iPhone 5S impressions

[Grall]

Launched today in Sweden, I could just walk in and pick a silver one up in the early afternoon on launch day. No line to stand in, no sold-out-signs. Dunno if the latter is a good or a bad thing though! If I'd wanted gold, I would have had to wait, but gold is so tacky I feel. Also, scratches... Ugh!

I chose the same 16GB capacity as my iP4, which was getting rather tight under the belt as it happens, and that was probably a mistake as I nearly filled it up almost immediately. 32GB or more would have cost more and I felt too cheap, also it would have required waiting until next week and I couldn't stand that.

As a temporary measure I could delete my photoroll of course and that would free up a lot, over a gig. As it happens, I killed some stupid apps I never used and some games which were bad or boring, and now there's a bit of room to move about in, but not much more than a gig and a half, sadly. How depressing! I haven't even installed Apple's free productivity apps yet (which I don't actually need), if I did that I'd be in just as bad a shape as I was when I started I bet...

Setting up and restoring a huge icloud backup took a while over wifi, and the thing got pretty danged HOT too as it worked while charging...! I was totally not prepared for that. My iP4 only ever got slightly warm during hard useage, but nothing like this. ...Or is that really true? Maybe due to the glass backing heat got insulated from my hand? I don't know. Aluminium conducts it straight through, that's for sure.

The UI is extremely smooth and snappy. There's no jerkiness at all, anywhere, from what I can tell. It responds smoothly and swiftly to the touch. The vastly faster hardware combined with "the same" (well, slightly taller really) screen really shines when compared to the old iP4. I totally love the new graphical effects in iOS7, everything looks good on the iP4, but with the iP5S, it looks really good!

Of the apps I got access to, Maps is clearly the most demanding from a hardware point of view. Of course, its performance is dependent on a good network connection also, but when it has buffered the view around you it's a good test for screen update smoothness. The iP4 is so-so, and this phone's fairly good. Not super smooth, but considerably better. It's probably as good in 3D hybrid mode over a fully detailed city (I used Stockholm as a test) as the old iP4 is in just plain jane standard view.

Not tested the camera yet, as there's no good targets to shoot at home in my apartment. Maybe I can find a good autumn view tomorrow somewhere, if it isn't raining that is... The camera is probably the biggest reason I wanted to update my phone, so this is really making me excited. Well, LTE also I guess, although I hardly ever need to use the phone as a wireless modem. And, also, the larger screen. And faster chips inside... Faster chips are always nice. Better antennas too. "Antennagate" with iP4 never bothered me much (I guess I wasn't holding it wrong), but the improved system in newer iPs is a bonus as well of course.

Anyone else felt a compulsive need to run out and upgrade to the latest this autumn...? Curious what other people think of this fairly neat gadget.

(As an aside, my dad will get my old phone for his birthday. Too bad Maps for iP4 doesn't support Siri/GPS driving directions, not that he drives long distances much these days anyway so maybe doesn't really matter. Still, this phone is much better than the shitty feature phone he got conned into buying by some guy who phoned him from his service provider maybe a year ago, it has the absolutely worst color phone screen I've ever used: TN LCD with color/contrast shift out the wazoo, you can barely read anything if you tilt it even just slightly. He's funny that way, my old man. Smart as hell, but trusting of salespeople and has difficulties saying no to them. I think he feels it would be impolite or something... It's not the first time he's been talked into buying stuff he didn't need or even really want. Guess it's part of his generation, back then people weren't so pushy when trying to sell you things and he's not used to it...or something. *shrug*)

 

[Laa-Yosh]

My 4S can get quite hot too, not sure what I need to do to provoke it, but it happens from time to time.

iOS7 and apps sometimes freeze for a few seconds, I imagine it really needs the extra performance to work well in all cases. But I also dig the new look and features.

The larger screen on the 5 series is a mixed bag for me. Yes it's 4 inches, but all it really adds is that you can see a few extra lines of text on websites, or watch video in a slightly larger size. In terms of font size and such it's pretty much the same though.

