If I buy a used 5S now, can I get 2 years out of it?

[ABC5S]

So, I think I have decided to just get the iPad Air 2. But what about the 5c? I could afford to get the storage that I need with the 5c, and perhaps I could just keep that for a year or two????
Could the 5C hold up for two years if I had to?

Silly questions OP. Of course it will last two years. Most all phones last a good while unless you drop them a lot. Goodness OP, stop with this "Will it last 2 years". It will last much, much longer

 

[paulsdenton]

Sure you can. Just this last weekend I upgraded my grandson from an iPhone 4 to a 5S. I did have to replace the battery once. The 4 is slow, but still in perfect working order. What a great product that is!

Enjoy the 5S. Another great product!

 

[Imory]

I don't see why not. Just don't expect miracles with the battery life.

And the one potential issue with long-term durability with Touch ID is that it only works if the home button and processor have matching identifiers. Requiring the home button and motherboard to be a matched pair is a security measure that prevents someone from accessing your data by swapping the motherboard with another phone.

But, it also means that if the home button wears out, replacing it without also replacing the motherboard (as a matched pair) effectively disables the Touch ID feature. I've had to replace the home button on an iPod touch, and the home button on my wife's iPod touch has also become erratic. The home button on my 5s still seems to function like new (although I do try to reduce usage by pushing the power button instead of the home button when waking up from standby).

That can't possibly be true? I can't even imagine the hassle of creating a system like that. That whole ordeal would cost too much to deal with. Where did you hear this?

 

[the caveman]

Yes you can

 

[4N6guy]

My wife had a 4s for over 3 years until ios 8 bricked it. You'll be fine with the 5s.

 

[Vertigo50]

The only thing you may run into is that a 2+ year old phone may start having battery capacity issues, where it doesn't get nearly as good of battery life as it did when it was new. At that point, you could consider buying an OEM battery on Amazon, with a kit that has the tools as well. Probably around $20.

There are instructions online for the replacement, and it's not that tough to do. Just don't lose the screws!

 

[Septembersrain]

I bought a 6 and it was defective, so I went ahead and settled with a 5s instead. It's a very good phone still and I can definitely see it lasting another 2 years. Of course I'm the type who upgrades every few months though...

 

[TacticalDesire]

The nice thing about apple being stupid with RAM is that the 5, 5c, 5s, 6 and 6+ should all turn to **** at around the same time performance wise. Battery would be the only thing keeping you from 2 years at that point. The A6, A7, and A8 are all fast enough for most apps and as long as you go easy on the iOS updates you should be ok.

 

[Woochifer]

That can't possibly be true? I can't even imagine the hassle of creating a system like that. That whole ordeal would cost too much to deal with. Where did you hear this?

Of course it can be true, because it is. This added step of matching the hardware IDs is all about security and ensuring that the fingerprint data cannot be compromised thru reverse engineering or other tampering with the data paths. The info in the linked article was confirmed when Apple released their iOS security white paper in February.

http://www.imore.com/apple-took-tou...er-secure-enclave-heres-how-and-what-it-means

Basically, if the home button wears out and you replace it without also replacing it with a matched motherboard, you can no longer use Touch ID. Even ifixit has this notation with their parts replacement instructions.

https://www.ifixit.com/Store/iPhone/iPhone-5s-Home-Button-Assembly/IF124-013

1. Includes the home button flex cable assembly and the home button face with metal ring in colors to match your iPhone 5s.
2. Does not include the membrane that seals the home button face to the front panel of the phone.
3. Please note that only the phone's original home button assembly will be capable of using the Touch ID functionality.
4. Installing a new home button will only restore ordinary home button functions, not the Touch ID features.

 

[Imory]

Of course it can be true, because it is. This added step of matching the hardware IDs is all about security and ensuring that the fingerprint data cannot be compromised thru reverse engineering or other tampering with the data paths. The info in the linked article was confirmed when Apple released their iOS security white paper in February.

http://www.imore.com/apple-took-tou...er-secure-enclave-heres-how-and-what-it-means

Basically, if the home button wears out and you replace it without also replacing it with a matched motherboard, you can no longer use Touch ID. Even ifixit has this notation with their parts replacement instructions.

https://www.ifixit.com/Store/iPhone/iPhone-5s-Home-Button-Assembly/IF124-013

That's very interesting. I never knew it was that heavily coupled with the processor. Thanks for the info!

 

[Delmar]

How much does a new motherboard cost?

 

[JerTheGeek]

Ok guys, thanks once again for all your input.
I am pretty much sold on the iPad Air 2 right now.
BUT.....I have a few more days before I have to sell my iPad mini to get the Air 2, so I still have time to change my mind. Basically at this point, I would either get the Air 2 now and get the 6 or 6S when my contract expires next year around August. OR I would get the used 5S now and get the Air 2 when the refurb models come out. So basically, is the 6's size really that much harder to manage than the 5S, enough to make me choose the 5S over the 6 or 6S?
Because, if the 6's size is difficult to get used to, I will get the 5S now and enjoy two years use out of it. Oh and BTW, when I say two years use, what I mean is have a good, fast, functioning phone with the latest version of iOS and most of the new software features. Like what the 4S was through iOS 7, though now with iOS 8 it lacks a few features.
So, should I wait for the 6S, or just get the 5S now cause of the form factor of it????
I would appreciate any opinion on this, especially those coming from 4/4s who upgraded to the 5S or 6 and why they chose what they chose. Thanks!