iphone5s
Latest
DPReview takes a detailed look at the iPhone 5s camera
DPReview is well-known for its exhaustive camera reviews that analyze both the hardware and the resulting images produced by that hardware. Beside traditional point-and-shoots and DSLRs, DPReview also examines smartphone cameras with the same amount of detail it uses with its traditional camera reviews. The photography review site recently turned its attention towards the iPhone 5s in a 10-page review that features 78 sample images. Not surprisingly, the reviewers found the iPhone 5s to be a very capable camera in the smartphone category. DPReview concludes, The iPhone 5s features a very good camera that's easy to use and delivers strong results with little user intervention. It's a logical extension of the Apple design philosophy, with evolutionary performance increases and feature extensions. iPhone photographers looking to trade up will find much to like in the 5s, but it's not likely to lure users who prefer larger screens or are committed to other mobile operating systems. You can read the entire review on DPReview's website. [Via The Loop; Image from DPReview]
Easy way to check iPhone 5s in-store availability near you
If you are in the USA and trying to buy an iPhone 5s, head over to http://iphone-check.herokuapp.com/, enter your zip code, cellphone carrier and pick a color, and then it will show you availability at Apple Stores "near you." I used the site to find a Verizon, 16 GB, Space Gray iPhone 5s in my area. I placed an order for in-store pickup, and about two hours later I was walking out of the Apple Store with a new iPhone. Two caveats: First, "near you" is a relative term. The site seems to always show 20 Apple Stores, but some of them might be quite a distance from you. For me, the last store on the list was about 350 miles (and nearly a six-hour drive) away. Each result is linked to an Apple Retail Store, so if you aren't sure where it is, click on it to get the address. Second, availability can change fast. My local Apple Retail Store said that they were only filling orders through http://store.apple.com, which had been designated as "in-store pickup." The good news is that I knew I had an iPhone waiting for me before I got into the car. I definitely recommend using that method rather than driving to the store and hoping that they still have what you want in stock.
Apple iPhone 5s and 5c now at Virgin Mobile for $100 below retail
You knew this day would come, Virgin Mobile fans, and now the highly sought after iPhone 5s and the iPhone 5c are available for purchase at Virgin Mobile. Better yet, you're in for a rather nice discount, as Sprint's prepaid subsidiary is selling each of the phones outright for $100 less than you'd pay elsewhere. This puts the 16GB iPhone 5s at $550 and the 16GB iPhone 5c at $450. Each of these phones should be available for purchase either online or in a retail setting, but if you want to score an iPhone with larger storage (either 32GB or 64GB), you'll need to direct your browser to Virgin's website. With its surprisingly low pricing, perhaps Virgin Mobile is retraining its brain as well.
Daily iPhone App: Argus fitness app uses the M7 to track your steps
The iPhone 5s and its M7 motion coprocessor are opening the doors to a new wave of fitness apps that take advantage of the low-power motion processing available with the motion chip. One of the first apps to use the data from the M7 is the Argus - Motion and Fitness Tracker from Azumio. The big draw of Argus for many people will be the step tracking, which is pulled from the M7 on the iPhone 5s and from GPS with older devices. I've tested the Argus step data on the iPhone 5s, and it compares favorably with the data from the Fitbit Flex -- with one caveat. For the step tracking on the iPhone to be accurate, you have to always have your phone on your person, which can be a big problem for some folks. Besides steps, Argus also tracks your weight, workouts, water consumption, coffee consumption, sleep and more. If there is a parameter that is now shown, you can search for it and add it to your profile. I do a lot of kayaking, so it was very convenient to find that rowing was included in the database, even if it wasn't on the main screen. The app is designed to automate your data collection by tying into your Withings scale and other apps that monitor your sleep, heart rate and so on. You can also enter in your data manually, As you enter data, you can view all your stats at once in a timeline view that has a honeycomb layout. There is also a "Trends" option in the settings that allow you to view any two items that you track. You can compare your steps with your weight or your cups of coffee with your sleep duration, for example. You can also view the history of an individual item by tapping on it in the Timeline view. Argus manages to pack a lot of information into the app, but you have to get accustomed to the UI before you can take advantage of the data that is being stored. I am used to the Jawbone Up and the Fitbit Flex and prefer those apps to Argus. If you've never used a fitness tracker, though, you may be able to jump right into Argus without a second thought. Regardless, it's worth a look for iPhone 5s owners who want to use the M7 to track their steps and overall fitness. Argus is available from the iOS App store for free.