I decided that my next phone needs to have a screen that's actually adding to the web browsing and reading experience and I think that requires something around 4.5" or so. Even though my eyesight is still quite good I find that I need to hold the phone pretty close if I want to do some browsing. My sister has a HTC Desire X and while not much bigger, the screen size already feels like an improvement.
So while I also find the new camera and related features exciting, and look forward to what the apps can do with the new motion sensor chip, I was still quite able to resist the urge to upgrade. I need a bigger screen, especially considering how much more expensive the 5S got here in my country.

Oh and I look forward to the day when someone invents a better battery. Yeah in everyday use you can always connect to a charger, but for example on bike trips, I've found that tracking our route with GPS and taking pictures at stops can easily be too much.

 

[Grall]

What app do you use for GPS tracking? I would like a nice one for when I go on walks.

I feel the current iP is fine for me, size-wise, I want my phone to easily fit in a pocket. Surfing on the go is only an occasional habit, most of the time I just keep spotify running and perhaps read a newspaper on the bus instead (cuz no matter what size of phone, it's still gonna be bloody small and cramped compared to a paper or a magazine.) When I feel the time is right, I'll buy a proper tablet for surfing on the go. We're almost there now I think, but not quite. I'd really like thumbprint reader for unlocking for example.

 

[Laa-Yosh]

Well it was Sportstracker, I think it can do walks too. Can measure enough stuff, gives you graphs and is reasonably accurate

As for the size, the height is okay and they'd only need to make the screen - and the phone - a bit wider to get to 4.3-4.5 inches. I do have an iPad3 too, but it's not practical to have it on me at all times, so I'd like a smartphone that's suitable for various things beyond calls and texting. Oh and the keypad is too small for me, and it'd also get better with a larger screen

Oh and I've gotten the iPad as a gift from my employer for being such a longtime member of the studio; we've also used it recently for a presentation using Keynote. Turns out it's actually quite good for playback, but actually editing stuff is still a nightmare on a tablet. They're only suitable for consuming content.

 

[Mariner]

Any indication of this sort of thing with the phone?

http://blog.gsmarena.com/tests-show-iphone-5s-and-5c-touchscreens-are-inaccurate/

My brother-in-law is due to get delivery of his 5s any day soon so I wonder if this 'inaccuracy' is an issue with a single particular phone or possibly a calibration issue?

 

[zed]

IOS devices uses a different hit spot that android devices, I forget its lower or higher.
Its in the developer doc's anyway so you can look it up if interested..

I see with the new IPADmini and the IPAD theyre doing exactly what I suggested on these forums a year or so ago, release the same device but at different sizes.
I betting the iphone 6 will also follow the same path i.e. perhaps come in 4",4.5",5" models

personally my 4.7" screen is too small, next phone will have >5"

 

[Grall]

Any indication of this sort of thing with the phone?

Not noticed any issues whatsoever myself. I wouldn't pay it any mind, to be frank. The screen is as precise as you could possibly expect from stabbing at it with something as blunt as your soft fingertip...

 

[nutball]

I'm about to get myself a 5S.

My 3GS has been struggling recently performance-wise, no idea if it's just apps getting more demanding or me getting more impatient, but it's got to the point of being irritating. The battery is also showing its age. The last straw is that the wi-fi is now acting up, showing 1 bar or no connection at all even when I'm in the same room as the router/AP.

Still the leap from 3GS -> 5S should be a nice improvement in everything, and my 3GS has lasted four years now so I don't feel like a total gimp or upgrade-whore.

I'm probably going to buy off-contract though. I've never paid £630 for a phone up-front, I've always bought on-contract which hides the pain a bit. I'll save in the long-run over the term of a 24-month contract, but still it's a big lump to spend on something so droppable

 

[Arwin]

3GS to 5S will be an insane improvement. I recently switched from 3GS to 4S, and the difference is staggering, and then there's iOS7 which isn't supporting the 3GS anymore.

If you are still going to sell/give away your 3GS, consider replacing the battery. My wife is about to get a 5 from work, but her battery was really giving a lot of problems now, and as she doesn't know how long it can still take before she actually gets the new phone (and even if she wants to keep her old phonenumber, as it will come with a different number), she decided to have a new battery built in. It wasn't that expensive, and the phone is now as new, basically. You'll still notice an insane resolution and speed increase, and a bunch of features not available on the 3GS, but this was definitely the biggest boost the old 3GS could get.

