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Wow... it is REALLY nice to use a 5S again...

Agent OrangeZ

Agent OrangeZ

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Mar 17, 2010
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Planet Earth
I had a 5S when it launched until the 6 came out. I got the 6 at launch and used it until the Galaxy S6 Edge came out.

The S6 Edge was cool to play with for a while, but the phone has big memory problems (Android 5.0.2 bug... supposedly fixed in 5.1.1)... like always have 85%-93% of the 3GB RAM being used even with all recent apps closed and running the built in "RAM cleaner."

I missed the silky smoothness of iPhone, but I already sold my iPhone 6, so I had 5S in my closet (had a warrantied replacement that I never even powered on or used). Wow... this phone still hangs tough with performance and that form factor. I hope Apple considers making 4" versions of new iPhones in the future. I had forgotten how great the one handed use really is.

I think I will use my iPhone 5S as my main phone for a while and keep the S6 Edge as a mini-Android tablet to keep around when I have a need to use something Android only (there are a few Android apps that I love that surprisingly have never come to iOS... like PicSay.... etc). I will probably root it to something custom and less bloated.... based on 5.1.1.
 
Last edited:
1080p said:
I had a 5S when it launched until the 6 came out. I got the 6 at launch and used it until the Galaxy S6 Edge came out.

The S6 Edge was cool to play with for a while, but the phone has big memory problems (Android 5.0.2 bug... supposedly fixed in 5.1.1)... like always have 85%-93% of the 3GB RAM being used even with all recent apps closed and running the built in "RAM cleaner."

I missed the silky smoothness of iPhone, but I already sold my iPhone 6, so I had 5S in my closet (had a warrantied replacement that I never even powered on of used). Wow... this phone still hangs tough with performance and that form factor. I hope Apple considers making 4" versions of new iPhones in the future. I had forgotten how great the one handed use really is.

I think I will use my iPhone 5S as my main phone for a while and keep the S6 Edge as a mini-Android tablet to keep around when I have a need to use something Android only (there are a few Android apps that I love that surprisingly have never come to iOS... like PicSay.... etc). I will probably root it to something custom and less bloated.... based on 5.1.1.
Click to expand...

Because Android sucks!!!!
 
The 5S was a stellar machine. I still enjoy mine thoroughly. Glad you're liking it too.
 
I totally understand. I bought my 5s in November of 2014, and I like it more every day that I use it. Love the build quality and seamless performance!:)
 
bmac4 said:
I have not notice that at all. I don't find stuttering to be an issue at all on my 6+.
Click to expand...

Cool. Glad your experience is good on the 6+. Mine was not. Scrolling was choppy, and animations would stutter. IMO, the iPhone experience is much better on the 5S.
 
Yeah I've stuck with my 5S since launch day back in Sept 2013 and it holds up very well. Performance wise, the 5S does seem to hold its own alongside the current 6/6+ lineup, and does so very nicely.

I will even say that the 5S holds up better at this point than the 4S was holding up at this same point during its own life cycle.

Given that Apple equipped it with 64 bit processor and Touch ID almost 2 years ago, it can perhaps be reasonably argued that the 5S is the most future proof iPhone to date.
 
Some hardware specs of iPhone 5s are similar to 6 whereas older models have much lower specs.

RAM
DDR3 1024 MB RAM iPhone 6
DDR3 1024 MB RAM iPhone 5s
DDR2 1016 MB RAM iPhone 5

Graphics processor
PowerVR G6450 iPhone 6
PowerVR G6430 iPhone 5s
PowerVR SGX543MP3 iPhone 5
 
TWD98j said:
I will even say that the 5S holds up better at this point than the 4S was holding up at this same point during its own life cycle.
Click to expand...

That's an interesting point. Both models represented an inflection point in the iPhone's evolution. The 5S is holding up very well. I do envy the 6+'s battery life, though.
 
T5BRICK said:
Android is great, Samsung ruins it with TouchWiz.

Anyway, I couldn't ever go back to something with a small screen like that.
Click to expand...

The iPhone 5 I've got is a real joy to hold, but not that great to use because the screen is too small for me.

It's a strange paradox. Love holding it, can't use it.

Loving my Galaxy S6 though.
 
bmac4 said:
I am pretty sure it's not a fact. I am not sure how you can prove that.
Click to expand...