Gold iPhone stickers a hit in China following iPhone 5s release
Ahead of Apple's official iPhone 5s announcement, rumors circulated that Apple, for the first time, was going to introduce a gold-colored iPhone. Naturally, the reaction was somewhat muted as folks envisioned an over-the-top and gaudy-looking iPhone being introduced into the mix. In truth, the gold-colored iPhone 5s is an elegant-looking device that actually looks much better in person than online photos would otherwise portray. Since first going on sale, Apple's gold-colored iPhone 5s has been in extremely short supply. What's more, demand for the gold-colored addition to Apple's iPhone lineup has been so great that Apple reportedly asked suppliers to increase production by 33 percent. Not everyone, however, is content to wait for iPhone 5s supply to firm up. Of course, many folks who own the iPhone 5 aren't planning to upgrade to the 5s regardless of availability. That being the case, the Wall Street Journal reports that vendors in China are capitalizing on the popularity of the gold-colored iPhone by offering gold stickers users can affix to the backside of their iPhones. Thousands of the stickers have been sold through stores on taobao.com in less than a month, reflecting strong demand for the golden device in China. While most of the consumer reviews for the stickers are positive, some users complained about discrepancies in color and size. In China, the color gold symbolizes wealth, and Chinese view the metal as a valuable asset to hold. That explains why Chinese consumers are so passionate about the gold-colored iPhone 5S. Chinese media have called the new iPhone color "Tuhao Jin" or "local tyrant's gold", referring to the phone as a new status symbol. It's not the worst business idea I've seen, but don't expect to find these stickers showing up at your local Apple retail store anytime soon, if ever.
Leak hints at iPhone 5c and 5s variants for Boost Mobile
Apple offers iPhones through both large and small US carriers these days, but it has so far given Boost Mobile the cold shoulder. That may soon change, however -- @evleaks has just leaked ads hinting that Boost will get the iPhone 5c and 5s in the near future. While the images don't reveal any launch dates or pricing, they suggest that both smartphones will be eligible for the provider's "shrinking" unlimited rates. The expansion isn't all that crucial given the upcoming 5c and 5s launches through Virgin Mobile, but it doesn't hurt to have another option for low-cost iPhone service.
In-store pickup option for the iPhone 5s returns
On account of limited supply, or perhaps unprecedented demand, Apple's flagship iPhone 5s has been tough to come by. Of course, Apple has likely shipped millions of iPhone 5s units at this point, but walking into an Apple Store and picking up the exact iPhone 5s model you want still requires some patience. As a quick example, while visiting an Apple Store in Chicago last Thursday, I was told that the only iPhone 5s model in stock was a 64 GB Space Gray model for AT&T. All that said, Apple today brought back its in-store pickup option for the iPhone 5s. In short, folks can now purchase an iPhone 5s online and walk into a nearby Apple retail store to pick it up -- assuming of course that the desired model is in stock. Apple had previously removed the in-store pickup option six days ago, noting that interested buyers would have complete purchases in-store. Keep in mind that many iPhone 5s models remain unavailable, but the return of in-store pickup may indicate that supply may soon be aligned with demand. An employee at the Apple Store I visited told me that they receive new iPhone 5s shipments every day, but they don't know which models they get until the package arrives. Point being, if you're still on the hunt for an iPhone 5s, keep a daily eye on Apple's online store.
This week on gdgt: Apple's new iPhones, Loewe's Speaker 2go and Steam Machines
Each week, our friends at gdgt go through the latest gadgets and score them to help you decide which ones to buy. Here are some of their most recent picks. Want more? Visit gdgt anytime to catch up on the latest, and subscribe to gdgt's newsletter to get a weekly roundup in your inbox.