 

[Grall]

You're allowed to transfer your phone number from one SIM to another in good ole dutchland, right?

Going from 3GS to 5S will indeed be utterly crazy upgrade, in absolutely every department (except battery, which should still be an improvement over 3GS with a fresh battery.) Much faster hardware, better, more capable hardware ("retina" display, IPS LCD panel, muchmuchmuch better camera, 4x the RAM, on and on it goes), features which don't even exist on 3GS (airdrop, wifi hotspot/internet sharing capability, autofocus and LED flash for main camera, front camera, compass and gyro, and so on)... Jeez.

I jumped onboard with the iP4, that's when I thought it was sufficiently capable, and the 5S is a huge improvement as it is.

Btw... Anyone know what the differences are between Minecraft iOS and desktop editions these days...? I remember the "pocket" version was very bare-bones when it released, but that was ages ago now. Do you have sheep and pigs and wolf pets and all of that stuff included now, or is it still cut down? I'd rather not have to install f'n java on any of my main rigs just to try out this game, but I don't want a gimped experience either...

 

[wco81]

I have 371 photos on my iPhone 5, using 771 MB, so photos shouldn't take too much space.

I haven't messed around with iPhoto Stream. Don't have a big desire to see pics from my phone on the bigger display of my computer.

 

[patsu]

Any indication of this sort of thing with the phone?

http://blog.gsmarena.com/tests-show-iphone-5s-and-5c-touchscreens-are-inaccurate/

My brother-in-law is due to get delivery of his 5s any day soon so I wonder if this 'inaccuracy' is an issue with a single particular phone or possibly a calibration issue?

Have a 32GB Gold 5s. Fingerprint recognition is quite fun to use. Accuracy is about 80-90%.

It usually works on first try, but occasionally it would have a short series of failures (2-4 times) to recognize. May be my hands were too cold, or there were dirt, or whatever. Quite happy with it so far.

I am experimenting with registering the same fingerprint twice, perpendicular to each other. Seems to push recognition even higher to above 90% but will toy with it for a month or two. The sensor is supposed to learn our print as we use it. I figured it may be tricky to learn a completely different orientation in such a short time. Hence, the experiment.

No issue with screen accuracy. I am guessing Apple uses a combo of heuristic software and hardware to detect gestures. The edges are intentionally less sensitive because of the thin bezel. The keyboard is quick and accurate. Wouldn't trust a Samsung comparison completely anyway.

It's fast but would love iOS7 to mature further. The rapid shots and slo-mo are useful. Also use the pano mode a lot for landscape. There are a few UI inconsistency here and there. Hope they update the OS more frequently this time since iOS7 sounds like a huge rewrite, and they seem to go into more vertical apps these days. Sometimes, these sort of enterprise or specialized apps need custom or more flexible MDM support.

EDIT: Thought about it on my drive home. That screen accuracy test is probably measuring different thing on the iPhone screen vs the Samsung one. In actual usage, the Samsung uniform accuracy is wrong. When viewing a screen at an angle, there is parallax error and master hand bias. The real point of touch should be adjusted by software. In addition, if the bezel is thin, there should be algorithm to ignore input selectively (probably heuristic based). If it's uniform throughout the entire screen, the input should be "all wrong".

 

[Mariner]

Have a 32GB Gold 5s. Fingerprint recognition is quite fun to use. Accuracy is about 80-90%.

It usually works on first try, but occasionally it would have a short series of failures (2-4 times) to recognize. May be my hands were too cold, or there were dirt, or whatever. Quite happy with it so far.

Sounds like similar accuracy to my old Motorola Atrix though the mechanism was different there as you needed to swipe your finger across the sensor. The issues with cold/dirty/whatever hands sounds similar as well. As somebody whose fingers get wrinkled after having a bath or having hands in water for some time, I found this was a real issue as well - often very difficult to unlock the phone after a bath!

