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Apple launched the iPhone 5s in India back in November 2013.
By Mihir Patkar / 20 Dec 2015 , 12:04
Apple launched the iPhone 5s in India back in November 2013. Two years later, its price has now dropped significantly. for the 16GB version, does the iPhone 5s still make a good deal?
Of course, it鈥檚 not the latest and greatest version Apple鈥檚 smartphone. We鈥檝e already seen four new ones since, the iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s and the 6s Plus. At a time when smartphones become irrelevant and outdated quickly, should you be spending money on a two-year-old device?
The best small size phone deal
Right now, if you鈥檙e considering an Android smartphone, you have two options: a small-sized handset that doesn鈥檛 perform very well, or a large-sized handset with all the bells and whistles. Seriously, it鈥檚 ridiculously difficult to get a small Android smartphone that will give you a great camera, excellent battery life, lag-free performance, and a vibrant high-def screen.
Image: Karlis Dambrans / Flickr
In that aspect, the iPhone 5s is a clear winner. The 4-inch screen and overall thin profile makes this phone eminently pocketable. You鈥檒l never feel like you need two hands to use it, although you can if you want to. And it鈥檚 all packaged in Apple鈥檚 incredible design and best-in-class materials, so it feels like a premium smartphone.
The best Android comparison in this size and price range is the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact. Now, that鈥檚 a really good phone, but let鈥檚 not kid ourselves, it can鈥檛 match up to the iPhone 5s on multiple fronts: camera, battery life, and performance.
With the iPhone 5s, we鈥檙e talking about hardware that simply isn鈥檛 available in any similar-sized Android smartphone in this price range. The 5s has a fingerprint sensor, one of the best cameras out there, and easily lasts all day, especially with iOS 9鈥檚 battery-saving features.
Will it get updates and support new apps?
And that鈥檚 the other thing: it has iOS 9 and is compatible with most apps. As , Apple鈥檚 phones support software updates for much longer than Android phones. Even the geriatric iPhone 4s has got iOS 9, so you can expect OS updates for some time given the better hardware on the iPhone 5s.
Image: Kelvinsong / Wikimedia
The iPhone 5s rocks Apple鈥檚 A7 chip, which is not only powerful enough for most regular uses but also supports a wider variety of apps than what you鈥檒l find on the iPhone 5. The benefit of the A7 chip is that it鈥檚 64-bit. As iOS progresses, developers are making apps for 64-bit processors, used in all devices from the iPhone 5s onwards. We鈥檝e already come across a few games that don鈥檛 support iPhone 5 because of the older 32-bit processor, but are compatible with 64-bit processors; so again, in terms of future compatibility, you鈥檙e more likely to be served well with the iPhone 5s.
When it comes to software updates and app support, the Android ecosystem is a joke compared to iOS, so let鈥檚 not even get into that debate. You鈥檒l be lucky if any non-flagship phone you buy is supported beyond 18 months, given that鈥檚 even Google鈥檚 official limit on its Nexus phones.
What are your compromises and limitations?
This isn鈥檛 to say that the iPhone 5s is a perfect phone experience. You鈥檒l have to be ready for a few compromises. While it鈥檚 smooth and functionality, the 5s isn鈥檛 as fast and zippy as the iPhone 6s. The biggest bottleneck you鈥檒l find is in the RAM, which can prove to be insufficient if you鈥檙e a power user, especially while browsing several tabs or if you are doing something while having multiple Facebook Messenger conversations (that app really eats up your available resources!).
Image: Karlis Dambrans / Flickr
You鈥檒l also miss out on some new technologies that could change how iOS apps are designed. For example, pressure-sensitive 3D Touch is available on the 6s, but you won鈥檛 get it on the 5s.
The ecosystem of accessories is also going to dwindle as you go forward. Apple has now decided that 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch are the two new device sizes they want to support, so third-party accessory makers will concentrate on making cases, speaker docks, and other devices for those sizes; not on the now-defunct 4-inch size.
Also, remember that the 21,000-rupee-deal is on the base 16GB model. As many have pointed out, that might become too little space very soon, if you don鈥檛 back up and clean your drive, or if you install a truckload of games.
A good thing in a small package
Despite these drawbacks, if you want to buy a small-sized smartphone, then the iPhone 5s is the most sensible deal right now. Its excellent performance on all parameters and long-term software support make it a clear winner in this size.
It鈥檚 difficult, almost impossible, to get a premium smartphone experience in a small-sized handset anymore. Both Android and iOS have pretty much ditched anything close to a 4-inch screen, so this is your best bet to get a great experience in a single hand. With the price cut, even more so!
Heck, even if we were to expand the price range to include all phones in this size, you can鈥檛 find a better value-for-money proposition right now.
What if I don鈥檛 want a small size phone?
If the small size isn鈥檛 the factor that鈥檚 of prime importance to you, then forget about the iPhone 5s. There are plenty of other phones in this price range that are a better deal. The secondary appeal of the iPhone 5s is in its size. What鈥檚 the primary appeal, you ask? Well, it鈥檚 an iPhone.
Tags: 3D Touch, Apple, Apple iPhone, iPhone, iPhone 5S, iphone 5s price cut, iPhone price cut, Sony Xperia Z1 Compact