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6 or 6S (maybe even 5S), coming from iPhone 5

koerk

koerk

macrumors regular
Original poster
Dec 14, 2013
134
19
Hi,

My iPhone 5 is slowly showing its age and I kind of want something new. Its 16GB are to small, performance is decreasing, a bigger form factor would be nice and I start to hate entering my pass code 20 times a day.

I love the features and overall package of the new 6S, which would cost 850€ here in germany for the 64GB version. Not counting for a decent case, new bike and car mounts.

A refurbished 6 with 64GB in almost new condition sometimes appears for 599€ at ebay. But than again, I think 250€ more justifies the upgrade to the 6S with all of its features and future proofness with its A9. The A8 was IMHO not that much of an upgrade over the 5S's A7, which leads to the last possibility: a 32 or 64GB 5S for about 400-450€. Except screen size, I think that the iPhone 6 has not much more to offer than the 5S. ANother advantage would be that I could keep my cases and mounts which would save me another 50-70€. But how long would the 5S keep me happy enough before wanting something new again, 1-2 years?

I don't know. On one day I'm almost convinced to just buy the 6S and be done with it for 3-4 years maybe, on the other day I just think to keep my 5 till it falls apart. But then I would not get anything from selling the 5 and the cost would be even higher. Now I get around 200€ for the 5 which is in good condition and was swapped out by apple in 2014.

What would you do in my situation? 850€ for 6S, 600€ for 6 or 400€ for 5S.

Thanks for your Input!
 
If you can afford it go with the 6S it's a great phone and it will keep you current software wise longer the the 5S also the larger screen size is a nice upgrade. 3D Touch is a nice feature and the 2 gb of ram makes a real difference in safari.

I upgraded to the 6S and I have been very happy with it.
 
masands said:
Get the 6S Plus. Best phone ever
Click to expand...

I went to the store and held the 6S Plus in my hand and seriously laughed a little bit because of the humongous size. Even the Galaxy Note 5 has smaller dimensons and still a 0.2 inch bigger screen, better display, better camera and 21 grams lighter. So no, I personally wouldn't recommend the 6S Plus.
 
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go for the 6s(+), you won't regret your purchase, it'll probably last you for about 3 to 4 years with its 2GB RAM etc..
 
I did consider the plus. I have a 2012 MBA which I open maybe twice a week, the rest of my computing needs are covered by the iPhone. It's more like a pocket computer than a phone to me. At an apple reseller I asked to put the 6s plus they had in theirs showroom in my pocket, boy is it big. I am tempted by the screen size but lean more towards the standard 6(s) format. Don't really need OIS and 110€ more (yes, in $ it is much cheaper) is another drawback.

What about the option to stay with my 5, would anybody go this way? Maybe stupid to ask people in an apple community, I know, but try to be as objective as possible about it.
 
Servus,
I have faced the same dilemma some days ago. I made my decision based on my real needs and on the experience with the devices available from the circle of my friends and the Internet.
I think in your case the determining point is that you use mainly your phone for computing. The 6S might be the ideal choice, as it is smaller (important for portability) as the 6S+ and bigger than the 5S, which is by the way an awesome device. I would not consider the iPhone 6/6+.
Thus, you'll have the pleasent feeling of novelty and an unquestionably useful upgrade.
 
I've upgraded from 5S to 6S first. Let me tell you, it's a huge jump in size. It is not as comfortable using one finger as it was on 5S anymore. You have to adapt to the bigger screen, at least it was for me. I lost that "portability" and easiness of use of my 5S since everything became bigger. Then I thought, well, if 6S is not as easy to use as 5S due to increased size, I might as well try 6S+. And I switched to 6S+ and I'm very happy that I did!!! So in my theory, some may not agree, but smaller phone is great for portability and easiness of usage, like 5S, and if you decide to go bigger, it will not be as portable as 5S anymore, so go with the plus instead. Difference in the pocket between 6S and 6S+ is not really noticeable, and I don't use bulky case. I use Caudabe Veil, which doesn't add anything to the phone. If you use your phone for computing on day to day basis, I would recommend going for a larger screen. Also the battery is stellar on it, and that big screen makes a big difference when you read, browse internet, or even take a pictures. I didn't think in the beginning that I will like using 6S+ but after using it I won't go back! Hope this helps you to choose the right phone for you.
 
