Engadget
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Engadget Review
iPhone 5s review
Summary
The iPhone 5s is an evolution of the iPhone 5, and isn't necessarily a must-have. It ushers in new technologies that will soon be standard on all of Apple's devices. While most consumers will be happy with the 5c, the 5s is better-suited for gamers and power users.
Pros
- A7 chip offers fast performance and 64-bit support
- Touch ID works as advertised
- Global LTE support
- Improved camera
Cons
- Last year's design
- Touch ID needs third-party support
Forward-thinking. It's ironic that Apple's marketing slogan for the iPhone 5s invites us to look ahead to the future when, from the outside, the device looks like a carbon copy of last year's model, the iPhone 5. But just like any other odd-year iPhone -- the "S" version, if you will -- the 5s plays the Transformers card by offering more than meets the eye, with a few key improvements on the inside.
Though it's easy to dismiss this handset as iterative, the 5s is the first smartphone with full 64-bit support and a capacitive fingerprint sensor, and it also ships with a fresh, revamped version of iOS. This might not matter to folks who were content with the status quo, but it matters a lot to Apple -- and to the company's future as well -- especially if the company wants to fend off an increasingly fierce pack of competitors. But is a "forward-thinking" phone worth the investment today?