Think about it. Get a 5S and get a 6+. Put a clean install of 8.3 onto both. Have a play. Note the results.
The 6+ is underpowered. It has the same specs as the 4.7" i6 but is pushing a much higher resolution screen and then downscaling all the time. The 5S and i6 don't have these problems as their screen resolution is native. The 5S has a processor and GPU way above the requirements of iOS8 and thus is handles it with aplomb. Even the iPhone 5 does.

----------
bmac4 said:
How in the world does the iPhone 5s run 8.3 better than the 6+? That makes no sense at all.
Click to expand...

I expect that you would also be amazed that the iPhone 5 can keep way more apps and browser tabs open than the 6+ without reloading. That's the iPhone 5, ie two generations older. As it's a 32Bit device it uses significantly less RAM than the 5S, 6 and especially 6+. Strangely all four models have the same 1GB of RAM.
 
There’s been a “pickup in demand” for the older, smaller iPhone 5S

Apple’s iPhone 5S is seeing increased demand in recent months, according to an analyst. And the phenomenon could potentially be eating into Apple’s iPhone 6 and 6 Plus sales.

Societe Generale analyst Andy Perkins told Business Insider:

There appears to have been a pick-up in demand for the older iPhone 5s model. Sales of this model increased from 10% of total units in Q1 FY15 to around 20% by Q2. This is unusual. Normally demand for older models never recovers once the new model is released … this observation remains slightly puzzling.
Notably, the 5S, an older phone with a smaller screen, sells for $100 less than the iPhone 6 and $200 less than the 6 Plus. That makes the increased interest in the 5S problematic for Apple because it makes less from the 5S. Per Business Insider:
 
I had the opposite experience.

I used the 5S and it felt like a tiny toy. I always wondered why it took so long to make bigger touch screens.

I set them side by side and scrolled around and they are identical.

My guess is the people who perceive this opinion are just reacting to the fact that its small so there is less space to move when you slide so it gives the illusion that its faster but in reality its just simply smaller and you can't see the detail.

But on the 6 Plus you can see every detail and it moves bigger and longer so maybe people don't realize that is what they are seeing and keep saying stuff like this; that its not as smooth, when its identical in touch response and behaves perfectly.

Its the same ol characters again pushing the same agenda. Lol the iPhone 6 Plus is perfectly smooth and they are the same. The 5S is actually worse because its so small you can't do much with it and typing is less comfortable and the screen is not as laminated and rich looking and the battery dies too fast. It sucks for reading or using two handed or using apps or playing games because its so tiny.
 
when i hold my wife's iPhone 5s in my hand i think this thing is small. where is my 6 plus.
 
KiXeR said:
NO Android does not suck, however Samsung and the crappy implementation aka TouchWiz suc*s elephants a*s.
Click to expand...

I had a samsung s3 between my iphone 3gs and 4. It really sucked. It really was poor, almost like an iphone but nothing 'just' worked. Of course you could do everything with it, but it was an effort. For me it felt like using Linux vs OS X (or dare I say windows).
 
Bobby Corwen said:
I had the opposite experience.

I used the 5S and it felt like a tiny toy. I always wondered why it took so long to make bigger touch screens.

I set them side by side and scrolled around and they are identical.

My guess is the people who perceive this opinion are just reacting to the fact that its small so there is less space to move when you slide so it gives the illusion that its faster but in reality its just simply smaller and you can't see the detail.

But on the 6 Plus you can see every detail and it moves bigger and longer so maybe people don't realize that is what they are seeing and keep saying stuff like this; that its not as smooth, when its identical in touch response and behaves perfectly.

Its the same ol characters again pushing the same agenda. Lol the iPhone 6 Plus is perfectly smooth and they are the same. The 5S is actually worse because its so small you can't do much with it and typing is less comfortable and the screen is not as laminated and rich looking and the battery dies too fast. It sucks for reading or using two handed or using apps or playing games because its so tiny.
Click to expand...

You are wrong of course. The stutter, lag and freezing in the UI is intermittent but it is there nonetheless. Some of it is down to iOS8 but some is also down to the 6+ hardware. It is irrefutable.

As for the 5S being too small for you, of course you think that now because you're conditioned to use the 6+. Those who haven't used a 6+ remain perfectly happy with their iPhone 5/5S.
 
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