Did anyone go from the 5 to 5S?

[Ramio]

I had the 5 and now the 5s. I still have access to the 5. I compared them yesterday for a while. Games and Apps open a good chunk faster on the 5s except for some simple apps like the calculator, photos and a few others. The camera opens faster on the 5s. In low light, the 5s takes much better pics. In safari, websites load a little faster on the 5s. It definitely feels faster than the 5. If you have a 5, you'll be fine but the 5s is for sure the faster phone. As far as the fingerprint scanner, I was very disappointed with the 5 as it didn't even work once ;-).

 

[MrXiro]

I REALLY want the 5S but I'm also in a bit of a financial slump right now. I did just land 200 bucks and I can get 350 for my iPhone 5, I literally just got it replaced from Apple a week ago, so it's like new/refurbished. I'm also switching over to T-Mo from At&t next year so the days of "upgrades" are over for me since we'll be paying full price for the phones. One idea I have is to upgrade now and pay the ETF in Dec to bail to TMo. Upon paying the ETF I should be able to unlock the phone thus I'd only be paying a total of 560 (after tax) or so for the phone. A slight savings over buying the phone outright.

Is the 5S THAT much of an upgrade that it's a must get this year or should I just save up my money and just wait for the 6? I'm thinking the camera is the only real upgrade that means anything to me right now.

Thoughts and advice?

 

[Anonymous Freak]

I REALLY want the 5S but I'm also in a bit of a financial slump right now. I did just land 200 bucks and I can get 350 for my iPhone 5, I literally just got it replaced from Apple a week ago, so it's like new/refurbished. I'm also switching over to T-Mo from At&t next year so the days of "upgrades" are over for me since we'll be paying full price for the phones. One idea I have is to upgrade now and pay the ETF in Dec to bail to TMo. Upon paying the ETF I should be able to unlock the phone thus I'd only be paying a total of 560 (after tax) or so for the phone. A slight savings over buying the phone outright.

Is the 5S THAT much of an upgrade that it's a must get this year or should I just save up my money and just wait for the 6? I'm thinking the camera is the only real upgrade that means anything to me right now.

Thoughts and advice?

If you're in a "financial slump", you can live without this minor update just fine.

 

[scorpio1973]

I upgraded from a 5 to a 5S. My main reasons were the camera (since it is my only camera) and the touch ID feature. So far, I am very happy with my purchase.

 

[matttye]

Yes, much faster. Much more responsive (you won't know how that's possible until to use it).

The battery life is SO MUCH BETTER. It's not one of those 'as well' things for me it's actually my second favourite thing about the new phone after the fingerprint sensor. I don't need to think about how to use it now, I just do whatever I want and battery just seems to go on forever.

 

[MrXiro]

If you're in a "financial slump", you can live without this minor update just fine.

I was unemployed for 2.5 years but doing odd jobs to make ends meet... and going for a time on unemployment when I couldn't get the odd jobs. Now I'm employed full time but the pay is lower but steady so money is tighter because of that. Also paying off a ton of debt I'm in.

I guess what I'm saying is I can break even if I sold this refurbished iPhone 5 and with this tax refund check I just got and get the new 5S... or I could just keep the 200 check and be up 200 bucks... but miss out on the $100 savings buying the iPhone 5S if I pay the ETF.

 

[mytakeontech]

I was unemployed for 2.5 years but doing odd jobs to make ends meet... and going for a time on unemployment when I couldn't get the odd jobs. Now I'm employed full time but the pay is lower but steady so money is tighter because of that. Also paying off a ton of debt I'm in.

I guess what I'm saying is I can break even if I sold this refurbished iPhone 5 and with this tax refund check I just got and get the new 5S... or I could just keep the 200 check and be up 200 bucks... but miss out on the $100 savings buying the iPhone 5S if I pay the ETF.

Not judging but dude I see you have higher priorities than this stupid phone upgrade.

 

[MrXiro]

Not judging but dude I see you have higher priorities than this stupid phone upgrade.

