Remeber that the "S" iphones are only minor updates

[gr8tfly]

...The camera is marginally better, 15% to be exact.

15% is the increase in sensor size. Whatever the resulting increase in pixel size is, the photon capture area is increased by the square of its x-y dimensions (new is 1.5um). I believe Apple's number for both the pixel size and increased aperture (f/2.2 v f/2.4), is something like 33% (an increase of 1/3 f-stop).

Also, the decrease in noise (both in the sensor cell and any decreases in crosstalk) is not linear.

A color temp adaptive flash has never (afaik) been available in a point-and-shoot or other built-ins. The possibilities based on the specs and demo shots look very exciting (if you have to use an on camera flash, you might as well have one that's more on the flattering side).

Add in the new ISP functionalities of the A7, and the upgrade, at least from this photographers view, is substantial, even coming off of the iPhone 5. Some of the noise I looked at in a few of the sky areas in the gallery image(s), looks in the ballpark of my DSL (albeit, it's an aging Canon 10D, though the iPhone lenses would be hard pressed to be in the same league as Canon glass). It took quite a few years to get here, but to me, that makes the effort even more impressive.

I'm still very impressed with my 4s, but I can't wait to pull the trigger early next Friday morning for a 5s..

 

[ABC5S]

Sure, but those who have a 5 and trash the 5S as being a "worthless update" are being very idiocentric. Obviously for those who have a 4S the 5S is a massive upgrade, and for those with a 5 who see the value it's a nice step up as well. There really isn't any reason though for people who have the 5 to trash the next generation upgrade, all that does is create hostility among those who want the 5S.

I think we are getting rants from those who have the 5 version, and not being able to upgrade to the 5S at the moment, and want to trash this new version as a means of therapy for themselves, belittling those that want it until they themselves can get it.

iPhone 5S will be a nice upgrade, with technology and speed that has yet to be demonstrated by outside testers. Give it time folks.

PS: The iphone 6 will also have the fingerprint reader and 64bit technology. what are the nay sayers going to say then ?

 

[osofast240sx]

I didn't read that anywhere. It is based on my experience with 64/32bit software on the desktop. 32bit vs 64bit windows? No noticeable difference until you require more than 4gb of ram - which is at least a couple generations away on iDevices.

This is not windows nor a desktop. And you will absolutely notice a difference while gaming. Oh and how many gigabytes of RAM does the iPhone 5 S have?

----------

That was quite the leap you made there. Do tell me how 64 bit is going to enhance your life with the 5S. Also, the fingerprint sensor has potential, but currently has a very limited application (it can basically make two specific tasks easier).

They are the two tasks that I hate most about a phone.

 

[ghoti]

As a 4's owner I am ecxited to finally have LTE, bigger screen, A7 chip, camera update, touch sensor. I do not see why the 5 users would want a 5s when its practially the same thing. I have a feeling the Iphone 6 will change cell phones forever. So 4's users are you gettting a 5S or waitng for the Iphone 6?

I'm on a 4 with Verizon. I was going to get the 5C for budgetary reasons, but I'm now pretty sure I'll go ahead and get a 5S 32gig.

 

[matttye]

I'm upgrading both my iPhone 5's to the 5s. Why? 64-bit, WAY better camera, M7 coprocessor, fingerprint reader (security FTW), etc..

Plus, I can sell my old iPhone 5 to defray the cost of the 5s.

This upgrade is a no-brainer.

64bit won't make any difference at this point.

M7 coprocessor just improves battery life and makes life easier for developers to poll sensors.

The only differences you'll notice as an end user are improved loading times, better photos and a new unlocking/authentication method.

If that's a 'no brainer' for you then go ahead, but for me that's a very minor upgrade and ill be waiting until next year.

 

[Tammster]

I am pretty lucky because I have 4 iphones on my AT&T account and only one of them (me) cares if they get the newest phone. Therefore, I can update every year. I sell my old iphone (or in this case trade my 5 for my mom's 4s) and that usually ends up completely paying for the new one (some years I make money, depending on how much effort I put into selling the old one).

So.... why wouldn't I upgrade???

 

[osofast240sx]

64bit won't make any difference at this point.

M7 coprocessor just improves battery life and makes life easier for developers to poll sensors.

The only differences you'll notice as an end user are improved loading times, better photos and a new unlocking/authentication method.

If that's a 'no brainer' for you then go ahead, but for me that's a very minor upgrade and ill be waiting until next year.