In the end, I stopped using the fingerprint unlock on the Atrix, mostly because I was installing different enthusiast ROMs, not all of which supported it, but also because of occasional inconvenience and the fact that it's a personal phone so security isn't really too much of a problem. Oh, for some reason, the Atrix used to increasingly seem to 'forget' your fingerprints and I found accuracy became worse 2 or 3 weeks after registering the prints. Re-registering the prints seemed to resolve the issue again for a couple of weeks so I imagine this was just down to a software glitch.

Personally, I just wonder how long it will be before phones we see iris unlock using the front camera? Now, that would be cool. Perhaps a bit too secret-agenty, perhaps!

My brother-in-law received his 5s yesterday so he'll not be causing any mischief for a while as he tends to become completely obssessed with new gadgets when he gets them!

 

[Grall]

Haven't had the fingerprint reader fail even once to unlock my phone so far, using a couple different fingers (I have both thumbs and index fingers on file).

The robotic screen accuracy test isn't anything I would pay attention to. It's a robot probe doing the testing, not a human-like hand, and last I checked, nobody's fingertip was 1sqmm in size and nobody expects millimeter/pixel accuracy from a touch screen, so whatever it is it measures, it has no bearing whatsoever on real life useage...

 

[patsu]

Sounds like similar accuracy to my old Motorola Atrix though the mechanism was different there as you needed to swipe your finger across the sensor. The issues with cold/dirty/whatever hands sounds similar as well. As somebody whose fingers get wrinkled after having a bath or having hands in water for some time, I found this was a real issue as well - often very difficult to unlock the phone after a bath!

In the end, I stopped using the fingerprint unlock on the Atrix, mostly because I was installing different enthusiast ROMs, not all of which supported it, but also because of occasional inconvenience and the fact that it's a personal phone so security isn't really too much of a problem. Oh, for some reason, the Atrix used to increasingly seem to 'forget' your fingerprints and I found accuracy became worse 2 or 3 weeks after registering the prints. Re-registering the prints seemed to resolve the issue again for a couple of weeks so I imagine this was just down to a software glitch.

Personally, I just wonder how long it will be before phones we see iris unlock using the front camera? Now, that would be cool. Perhaps a bit too secret-agenty, perhaps!

My brother-in-law received his 5s yesterday so he'll not be causing any mischief for a while as he tends to become completely obssessed with new gadgets when he gets them!

The recognition works after bath as long as my fingers aren't wet. It's just occasionally, out of the blue, it may miss some. If it failed, I can usually unlock the phone just by rescanning one more time. Takes 1 more second. Now when I use a regular iPhone, I immediately miss the sensor.

Security is a big deal considering my contacts, calendar and family photos are on the phone. Not to mention I intend to put more enterprise apps on it now that iOS7 has pretty comprehensive enterprise support.

Edit:
I also registered one of my knuckles for recognition. Works quite well too, but slightly less accurate. ^_^

Haven't noticed any recognition accuracy drop so far. I have a high expectation for the sensor. It must unlock the phone on first try with no artificial delay on my part. I simply click on the Home button normally and expect the phone to be unlocked quickly. No need to rest my finger slightly longer after pressing the button.

 

[Helmore]

Edit:
I also registered one of my knuckles for recognition. Works quite well too, but slightly less accurate. ^_^

I bet there will have been people that used even weirder body parts for recognition. I'm not sure if I want to know all those details though.

 

[milk]

I bet there will have been people that used even weirder body parts for recognition. I'm not sure if I want to know all those details though.

Nose is a must for when you have both hands tied up by terrorists or chopped off by flying alien sharks and you need to make that emergency call.

 

[wco81]

Who knew finger print sensor would get people excited?

Will be curious to see whether or how soon third-parties make use of the 64-bit CPU and the Rogue cores.

 

[Rurouni]

I bet there will have been people that used even weirder body parts for recognition. I'm not sure if I want to know all those details though.

Heh...
http://kotaku.com/lock-your-new-iphone-with-nipples-apparently-1360743607/1361439379/@jesusdiaz

 

[Arwin]

You're allowed to transfer your phone number from one SIM to another in good ole dutchland, right?

Correct, but unfortunately many company policies and contracts are incompatible with that feature ...