Of course I do. But until I strike it rich I'll also always have debt... I also hate losing out on a "deal" and possibly a worthwhile upgrade.

Thanks for your thoughts on this. I'm leaning towards keeping it but seeing if I can figure out any plan that works where I don't "lose" money by getting the 5S.

 

[Ramio]

I REALLY want the 5S but I'm also in a bit of a financial slump right now. I did just land 200 bucks and I can get 350 for my iPhone 5, I literally just got it replaced from Apple a week ago, so it's like new/refurbished. I'm also switching over to T-Mo from At&t next year so the days of "upgrades" are over for me since we'll be paying full price for the phones. One idea I have is to upgrade now and pay the ETF in Dec to bail to TMo. Upon paying the ETF I should be able to unlock the phone thus I'd only be paying a total of 560 (after tax) or so for the phone. A slight savings over buying the phone outright.

Is the 5S THAT much of an upgrade that it's a must get this year or should I just save up my money and just wait for the 6? I'm thinking the camera is the only real upgrade that means anything to me right now.

Thoughts and advice?

I actually disagree. I think you should get the phone if possible as I can't think of anything you'll use as much as the phone. Now if you have to use bill money for it, don't do it. Keep the 5 as it's still as a good phone. If you can save the money somewhere else, go for it. For example, if you eat out 4 times a week, eat out twice a week for a little while. The 5s is the faster and better phone, no doubt about it(tested them both yesterday). You can always sell the 5s next year and get the 6 and hopefully by then you'll be in much better financial shape. If not, the 5s with the 64 bit processor is a good phone to have for the future. Either way, wish you the best of luck.

 

[MrXiro]

I actually disagree. I think you should get the phone if possible as I can't think of anything you'll use as much as the phone. Now if you have to use bill money for it, don't do it. Keep the 5 as it's still as a good phone. If you can save the money somewhere else, go for it. For example, if you eat out 4 times a week, eat out twice a week for a little while. The 5s is the faster and better phone, no doubt about it(tested them both yesterday). You can always sell the 5s next year and get the 6 and hopefully by then you'll be in much better financial shape. If not, the 5s with the 64 bit processor is a good phone to have for the future. Either way, wish you the best of luck.

My other concern is resale value of my iPhone 5 in another year.
It's the black/slate model an I'm sure in a year I will have scratched up the buttery soft chamferred edge in some way with or without a case. I know for a fact the 5S will sell for more, which is another reason to upgrade.

 

[koigirl]

I REALLY want the 5S but I'm also in a bit of a financial slump right now. I did just land 200 bucks and I can get 350 for my iPhone 5, I literally just got it replaced from Apple a week ago, so it's like new/refurbished. I'm also switching over to T-Mo from At&t next year so the days of "upgrades" are over for me since we'll be paying full price for the phones. One idea I have is to upgrade now and pay the ETF in Dec to bail to TMo. Upon paying the ETF I should be able to unlock the phone thus I'd only be paying a total of 560 (after tax) or so for the phone. A slight savings over buying the phone outright.

Is the 5S THAT much of an upgrade that it's a must get this year or should I just save up my money and just wait for the 6? I'm thinking the camera is the only real upgrade that means anything to me right now.

Thoughts and advice?

I bought the 5s and gave my 5 to my daughter only because I had an upgrade sitting there on my account and I wanted to add my daughter onto my AT&T plan. The Touch ID is nice but not failproof (works for me on first try only about 70% of the time), the camera is slightly improved in low light situations, and the speed difference is negligible to me in real-time use. A truly incremental upgrade, certainly not earth-shattering, for those with a 5 and a much bigger upgrade for those coming from 4s model and below. So no, I would save my money and wait for the 6, especially if I was coming out of a tenuous financial situation.

It is hard not to get caught up in the hype each year when the new model is released, especially if you're an Apple fan and tech nerd (like me). But really, truly, it's not a huge upgrade over the iPhone 5. IMO, you've already got the biggest upgrades which are the larger screen and iOS 7. I know that my experience was that downloading iOS 7 onto my 5 provided a much bigger upgrade than subsequently upgrading to the 5s hardware. Also, by next year, the software and apps will have been updated to take full advantage of the new faster 64 processor. Save your money, please, especially in these uncertain economic times.