Analysts, pundits try to downplay Apple's record iPhone launch weekend
Last weekend, Apple sold nine million new iPhones, blowing away analyst expectations and setting a launch weekend record in the process. In fact, the nine million tally nearly doubles Apple's previous iPhone launch record. Suffice it to say, the iPhone 5s and 5c are bonafide hits and, once again, Apple is struggling to manufacture iPhones fast enough to meet demand. Considering that many pundits and analysts recently expressed supreme confidence that Apple had peaked and was prepped for a decline, that's not too shabby. Now you would assume that even Apple's most vehement critics wouldn't be so bold as to turn a blind eye to nine million units sold in just three days, right? And yet, as sure as the sun rises in the east, pundits from two mainstream publications attempted to turn Apple's overwhelmingly successful iPhone 5s and 5c launch into cause for concern. First up, we have Sandy Cannold from ABC News whose article headline itself suffers from a dearth of logic; "Why Record iPhone Sales Might be Rotten for Apple", the headline reads. There's a pun in there, I guess that's gotta count for something, right? Cannold's article reads in part: To me though, all this over-the-top fanfare and even the record-breaking first weekend of sales could actually be cause for concern... I fully concede that Apple is going to make billions in profit from the sale of these new devices and the company is in no danger of becoming Blackberry or Nokia. But the reason I am voicing a bit of doubt is that it seems like Apple is now trying to squeeze every last bit of profit it can out of an aging, shall we call it, iStone. Let's face it this new iPhone is just an upgrade, a refresh, dare I say a sequel. I am sure that true tech devotees will tell me how wrong I am, that this new device is smarter, faster, revolutionary, etc. But to me and millions like me it seems a lot more evolutionary. It looks a whole lot like the last iPhone and the one before that and the one before that too. The "evolutionary but not revolutionary" theme is often trotted out by folks who fail to realize that revolution is often the amalgamation of many smaller evolutionary improvements. As for Apple attempting to squeeze "every last bit of profit out of an aging" device, Cannold has it backwards. Apple is impressively able to increase its profits, year after year, by putting out devices that continuously set a new bar for excellence while making the majority of existing devices seem woefully outdated. Cannold also writes that "this is no longer the Apple of Steve Jobs" insofar as Apple under Tim Cook hasn't upended an industry lately. "I firmly believe that Steve Jobs," Cannold continues, "wouldn't have been satisfied to only pocket billions upon billions on tweaked products alone." First, it might be instructive to look back at Apple's iPod years. On that note, Harry McCracken of TIME recently penned a piece highlighting "The Myth of Steve Jobs' Constant Breakthroughs." Second, to call the iPhone 5s, sporting iOS 7 along with a number of hardware enhancements a slight tweak misses a larger point -- namely that the device's 64-bit processor and Touch ID software could be setting the stage for something larger. Also downplaying Apple's impressive iPhone launch was Rolfe Winkler of The Wall Street Journal who wrote the following earlier this week. Investors should be careful, though, not to extrapolate opening-weekend sales strength to future growth rates. For starters, Apple is including two "new" iPhone models in its opening-weekend sales figures for the first time. Last year, customers who opted for a new iPhone 4S, a model first released the prior year, weren't counted in the company's opening-weekend tally. This is despite the fact that it was sold for similar terms as this year's 5c, which is included. This is true, but hardly cause for concern. The fact that Apple released two new iPhone models and was able to spur demand should be looked at as a positive. The iPhone 5c may be a repackaged iPhone 5, but it's effectively being touted and viewed as a new, fresh, and affordable alternative to the iPhone 5s. As for the iPhone 4s not being included in last year's iPhone 5 launch numbers, that's a valid point, but lets try and guesstimate how many iPhones Apple might otherwise sell on any given weekend. Now Apple doesn't release sales figures on a device-by-device basis, so let's start by taking look at sales figures from one of Apple's recent quarters, say, Apple's most recent holiday quarter covering a 13-week period ending on December 29, 2012. During that quarter, Apple sold a record 47.8 million iPhones. Dividing that by 91 days (13 weeks) yields approximately 525,000 iPhones sold per day, or 1.57 million units over a three-day period. That being the case, even if we look at Apple's most successful iPhone quarter in history and subtract an average three day iPhone haul from the nine million total, we're still left with an impressive 7.43 million units. And that's with tightened supply, no less. Returning back to the nine million unit figure, analyst Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray also tried to downplay the figure by assuming, with no evidence, that the figure included units shipped to stores but not yet sold to consumers. Munster's take on this may have to do with the fact that he anticipated weekend sales of 5-6 million units and his subsequent attempt to save face. The thing is, Apple has historically only counted sales to end users. To that end, Fortune's Philip Elmer-DeWitt relays that Goldman Sachs analyst Bill Shope pointed out that Apple this year "used the same sales recognition rules it has always used." What's more, some have scoffed at the increase in iPhone sales by pointing out the obvious -- namely that the iPhone was available in more countries at launch than in previous years. The thing is, that was hardly a secret and analysts presumably took that into account when tabulating their iPhone launch sales estimates. Elmer-DeWitt also relays an astute point from Matt Lew who writes that Apple's nine million figure doesn't take into account the number of iPhone devices ordered online and not yet delivered to consumers. And seeing as how iPhone shipment times were a few days at best, Apple's iPhone launch total sales -- incorporating the back-ordered phones where the customer clicked "buy" in the first three days -- may in fact be higher than the nine million figure. Elmer-DeWitt concludes with an astute point: No other smartphone manufacturer's sales figures are subjected to this kind of scrutiny. Take, for example, Samsung. You won't see analysts questioning Samsung's unit sales numbers for the Galaxy S3 or S4. Nobody writes notes to clients asking what percentage of those sales were sell-in or sell-through. Samsung doesn't get this kind of scrutiny because it doesn't tell anybody -- not analysts, not investors, not the SEC -- how many smartphones it sells. And that's what's wrong with this picture. Apple's iPhone sales aren't fluffed with "buy 1 get 1 free!" promotions, but are legit sales of two brand new devices that have received overwhelmingly positive reviews. The reality is that nine million iPhones is impressive no matter how you look at it.