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I'd go with the 6s. I prefer the "s" models than the regular ones. You can be sure that it will be supported with the latest iOS in the next 4-5 years. If they don't decide to make the iOS heavier, the speed wouldn't suffer much as well unlike the iOS 8/9 on the iPhone 4s (but again, that's a phone with 512 MB RAM).
It always comes down to your own needs, if you are happier with a 4 inch display go with the 5s, it's 2 years old now but it's not too shabby at all. However it will get slower in near future.
Any choice you make would be the right one as long as you're happy.
 
I used the 5s for two years. I sold mine 32GB for €410. Now I have the 6s and I'm very satisfied with it. The touch id works perfect, where it sometimes failed with the 5s. The bigger screen is also a great in daily use.
 
Ordered the 64GB 6S space grey. The price hurts but if I skip another year, I would get annoyed by the 5 even more, tried to get by with 16GB etc and wouldn't get a 200€ selling it.
Difficult to justify such a purchase and I am not convinced I did a smart thing but hey, you only live once right?!
 
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Get the 6S and enjoy a massive upgrade on your iPhone 5. The 5S is actually a downgrade in some respects because Apple switched to a 64Bit processor and yet kept the same amount of RAM as the iPhone 5. As a result web browser tabs and apps reload much more readily than they did on the iPhone 5. Apple still kept 1GB of RAM in the iPhone 6 and 6+, which would lead me to prefer the iPhone 5 out of any of the aforementioned. Sure you lose the Touch ID and Apple Pay but so what, RAM management is much more important to me.

The i6 and 6+ also suffer in terms of smoothness when compared to your i5. They just don't have the CPU power or RAM to cope with the bigger displays and 64Bit processors. The 6+ being the absolute worst in this regard with frequent stuttering, freezing and crashing thrown in for free.

The 6S and 6S+ however do everything beautifully and are a proper upgrade over your iPhone 5 in every respect.
 
koerk said:
Hi,

My iPhone 5 is slowly showing its age and I kind of want something new. Its 16GB are to small, performance is decreasing, a bigger form factor would be nice and I start to hate entering my pass code 20 times a day.

I love the features and overall package of the new 6S, which would cost 850€ here in germany for the 64GB version. Not counting for a decent case, new bike and car mounts.

A refurbished 6 with 64GB in almost new condition sometimes appears for 599€ at ebay. But than again, I think 250€ more justifies the upgrade to the 6S with all of its features and future proofness with its A9. The A8 was IMHO not that much of an upgrade over the 5S's A7, which leads to the last possibility: a 32 or 64GB 5S for about 400-450€. Except screen size, I think that the iPhone 6 has not much more to offer than the 5S. ANother advantage would be that I could keep my cases and mounts which would save me another 50-70€. But how long would the 5S keep me happy enough before wanting something new again, 1-2 years?

I don't know. On one day I'm almost convinced to just buy the 6S and be done with it for 3-4 years maybe, on the other day I just think to keep my 5 till it falls apart. But then I would not get anything from selling the 5 and the cost would be even higher. Now I get around 200€ for the 5 which is in good condition and was swapped out by apple in 2014.

What would you do in my situation? 850€ for 6S, 600€ for 6 or 400€ for 5S.

Thanks for your Input!
Click to expand...
if you are planning to keep it for 3 years, buy a 6S
 
sunking101 said:
Get the 6S and enjoy a massive upgrade on your iPhone 5. The 5S is actually a downgrade in some respects because Apple switched to a 64Bit processor and yet kept the same amount of RAM as the iPhone 5. As a result web browser tabs and apps reload much more readily than they did on the iPhone 5. Apple still kept 1GB of RAM in the iPhone 6 and 6+, which would lead me to prefer the iPhone 5 out of any of the aforementioned. Sure you lose the Touch ID and Apple Pay but so what, RAM management is much more important to me.

