I've got an iPhone 4s on its last legs. Need to get something new, and I'm frugal (read "cheap"). Looking for advice on whether iPhone 5s is still a wise/viable option in late 2015. Have at it.
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iPhone 5s still viable?
- Thread starter cyberlocke
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I have a 5 on 9.0.2 and it works just fine. The 5s has 64-bit, TouchID and a faster processor. I think it's still very much viable.
Ordinarily, I don't suggest upgrading (just for reasons of being on the right versions of iOS if you want to jailbreak) but iOS 9 seems to be a refinement of iOS 8 so I would suggest upgrading.
If you aren't interested in jailbreaking you can go straight to 9.1. If you are, you can get an IPSW of 9.0.2, upgrade to that and jailbreak if you like. That avenue won't be open for long though. As soon as Apple stops signing 9.0.2 then then only upgrade will be direct to 9.1.
Ordinarily, I don't suggest upgrading (just for reasons of being on the right versions of iOS if you want to jailbreak) but iOS 9 seems to be a refinement of iOS 8 so I would suggest upgrading.
If you aren't interested in jailbreaking you can go straight to 9.1. If you are, you can get an IPSW of 9.0.2, upgrade to that and jailbreak if you like. That avenue won't be open for long though. As soon as Apple stops signing 9.0.2 then then only upgrade will be direct to 9.1.
yes, big eyes, really the iphone 5s is still an amazing, fast and beautiful phone, if you can afford an iphone 6 buy it, but if u can't, the iphone 5s is ur best option 
+1 for iPhone 5s. Mine is on 9.1 and I have no issues except for the odd slight jitter closing an app or something. Ever so slightly slower compared to my wife's 5s on 7.1.2 but not so as you'd notice unless you were doing the same things side by side (which is what I did when I installed 9.0).
I have just bought one for my son to replace his aging 4s. The 64bit CPU should be good for at least 2 more years of iOS updates. The performance difference between the 5s and the 6 is not that great. I always felt the s models to be the most longest-lived ones. You can pick up a very nice condition 5s for $250 or less now, especially the 16GB models... you may need to think about a battery replacement if its been used, however. The nice thing about a cheap phone (like a car) is you don't get too paranoid about scratches or even breaking it.
Definitely! I'm using iPhone 5s on 9.1, and no issues at all. It just works fine, fast, smooth, stable, no noticeable lag. Just go for it.
A good condition, used i5 or 5S is still a good buy for someone who likes the size and isn't bothered about owning a cutting edge smartphone. I wouldn't buy a new 5S though because they're still expensive and the 1GB of RAM should be a dealbreaker. When iOS10 and 11 drop the phone will be left behind.
Really though, if the cost is your main consideration and you want to buy new then I'd look at something like the Nexus line of Android phones. They're much more up to date spec-wise than the 5S and offer a far better bang for the buck. The new 5X is extremely well priced and the 6P although more expensive is a proper cutting edge smartphone.
Really though, if the cost is your main consideration and you want to buy new then I'd look at something like the Nexus line of Android phones. They're much more up to date spec-wise than the 5S and offer a far better bang for the buck. The new 5X is extremely well priced and the 6P although more expensive is a proper cutting edge smartphone.
Performance of my 5S that I bought at the end of the summer on iOS 9 is great. I like it, but wish it was larger. Switched to a 6S, but when it arrived it had screen issues. Didn't have it in me to do the exchange lottery, so stuck with my 5S. Will be keeping it a while longer until I attempt upgrading again.
Although I have a 6s now, 5s is still hands down favorite.
I've considered the Nexus line for that very reason, but I'm too ingrained in the Apple ecosystem to back out now: iCloud, calendars synced with my wife's phone, messages and FaceTime on the Mac, you know . . .
Have you checked Swappa for any cheap iPhone 5s/6 models? I bet you could find some cheap mint condition phones on there.
Go for it dude. The 5s was built for longevity. My wife's 2 year old 5s is running like new on 9.1. I've had the 6, 6+ and 6s+ since and the 5s was still my most enjoyable experience (likely to be dethroned by my 6s+ when it's all said and done, but still )
If you don't care about being on the cutting edge, go on swappa like the guy above suggested and you'll get a quality used/refurb 5s on the cheap.
)If you don't care about being on the cutting edge, go on swappa like the guy above suggested and you'll get a quality used/refurb 5s on the cheap.
My son moved to the 5S from the 4S for his B-day few months ago. He did nor want a larger phone. He loves the 5S. His is on iOS 9.0.2 and it runs fine for him.
Absolutely viable. I'm actually operating on a brand new iPhone 5 that I got earlier this month. Was pretty cheap, and I'm very happy with it. Running iOS 9 and it's as smooth as butter. I'm just a huge fan of the phone's design. I can't get on board with the iPhone 6 and at this point I don't think I ever will. I am cautiously optimistic about what Apple will do with the iPhone 7 in terms of design, but that remains to be seen.
My wife had a iPhone 5 non-S on iOS 9 and it ran fine. No issues so an iPhone 5s will run even better.
@OP do you believe the iPhone 6 is still viable?