Virgin Mobile teases iPhone 5s and 5c as 'coming soon,' prepaid pricing TBA
Just a few short months after Virgin Mobile's Sprint-fueled US arm listed the iPhone 5 for sale, the MVNO is teasing the smartphone's successors as "coming soon." According to the firm's homepage, both the iPhone 5s and 5c will debut for prepaid customers, though pricing and availability remain unknown. Judging by the previous-gen's starting price of $550, however, you might want to start saving up now. The iPhone 4S, meanwhile, remains on the ticket. That handset is currently listed for 15 percent off its $450 sticker price, available today for $382.49. [Thanks, Jay]
iPhone 5s and 5c shipping to regional carriers on October 1st, but not to US Cellular
When your name is on a Major League Baseball stadium, and you're a mobile operator, you carry the iPhone. Unless you're US Cellular, that is. For reasons that cannot be comprehended by mere mortals, one of the United States' largest regional carriers still isn't offering the iPhone in any variant, despite promising back in May to carry Apple products before the year's end. In fact, things have gotten so bad over at USCC that its Facebook page has gone dead silent since September 13th, with customers far and wide ranting in the comments section about the carrier's inability to get the one phone they all want. Making matters worse for USCC is the fact that Appalachian Wireless, C Spire, Bluegrass Cellular, Cellcom, GCI, MTA, Nex-Tech Wireless, Ntelos and Strata are all lined up to start selling both the iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s on October 1st. We suppose even more could be added as time rolls on and the supply / demand balance rights itself, but it's probably high time for US Cellular holdouts to head on over to a rival. Patience only gets you so far, you know?
Strava Run fitness app is first app to use iPhone 5s' M7 motion coprocessor
The first app to take advantage of Apple's new M7 motion coprocessor has been released, and it's Strava Run. The app, like many other fitness running apps, allows you to track your distance, speed and numerous other variables of your run. What makes it unique for now, however, is the fact that it pulls data from the M7 in addition to GPS. From its version 3.5.3 release notes: We've taken advantage of the M7 coprocessor in the iPhone 5S to make some big improvements for runners: • Auto-pause: Get better accuracy in your pace and feedback. Your run will now automatically be paused when you stop moving. • Run longer: Reduced battery consumption means you can spend more time on the roads and trails. Updated for iOS 7. The M7 chip is a companion chip to the A7 found in the iPhone 5s. It allows much of the motion data work from the accelerometer, gyroscope and compass to be offloaded from the A7 to the M7, resulting in better battery performance. It's also much better adapted to measuring types of movement, such as whether you are walking, running, on a bicycle or in a car. Strava Run is a free download.
