Originally I wanted to write my opinion about the iPhone 5 but it did not feel like it was as much of an significant update as expected, and the highly anticipated features weren’t really there. Just like the 3 and 4, there is probably going to be an “s’, and with my iPhone 4 being in great shape (yet two and a half years old now), it’s on my agenda to save up money and invest in the 5s when it comes out. So I waited. And now it’s time for the iPhone 5 with the S update. Apple did that, and then some.
Apple recently introduced the new iPhone 5, and it’s not so much an update to the 5, it’s announced as the replacement for the iPhone 5. They still have the 4 in store, but only a single model, and the 5 is removed, replaced by the iPhone 5C and S. Which introduced a little bit of confusion so I kinda want to not just share my opinion about this new “s” update, but I also want to explain how I see the “c”.
The C is not 64bit, doesn’t have the M7 co-processor, nor the new camera, but it has the new iOS7 OS, the same specs as the old iPhone 5, and it comes in seamless plastic, in a variety of colours. And yeah, it feels like the C stands for Cheap, and I am sure some Windows 8 Phone users might have a bit of fun with that, but they’re kinda wrong if you ask me. The C probably stands for Colourful, but for me it stands for Children. And with that I don’t mean 8 year olds, I mean a younger generation. The iPhone 5C in my book stands for “The iPhone for the next generation that never had an iPhone before”. The ones that do like bright colours, the ones that don’t care about the silver diamond cut edges, etc. They want a phone that everybody has, yet still is unique, that their parents think is a cheaper model (ergo: affordable), and that is obviously still as good as any iPhone on the market. “The Fun Phone”. And I think the iPhone 5C is just that. Having asked around the friends and family that have or want an iPhone, they want the old industrial design with the gold or silver finish, the high tech specs, and think the plastic is just childish. Whereas the kids in school, the people that want an iPhone and never had a smart phone before, tell me that they think the white iPhone 5s is too expensive, has an old iPhone design, and the gold makes it ‘for elitists’.
The iPhone 5s is the phone I want, I am okay with others thinking that it’s the old design etc, I really like performance, great design, and it suits me more. Why? Because I had an iPhone before, I’ve seen it grow since 2007, and I rather have the newest tech in it, than a working Facebook app. I am the old generation now, but I am okay with that. I rather drink high quality tea, than a bright red/blue Red Bull. I love how the S is now 64-bit (omg, that’s so significant!) and that they’ve introduced a co-processor. This is a generation leap forward. It took decades to go from 2->4->8 bit hardware and software in the old personal computer age. And to make smaller chips, with co-processors to do extra things (very well), and then to make the step to 16 and 32 bit. And only after it all was proper 32bit, that 64bit came so much faster. Compare that against the iPhone from 2007 (32bit) -> 2013 (64bit). And now ready as a PC in your pocket, for new techs, new OS approach, new external hardware, and remote software. The child years for the smart phone are behind us (blackberry and nokia, we remember you), the teen years (iphone and android), and now the adult period already, in just a decade. Imagine if we double that going from 64bit forward, in the next 5 or 6 years. Exciting times.
I think we sometimes forget what tech there is in a computer, a serial port, a usb port, sure, .. thunderbolt now. Or that we have spinning hard drives and now flash storage. That we have a big external monitor and keyboards and mouses, etc. Multiple boxes, and perhaps a card with hdmi for the TV. Fancy.. the Iphone however has support for all that, touch screen interface, gyroscope, accelerometer, camera, gps, LTE, etc. The list seriously just goes on. I remember buying a computer for 1500 bucks (Windows workstation) and that laptops were 2500. Thankfully Dell sells crap now for under 500, and laptops around 500 (whether it’s good or not is debatable (.. it’s not)). But for less than 1000 bucks we have all that tech in our pocket, always on, always connected, with battery life (yes, everything wireless!) that’s enough for a work or school day.
And now the iPhone 5S introduces 64bit OS, finger print reader, a good quality camera and geesh, a gold coloured finish. I am okay with that. In my book they went from the 486 world to Pentium II, I can’t wait for the iPhone to be comparable to what we now have at home with multi-core CPU’s and duel video cards, etc. Sorry if what I try to say here is confusing, but I hope my point comes across.
If you never had an iPhone, or wanted the buy the iPhone 5, the iPhone 5C is just fine, it’s serious hardware, it’s not low quality plastic, it’s not the cheap phone alternative to a ‘real’ iPhone (5S), and I would personally really consider it if this Flat UI design wouldn’t be a bit of an issue for me, together with the extremely bright high contrast combination. If you want to buy your family iPhones, give everybody their own colour, and give dad the 5S.
If you already have an iPhone, and you want the new tech, and you share my opinion that the combo of flat ui and those bright colours are just a bit much. And you like to keep your phone for a bunch of years. Then just go with the 5S in any finish.
Personally I wouldn’t mind going for the 5C, but I will very likely put down the extra 100 bucks and get the 5S.