone users.

It's actually your choice if you want to wait for the 6, but if you hate bigger screens, then I say stay with the 4S or try out the 5's size because based on all the rumors, the 6 will be bigger than the previous models.

 

[Trius]

The jump from 3.5" to 4.0" isn't so big..

I agree with you completely. That being said, after using the 5S for a few months now, I pick up my old 4S and the reduced screen size is immediately noticeable.

It reminds me of how I felt about the retina display when iPhone 4 came out.

To answer OP: 5S is a great device and a worthy upgrade from the 4S. I would do it again.. but not now.. We are too close to a new release, I'd hold out at this point.

----------

4S to 5S? Absolutely!

* Taller display. You really notice it when reading. More of a web page is visible. More of an email is visible. Things just feel "roomier".

* Better display. The digitizer and LCD are now one component. If you use a matte/antiglare screen protector, there is no more "shimmer" effect. It looks great.

* Much faster CPU and GPU. Benchmarks are all over that show what this can do.

* Twice as much and faster RAM. Load things quicker and have more running before background apps start to close.

* TouchID! Unlock your device without a password, purchase items without a password, etc.

* Better camera. Better low-light photography. 120FPS/slow-motion video capture. Dual-LED for better lighting.

And if you're planning on keeping it longer, it may be easier to maintain. Swapping a 5/5c/5s display a way easier than it is on the 4/4s.

Don't forget LTE

 

[Abazigal]

A pretty solid upgrade for me.

Touch ID lets me unlock my phone more quickly. M7 chip lets me use this pedometer app. Everything seems quicker to run. 4g is perhaps the most significant improvement here, as my reading apps update almost immediately, and it's faster to upload and share stuff. Not really noticing the camera improvements, and I am not using airdrop much either.

 

[Parise]

Absolutely

 

[gavinstubbs09]

I just went from a 4 to a 4s :roll eyes:

Actually with 7.1 on the 4, I hardly noticed any sort of speed difference between the 4s. Would have not bought the 4 had I known 7.1 was speedy!

 

[Slicktype]

Ok, the 5s is such an amazing upgrade that I would hate to go back to the 4s. If I were you,I would wait for the 6 and skip the 5s. To each their Own I guess

 

[TacticalDesire]

It depends on how you use it. For texting, email, phone calls and the like it is the same but for everything else you'll notice a large improvement overall.

 

[kelvinmead]

i had a free upgrade option after 2 years of 4s, of which i had good battery life, and i wasnt thinking of upgrading until i saw the email.

so... was it worth it?

have to buy a new case, a new screen protector, new docking station

battery life is as equivalent

no change to usage as the backup / restore is just beautiful!

its thinner, not by a million miles, but nicely! it feels a little thinner, and the length is not noticeable in a pocket kind of way.

the screen is bigger, but the only place i noticed it was in angry birds where all the angles were wrong... :-/

but by far is the fingerprint security option, and by this i mean that for the past 2 years i turned off the passcode option as I'm just not that issued with people i know having access to my phone, but was a "little" worried if i lost it, but the fingerprint option is awesome, full lock, but a 2 second thumbprint and its unlocked.

also, you can print more than one finger!

less noticed is the burst camera mode, which is nice... take 30 pictures of an action shot and then later go back and choose the best looking picture! the slomo seems a bit faddy, but it does its job well.

if i had the option, id do it again, but then i don't care too much for being the first with things, so another 2 years before the iPhone 6 (well 6s) will be fine for me!