Just read your further posts, though, and it seems like what you're really seeking is not advice but affirmation to go ahead and upgrade? You do have the option of returning within 30 days if the difference isn't earth-shattering for you. Don't sell your 5 until you're sure.

 

[Ramio]

My other concern is resale value of my iPhone 5 in another year.
It's the black/slate model an I'm sure in a year I will have scratched up the buttery soft chamferred edge in some way with or without a case. I know for a fact the 5S will sell for more, which is another reason to upgrade.

True. Good reason to upgrade just based on that. My guess is the 5 next year will sell for a lot less especially that they're not made any more. I say go for it.

 

[R.Stoychev]

I kept my 5 and look forward to ipad mini (hoping for retina ), yes the 5s is a nice update etc. but I can wait one more year for 6 gen iphone

 

[MrXiro]

I bought the 5s and gave my 5 to my daughter only because I had an upgrade sitting there on my account and I wanted to add my daughter onto my AT&T plan. The Touch ID is nice but not failproof (works for me on first try only about 70% of the time), the camera is slightly improved in low light situations, and the speed difference is negligible to me in real-time use. A truly incremental upgrade, certainly not earth-shattering, for those with a 5 and a much bigger upgrade for those coming from 4s model and below. So no, I would save my money and wait for the 6, especially if I was coming out of a tenuous financial situation.

It is hard not to get caught up in the hype each year when the new model is released, especially if you're an Apple fan and tech nerd (like me). But really, truly, it's not a huge upgrade over the iPhone 5. IMO, you've already got the biggest upgrades which are the larger screen and iOS 7. I know that my experience was that downloading iOS 7 onto my 5 provided a much bigger upgrade than subsequently upgrading to the 5s hardware. Also, by next year, the software and apps will have been updated to take full advantage of the new faster 64 processor. Save your money, please, especially in these uncertain economic times.

Just read your further posts, though, and it seems like what you're really seeking is not advice but affirmation to go ahead and upgrade? You do have the option of returning within 30 days if the difference isn't earth-shattering for you. Don't sell your 5 until you're sure.

Actually I'm leaning more in the direction to keep the iPhone 5... I'm just weighing my options publicly and looking for help doing so. I want it but I'm also very very budget concious.
I just see a few reasons TO upgrade and wondering what it's worth. I am a major tech nerd. One from the time of the first mp3 players 10 years ago. I was a tech journalist during college in the late 90's early 2000's so it's in my blood to always upgrade. I don't think I've had the same mobile phone for longer than 18 months since 1998. Most of the time it's just a year. I had the HTC EVO for a while because of financial reasons a few years back.

 

[Anonymous Freak]

I was unemployed for 2.5 years but doing odd jobs to make ends meet... and going for a time on unemployment when I couldn't get the odd jobs. Now I'm employed full time but the pay is lower but steady so money is tighter because of that. Also paying off a ton of debt I'm in.

I guess what I'm saying is I can break even if I sold this refurbished iPhone 5 and with this tax refund check I just got and get the new 5S... or I could just keep the 200 check and be up 200 bucks... but miss out on the $100 savings buying the iPhone 5S if I pay the ETF.

Even missing out the $100 savings, you're still up $200.

I've been in really bad debt before (foreclosed on level,) and it's one thing to replace something unusable, but another to just upgrade to something slightly newer.

Put the $200 toward your highest-interest-rate debt.

 

[panzer06]

I have the 5, and am going to the 5S, and was wondering if there was a noticeable different in terms of phone speed (excluding data speed), battery life, and the camera? I know almost everything else remained the same (minus the FP scanner of course).

Tons faster, way better camera, battery life is amazing.

I think everything is based on personal perspective and perception. I went from HTC One to iPhone 5 to iPhone 5S over a 2 week period and didn't see much of a performance improvement but that's just me. However, I don't take many pics, play no games and only check mail, texts, Fedex and other lightweight apps.