Photographer Dean Holland of Take Better Photos reviews the iPhone 5s camera
Over the past few years, Apple has devoted a lot of time and attention toward improving the camera on the iPhone. Indeed, one only needs to take a look at this great commercial to see the immense pride Apple takes in churning out iPhone cameras that consumers absolutely love to use. With the iPhone 5s, Apple has really upped the ante, introducing a number of new software enhancements and hardware improvements that, together, make the 5s a compelling device for mobile photography enthusiasts. As is often the case when any new camera-based phone hits the market, an frequently asked question is: How does the device perform from the vantage point of a photography professional? To help answer that question, Dean Holland of TakeBetterPhotos.com recently penned a detailed review of the iPhone 5s camera. Holland acknowledges that he began his review with a skeptical eye, but was soon won over by the iPhone 5s' snappy performance. Compared to the iPhone 5, the camera on the 5s flies. The new burst mode discreetly shoots 10 full-quality pictures per second for 100 seconds, and it works very well. Too well. If you pick up the phone the wrong way, you can take 999 photos before you know what's happened. I did. That's not to say the iPhone 5s is an adequate replacement for a standalone point-and-shoot. As part of his review, Holland compared iPhone 5s shots against photos taken with the iPhone 5, the Samsung Galaxy S 4 and a Panasonic LX5 point-and-shoot released in 2010. Holland found that the Panasonic still reigned supreme, if only by an arguably small margin. If you're a serious photography-head, the entire review is worth a read. While Holland, overall, likes many of the improvements on the iPhone 5s, he still believes there's room for improvement (i.e., focusing issues, no zoom, battery life). Holland adds: If getting the best technical quality and detail is important to you, none of the improvements in the iPhone 5s is likely to appeal. Picture quality in good light hasn't improved compared to the iPhone 5 -- arguably it's deteriorated a little. Picture quality in poor light has improved considerably, but is still far short of both the quality and usability of a dedicated camera for night photography. Holland's concluding remarks, however, help to illustrate why the iPhone camera is the most popular one around. It's just so darn fun and easy to use. Looked at from a technical perspective, the iPhone 5s camera is another casual step forward for iPhones. And with the exception of the clever flash system, most of the photographic improvements seem to come from its processor, rather than from revolutionary hardware. The biggest change lies in the extra speed and flexibility. But I'd argue that technical innovation is not what this phone is about. I've found the iPhone 5s to be the most fun iPhone camera to date. Instead of extra pixels, I'm enjoying the speed, performance and the new party tricks of burst shooting, slow-motion video and easier, better low-light shooting. It's the most 'invisible' of the phones, as it just gets out of your way, so you can enjoy what you're doing. If you like shooting on smartphones, I'd recommend that you give it a try. And speaking of slow-motion video, yesterday we highlighted how creative and funky slow-motion videos shot with an iPhone 5s are beginning to flood YouTube. I can only imagine that this trend will increase tremendously in the weeks and months to come. And while some videophiles might rightfully gripe that slo-mo on the iPhone 5s isn't slow enough to be to their liking, the easy-to-use software lets folks who would never otherwise even touch a video-editing program shoot slow-mo video with ease.
Strava Run fitness app taps iPhone 5s motion co-processor for longer battery life
If you were placing bets on when the first app using the iPhone 5S' M7 motion co-processor would arrive, it's time to cash in. Strava Run, the fitness application that lets you score your suffering (no, really), was recently updated to include auto-pause that relies on Apple's new silicon, allowing a time-out on your activity when it senses you aren't moving. The application also uses less juice now, which should make your iPhone a little more prepared for a marathon. You, on the other hand, may need to recharge somewhere during those 26.2 miles.
Some amazing slow-mo videos shot with the iPhone 5s
The camera software in iOS 7 coupled with the iPhone 5s hardware really goes a long ways toward making even the most amateur photographer / videographer seem like a pro. The slo-mo video feature available with the iPhone 5s is a perfect representation of this. CNET today put together a list of some of the best iPhone 5s slow-motion videos to hit the web. I've since augmented that list with some YouTube searching of my own and it's clear that people are going to be having a whole lot of fun with this feature. So without further ado, below are some of the more interesting, cute and funny iPhone 5s slo-mo clips to surface thus far. Now THIS is how you make a slow-mo video. Jumping on a trampoline has never seemed so easy. Here's a cool shot of a plane flying in for a landing. And some cool BMX trickery, similar to what Apple showed off during its iPhone media event. And some people? Well, some people just have skills. You can't get skills, however, without a whole lot of practice. This squirrel seems to be living the good life. And finally, this cat is the Dikembe Mutombo and Michael Jordan of the animal world all rolled up into one. If there are any slo-mo videos that we missed, please drop 'em in the comments below.