So your post is very contradictory. First you say it will make no difference then you state the improvements. Even the keynote demonstrated the improvements with infinity blade three.

 

[matttye]

So your post is very contradictory. First you say it will make no difference then you state the improvements. Even the keynote demonstrated the improvements with infinity blade three.

The processor is twice as fast. It's not the fact that it's a 64bit processor that improves it, it's the other improvements to the architecture / clock speed that make it twice as fast.

So my post is not contradictory at all.

 

[BMcCoy]

Surely the viewpoint of value in upgrading is entirely dependant on a personal situation, as much as it is in the product itself?

A. If you're in the market to upgrade (end of contract, still on a 3GS/4/4S, have loadsamoney) then you'll see the strengths in the 5C and 5S phones, love the designs and the specs, etc.

B. If you're not wanting or able to upgrade (middle of contract on a 5, just got a 5, are skint) then you'll see the 5S/5C as a poor upgrade, with minimal benefits.

This is confirmation bias at work - the instinct to find evidence that supports your view, and exclude evidence that contradicts it.

There are some agreed truths...

- There is a strong desire to feel you have the latest or premium of Apple's products. [Hence the hate when the iPad 3 was quickly updated to the 4. The 3 still worked just the same, but the owners of the 3 lost that sense of owning the latest product.]

- The repeated comments about the 'S' cycle being only minor upgrades is of course nonsense. The greatest processor and graphics speed upratings have come with S models. Each S model has also had a camera improvement. And not just these number specs.. each S model has brought a significant feature. It's not the cosmetic redesign of the non-S models, admittedly, but not insignificant either.

- Everyone wants different things out of a phone. Some want features. Some want certain sizes. And some just want a phone! But what's right for one, is not right for another..

=> So, I would conclude that the 'S' iPhones are not "minor updates". I would conclude that how you perceive the latest iPhone will be influenced by what you currently own, what you would like to own, and what your financial situation is regarding being able to buy a new phone.

 

[bradl]

Never said anything about the 4gb limit to you. I'm fully aware that 64 bit removes that, see post 68.

This is the specific line that I have issue with - which happens to be your major point.


Moving to 64bit does not in any way allow for this. Like I said before, if this was possible, it would have been already done with 32bit apps, as 64bit operating systems can run 32bit apps all day.

The problem is that iOS is ARM and OS X is x86. It is impossible to run the same native code when you have different architectures - hence the need for a VM as mentioned in your 2nd link. Needing a VM is exactly the opposite of having "compatibility and portability from desktop to mobile."

BTW iOS apps are already run in OS X with the use of an VM.

Remember these, posted here earlier this year?


[url=https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1484134/[/url]
[url=https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1484645/[/url]

With these 3 rumours, posted on this very site, you may want to keep a closer eye on what Apple does for its Mac line.

BL.

 

[user-name-here]

Surely the viewpoint of value in upgrading is entirely dependant on a personal situation, as much as it is in the product itself?

A. If you're in the market to upgrade (end of contract, still on a 3GS/4/4S, have loadsamoney) then you'll see the strengths in the 5C and 5S phones, love the designs and the specs, etc.

B. If you're not wanting or able to upgrade (middle of contract on a 5, just got a 5, are skint) then you'll see the 5S/5C as a poor upgrade, with minimal benefits.

This is confirmation bias at work - the instinct to find evidence that supports your view, and exclude evidence that contradicts it.

There are some agreed truths...

- There is a strong desire to feel you have the latest or premium of Apple's products. [Hence the hate when the iPad 3 was quickly updated to the 4. The 3 still worked just the same, but the owners of the 3 lost that sense of owning the latest product.]

- The repeated comments about the 'S' cycle being only minor upgrades is of course nonsense. The greatest processor and graphics speed upratings have come with S models. Each S model has also had a camera improvement. And not just these number specs.. each S model has brought a significant feature. It's not the cosmetic redesign of the non-S models, admittedly, but not insignificant either.

- Everyone wants different things out of a phone. Some want features. Some want certain sizes. And some just want a phone! But what's right for one, is not right for another..

=> So, I would conclude that the 'S' iPhones are not "minor updates". I would conclude that how you perceive the latest iPhone will be influenced by what you currently own, what you would like to own, and what your financial situation is regarding being able to buy a new phone.

BMcCoy, do you think you could start a new thread with this post? It has a lot of great information and deserves its own thread

 

[darster]

These threads make me laugh. So called experts telling me I should not update.