The only thing that has been a game changer is the fingerprint scanner and the voice recognition. The FP scanner is great. I had taken to running my mobile apps with no passcode because I was so tired of the unlocking all the time. This completely obviates this issue. And the voice recognition is noticeably faster and much more accurate.

I bet for many iPhone users, iOS 7 is all the upgrade they'll need.

Cheers,

 

[taedouni]

I was one of the few who upgraded with Verizon and was able to keep my unlimited data so I am essentially getting the 5S for free once I sell my 5. I'm going from a 64GB Black 5 to a 32Gb Gray 5s.

I was thinking about getting the silver 5s but a part of me thinks that a black front is sexy while a white front just looks catchy.

 

[Ramio]

I was one of the few who upgraded with Verizon and was able to keep my unlimited data so I am essentially getting the 5S for free once I sell my 5. I'm going from a 64GB Black 5 to a 32Gb Gray 5s.

I was thinking about getting the silver 5s but a part of me thinks that a black front is sexy while a white front just looks catchy.

Get the black...so slick, sleek, classy...etc

 

[Leonard1818]

I was one of the few who upgraded with Verizon and was able to keep my unlimited data so I am essentially getting the 5S for free once I sell my 5. I'm going from a 64GB Black 5 to a 32Gb Gray 5s.

I was thinking about getting the silver 5s but a part of me thinks that a black front is sexy while a white front just looks catchy.

Get the black...so slick, sleek, classy...etc

I dunno.... I had a black 4s and a black 5. I skipped the 5s cause....well.... It wasn't worth it to me. BUT my wife got a silver/white 5s and I gotta say I may have to consider white/silver next time around. Not just for a change, but I really like the way it looks. It seems pretty obvious that they didn't launch iOS 7 ONCE on a black iPhone ha ha... it seems pretty designed for white.

 

[MrXiro]

Even missing out the $100 savings, you're still up $200.

I've been in really bad debt before (foreclosed on level,) and it's one thing to replace something unusable, but another to just upgrade to something slightly newer.

Put the $200 toward your highest-interest-rate debt.

Thanks for the advice! I am going to do that. Worst case scenario of if I somehow mess up my iPhone 5. I will have an "upgrade" when I jump to Tmobile... which will also lower my monthly bill from 50 a month to 20 with nearly unlimited everything.

 

[Breitling65]

I have the 5, and am going to the 5S, and was wondering if there was a noticeable different in terms of phone speed (excluding data speed), battery life, and the camera? I know almost everything else remained the same (minus the FP scanner of course).

I like everything in 5S and I tried it many times, but when I use my like new 5 after I feel like it is pointless upgrade to me, fingerprints is good, camera? I am photographer with tons of pro gear, I don't even know how to take shots with phone what else? I like better finish, seem scratchless on 5S. It is faster, but not that much, besides how fast phone should be? Only reason I will possibly upgrade is get read AT&T and get Verizon, tired of dead spots with no signal at all here in NJ.

 

[Rogifan]

Is the 5S really supposed to be a replacement for the 5? I guess I can't get my head around why anyone needs a new phone every year.

 

[PNutts]

Is the 5S really supposed to be a replacement for the 5? I guess I can't get my head around why anyone needs a new phone every year.

I didn't upgrade for the phone. Specifically Touch ID and camera improvements. Without those I'd still be on the 5. It's an upgrade similar to replacing an Ivy Bridge CPU with a Haswell. People get lots of new things they don't "need" every year. Cars, clothes, wives...

 

[Ramio]

Is the 5S really supposed to be a replacement for the 5? I guess I can't get my head around why anyone needs a new phone every year.

Why not?!. If you have the means, don't see a problem. There are very few things that I'll use as much as my phone. The way I justify things is by how much I use them. The more I use them the more likely I'll upgrade.

 

[blah007]

Yup. Just exchanged my 5s 16 gb for a 32gb today