Chipworks analysis of iPhone 5s A7 and M7 chips highlights Apple's design evolution
iFixit tore down the iPhone 5s last week and gave us a peek at the innards of Apple's new phone. Chipworks has taken that analysis a step further with a detailed look at the chips that power the device. Starting with the A7, Chipworks has confirmed that the A7 is manufactured by Samsung using the same 28nm High-K Metal Gate (HKMG) process the Korean company uses for its new Exynos 5410 processor. It's slightly smaller than the A6 (77 percent the size), but provides the equivalent functionality of the previous-generation chip. The M7 turns out to be an interesting component with a three-axis accelerometer, a three-axis gyroscope and a three-axis electronic compass IC. It's manufactured by NXP and sports a Cortex-M3 microcontroller. The part number for the component (LPC18A1) didn't match any on NXP's website, which leads Chipworks to believe the M7 is likely a custom chip built by NXP to Apple's specifications. Other hardware includes a WiFi module with IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 + HS and an integrated FM radio receiver. Rather than go with a newer Broadcom chip that offers 802.11ac, Apple opted use a WiFi module that is similar to the one in the iPhone 5. There's also a Qualcomm 4G LTE modem with a Samsung LTE baseband processor and some Samsung DRAM to store the carrier information. The eight-megapixel camera module has been tentatively identified as a Sony Exmor-RS sensor, but the exact details are not yet known. [Via Electronista and MacRumors]
78% of new iPhones sold globally are iPhone 5s models
For all of the publicity that swirled around the less expensive and more colorful iPhone 5c, the reality is that the new iPhone 5s is the top dog in worldwide sales. That's the report from Localytics, a firm that analyzes mobile stats. In the data analysis that started Friday and ended yesterday, Localytics saw that despite some expectation that the iPhone 5c would fit perfectly with Chinese consumers, the fact is that 91 percent of iPhone sales there were for the more expensive iPhone 5s. Numbers were pretty similar around the world, with the UK having the lowest ratio of iPhone 5s to iPhone 5c sales, with "only" 69 percent of new iPhone sales being for the 5s. Here in the US, 76 percent of new iPhone sales were for the 5s. One possible explanation is the sale of the gold-colored iPhone 5s. The gold color has been a terrific seller in China and the rest of Asia, while black or white phones are less popular. Globally, the iPhone 5s accounted for 78 percent of new iPhones purchased. The US has the highest concentration of new iPhone sales, with 68 percent of iPhone 5s and 5c devices. Japan is next with 13 percent. Sales of both new iPhones were robust, to say the least, with Apple selling 9 million over the weekend.
These $14.5k gold earbuds will go great with your gold iPhone 5s
So you stood outside all night to be the first person in line at your local Apple Store just to get your hands on a gold iPhone 5s. Or maybe you dropped upwards of a thousand dollars on eBay because you couldn't track down a gilded Apple smartphone yourself. Either way, these 18-carat gold earbuds are the perfect accessory -- as long as you have a cool US$14,500 to spare. The earphones -- which go by the name of Happy Plugs -- are crafted in Sweden and feature a whopping 25 grams of gold per earbud. And hey, they even look like the original Apple earbuds you probably already have a few pairs of. Just make sure such an opulent purchase won't prevent you from paying the rent.
Daily Update for September 24, 2013
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Gazelle saw 210% more Samsung trade-ins during iPhone 5s launch weekend
Apple experienced a record sales weekend for the launch of the iPhone 5s and 5c, so this news probably isn't surprising. Consumer electronics recycler Gazelle saw a lot of action during the same time, with almost four times as many trade-ins on launch day compared to that same time frame during the iPhone 5 launch last year. It might be a number of Samsung smartphone owners jumping ship to the new iPhones, as Gazelle reported a 210 percent jump in trade-ins of Samsung phones during the launch weekend. During launch day on September 20, Gazelle made five offers per second between 10 and 11 AM ET. That's a whopping 18,000 people in that hour who decided to trade in their existing phone for cash to use on a new iPhone. The company also reported that the average value per trade-in is US$50 higher this year than last year. Gazelle also surveyed more than 3,000 consumers about the new iPhones, asking questions to determine why people considered an upgrade to the new Apple smartphones. It found that 36 percent of those who said they were upgrading to the iPhone 5s said they were getting it because they were due for an upgrade, and only 16 percent said they were upgrading for the Touch ID fingerprint scanner. Among iPhone 5c upgraders, 29 percent said they were going to the colorful phone for the better camera, with an equal number upgrading because of a better price.