 

[Gav2k]

I like the s cycle and I pay unlocked sim free price.

Reason being the s sycle has always been the refined model I did go iPhone, 3G, 3GS,4 then 4s. Didn't like the 5 but the 5s seems to be what the 5 should have been. But I have always been happier with the s models.

 

[GoSh4rks]

This is not windows nor a desktop. And you will absolutely notice a difference while gaming. Oh and how many gigabytes of RAM does the iPhone 5 S have?

Being ARM, x86, Windows or a desktop has nothing to do with the fundamentals of how 32/64bit affects performance.

Don't confuse the change to 64 bit with a change in the actual speed of the CPU/GPU.

Considering that the iPhone 5 has 1gb of RAM, it would be a stretch to assume that the 5s has anything more than 2gb.

----------

Remember these, posted here earlier this year?


[url=https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1484134/[/url]
[url=https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1484645/[/url]

With these 3 rumours, posted on this very site, you may want to keep a closer eye on what Apple does for its Mac line.

BL.

ARM is so far behind x86 in performance that it is highly unlikely without an entirely new product line. It is inconceivable that ARM will displace x86 on a MB, MBP, MP due to the lack of performance.

 

[TallManNY]

I'm quite sure developers have no access to the fingerprint sensor - no API or anything. So any expansion near hand would be all of Apple's doing.

Yeah, but Apple is probably going to try to make this sensor your unlock feature for every website through a password manager, right?

And do you think this is just going to be on the iPhone? Couldn't they add it to their Macs? Maybe it would be harder to make it secure in that setting. And I guess most folks don't passcode lock their home computer.

 

[mobiletech]

This IMHO is the biggest update since the iPhone 4.

Apple works like this # models such as the 3G, 4, and 5. They take the parts from the last S model and shove it in a smaller space. S model is fastest parts that can fit in the design.

In terms of performance the difference between the 3GS to 4 and the 4GS to the 5 is almost negligible. Camera upgrades are usually programming gimmicks HDR, Panorama.

The only reason I'm not trading in my iPhone 5 is because the iPhone + is set to be released with the 6. That and it will be the first year using apples completely custom 64 chip mated to LTE-A.

Then again if my 5 has less battery on ios7, I will upgrade to make sure my phone lasts to me leaving work. Currently it barely makes it.

 

[Slicktype]

No need to wait for the 6 as I have waited this long. A significant upgrade from my 4s and I have no hesitations what's so ever buying the 5s. BUT ", this doesn't mean that the 6 will not be an improvement in the 5s. It obviously will be !, but why wait ?. I have no idea why some ppl decide to hold on to their old model device as a way to hold off for the latest and greatest ? (Suggestions are welcomed). If you are into gadgets and like to be informed and are wanting the latest and greatest, you will be upgrading on every iphone cycle no matter what !. There are some that will and ppl that won't. Ironically I have not but I have with other gadgets. I love technology and I would not hesitate on purchasing an upgraded model of a certain product if I had the means. I guess this is somewhat my hobby :-x. I love new toys and always content with what I have (until a newer model is released ). But yeah, I will be super excited yo get my sticky hands on the 5s just as excited as I will be for the 6, 6s, 7,7s 8, 8s etc ...

 

[Ungibbed]

As a 4's owner I am ecxited to finally have LTE, bigger screen, A7 chip, camera update, touch sensor. I do not see why the 5 users would want a 5s when its practially the same thing. I have a feeling the Iphone 6 will change cell phones forever. So 4's users are you gettting a 5S or waitng for the Iphone 6?

The iPhone 4S was a pretty large bump ahead in hardware over the iPhone 4.

With the S benefits the iPhone 4 series gained...

Improved antenna design for GSM devices and newer radio with faster transmission rates Rx/Tx
Bluetooth 4.0 (updated from 2.x)
Rear camera bumped to 8MP from 5MP (slight upgrade on the front face to 0.9MP)
Major upgrade for the GPU from a MBX to a dual core SGX series chip which is still the same part used in the iPad 2 and much newer iPad Mini.

Some S updates feel like how the product should have first been released but if it wasn't for that, sales would slide.

As for me upgrading from my iPhone 5, I don't see much a need unless I was a hardcore mobile gamer (does such a thing exist?). I will wait for 6 or 6S and hopefully Apple will adopt a HD standard resolution in the displays by then. Or a possible larger model for those with large hands. Holding my iPhone sideways works in ways but with the keyboard up, the visible content of the display is almost completely obscured by the keyboard itself.