The 5s is similar in power to the 6; the A8 in the iPhone 6 is a small spec bump over the A7 in the 5s and they both use the exact same type & quantity of Ram, which is fine for general use (non-power user use). Its still one of the more powerful smartphones on the market. I would say it is still viable, but it all boils down to what you want to use it for.
If you plan to hold on it for a few years, it should be fine. Otherwise, go for the latest and greatest.
iOS 9 is polarizing on these boards but in the general public it hasn't received as strong backlash. I think it has some performance issues that are software related, that will be sorted out. There is no reason a phone as powerful as the 5s should not perform admirably on iOS 9, but there is clearly some work Apple needs to do to get it smoother and faster. They seemed to imply iOS 9 would bring performance improvements on the 64-bit iOS devices, which hasn't formed as of yet so hopefully the next few iOS 9 updates bring some stability to the animation lag and app launch lag which seems to be an issue for some users. My own opinion is that it runs fine and smooth on iOS 9.
Can't go wrong with the 5s. Also as noted by other posters, if you are open to Android phones, this year has brought many fantastic phones to the market that also run great. Just go for a Nexus device if you want software support for a few years, right as soon as the latest firmwares are released (for reference though, the 5s still outperforms many 2015 android flagships in some regards - notably CPU and browser benchmarks)
The 5s is similar in power to the 6; the A8 in the iPhone 6 is a small spec bump over the A7 in the 5s and they both use the exact same type & quantity of Ram, which is fine for general use (non-power user use). Its still one of the more powerful smartphones on the market. I would say it is still viable, but it all boils down to what you want to use it for.
If you plan to hold on it for a few years, it should be fine. Otherwise, go for the latest and greatest.
iOS 9 is polarizing on these boards but in the general public it hasn't received as strong backlash. I think it has some performance issues that are software related, that will be sorted out. There is no reason a phone as powerful as the 5s should not perform admirably on iOS 9, but there is clearly some work Apple needs to do to get it smoother and faster. They seemed to imply iOS 9 would bring performance improvements on the 64-bit iOS devices, which hasn't formed as of yet so hopefully the next few iOS 9 updates bring some stability to the animation lag and app launch lag which seems to be an issue for some users. My own opinion is that it runs fine and smooth on iOS 9.
Can't go wrong with the 5s. Also as noted by other posters, if you are open to Android phones, this year has brought many fantastic phones to the market that also run great. Just go for a Nexus device if you want software support for a few years, right as soon as the latest firmwares are released (for reference though, the 5s still outperforms many 2015 android flagships in some regards - notably CPU and browser benchmarks)
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Yes, I've had it on my 5s for a week after GM was released.
General lag and overall jerky animations (especially in spotlight) really ruined the experience for me as compared to super smooth 8.4.1. Although, 8.3 was even better in that department but oh well.
There simply aren't that many new features in iOS 9 for 5S to justify the performance downgrade. Mostly minor refinements is what I'd call them.
I'd advise you to look up some youtube videos for comparison and decide for yourself.
Very viable, and its the newest small form factor iPhone. I passed mine to my wife when I got a 6s Plus, and its running latest iOS 9, and it works fine. About the only thing I really don't like about the 5s is that it lacks Apple Pay. However, if you pair it with an Apple Watch, then you get Apple Pay through the watch. And the 5s is I believe the lightest iPhone ever made... feels like a feather compared to my 6s Plus!
For some reasons I think the iPhone 5S is the best iPhone produced so far ... I had one, when released , and I just bought one two weeks ago for my wife.
It runs iOS 9 without any issue, and it isn't much different from my iPhone 6.
If you have a reduced budget, or if you want a compact phone, buy an iPhone 5S.
Wow, been a while since I started this one, but thought I'd leave an update: I did end up buying a used 5s from a family member. Love it! Great phone, light, battery still good (especially compared to my old 4s), and fast (again, especially compared to my 4s). Thanks for all the advice everyone.
Depends how cheap it is and how long you expect it to last.
Buying a 2 year old phone is fine, just don't expect it to be supported for the next 3 years.
If you're looking at the 5s though i'd suggest waiting until the 5SE comes out in the same form factor (rumoured to happen within the next month or so), because i'm sure that a number of people want the 5s because of it's smaller size. I expect the price on them to drop and a lot of 5s users to upgrade to the 5SE (or whatever the new same size Apple phone is called) when it comes out.
I definitely wouldn't buy one right now though.
Is the iPhone 5s still viable? For one year, no longer. As of spring, 2017. In many parts of the world, it is still sold brand new with Apple warranty at bargain prices. Consider that just a month or so before Apple still sold the iPad mini 2 on its site with the same processor, pushing much more pixels.
The main question is, is the 5s noticeably slower than the 6? According to Geekbench scores, the A8 chip is not that much faster than the A7 (the big jump in iPhone CPU performance is from A8 to A9), and the iPhone 6 has to push more pixels than the 5s.
The main question is, is the 5s noticeably slower than the 6? According to Geekbench scores, the A8 chip is not that much faster than the A7 (the big jump in iPhone CPU performance is from A8 to A9), and the iPhone 6 has to push more pixels than the 5s.