The i6 and 6+ also suffer in terms of smoothness when compared to your i5. They just don't have the CPU power or RAM to cope with the bigger displays and 64Bit processors. The 6+ being the absolute worst in this regard with frequent stuttering, freezing and crashing thrown in for free.

The 6S and 6S+ however do everything beautifully and are a proper upgrade over your iPhone 5 in every respect.
Click to expand...

Thanks.
But I don't think my 5 is smoother than a 6. Heard about them being a little underpowered (6+), so the 6 was not really an option over the 5S since I have the fitting accessories.

As I said, the 6S is ordered. Am already contemplating to cancel the shipment because it's just insane what it costs and I figure I can do anything I need to on my 5 but I will try to stay strong and let it ship to decide THEN if it is a keeper. Talking about over 900€ including cases and mounts.
 
koerk said:
Thanks.
But I don't think my 5 is smoother than a 6. Heard about them being a little underpowered (6+), so the 6 was not really an option over the 5S since I have the fitting accessories.

As I said, the 6S is ordered. Am already contemplating to cancel the shipment because it's just insane what it costs and I figure I can do anything I need to on my 5 but I will try to stay strong and let it ship to decide THEN if it is a keeper. Talking about over 900€ including cases and mounts.
Click to expand...

The i5 running iOS6 and iOS7 was certainly smoother than an i6 running iOS8 and iOS9.
Obviously that's down to iOS but still, you can't downgrade the o/s on an i6.
 
I've got a 5 and there would be no way I'd be getting rid of it. I didn't update to ios 9 and am very glad that I didn't.
 
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Ulenspiegel said:
@koerk: If it is difficult to justify the purchase and you have a bad feeling, don't buy it. You won't be happy with it.
Click to expand...

Funny reading that, last night I couldn't sleep over it and thought, wtf, don't do it!

Cancelled it and ordered a refurbished 5s for 379€, so I have 32gb, Touch ID, better performance and don't need new accessories. Maybe it lasts me another two years before the urge comes back. Actually prefer the design over the 6's, thought I needed something bigger but that must wait now.
Hope it's in good condition.
Are you from Germany? Any suggestion to make a good deal? If it's too dinged up, there would be a like new refurbished for 449€ 32GB 5S...

Thank you very much ulenspiegel
 
Isn't that a hefty price for a used 5S? I just sold my mint 6 for 400€, granted it was a 16GB but the 5S is now 2 years old.
 
I came from iPhone 5 and got the 6s Gold 64GB. I am very pleasantly surprised and definitely have no regrets.
 
lol. I used the 4, 5, 5s, briefly on the HTC One m8 before and now on the 6s. The only thing I missed on my 5 was the Slate Black colour, super sleek and nice looking. My 5s was enough to get by but I found it frustrating to actually use that device to surf the net as the screen was too small to even read. The One m8 had great screen and sound quality but camera frankly sucked badly. With the 6s now, I alternate between the iPad Air 2 and the 6s when it comes to casual surfing as the screen size is comfortable to read and it's as fast (if not faster) than my iPad.

The camera quality isn't the best especially for low light situations but the Live Phtotos did create awesome moments to share of my nephew. The 2GB really made a world of difference, I haven't experienced any app or page reloads during normal usage. The iPhone 6s by far the most satisfying phone I've purchased over the past 5 years.
 
Last edited:
koerk said:
Funny reading that, last night I couldn't sleep over it and thought, wtf, don't do it!

Cancelled it and ordered a refurbished 5s for 379€, so I have 32gb, Touch ID, better performance and don't need new accessories. Maybe it lasts me another two years before the urge comes back. Actually prefer the design over the 6's, thought I needed something bigger but that must wait now.
Hope it's in good condition.
Are you from Germany? Any suggestion to make a good deal? If it's too dinged up, there would be a like new refurbished for 449€ 32GB 5S...

Thank you very much ulenspiegel
Click to expand...
You are welcome, koerk. I had a feeling that you can't really justify this purchase. Btw, I think you made a good decision. 5S is an excellent device and I prefer its size over 6 series. Good that you don't have to buy new accessories, it can be a pain in the .....
Nope, just have German blood. That is why I understood what you were talking about. ;)
 
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