Apple’s iPhone 5s presents a curious situation: It will be an easy purchasing decision—or a rather complicated one. For those who have never owned an iPhone, this is the model to get. The $100 premium the 5s commands over Apple’s other new handset—the colorful, if waxy, iPhone 5c—is easily justified by its more advanced hardware and feature set. It’s an easy call for users of earlier iPhone 4 and 4s models, too. But for current owners of last year’s top dog—the now discontinued iPhone 5—the decision will not be so simple. In fact, a close look at the latest device from Cupertino reveals that iPhone 5 owners may be wise to save their upgrade for the next iteration.
That may sound like odd advice given the impressive list of enhancements the iPhone 5s brings with it. Make no mistake: This isn’t simply a tweaked version of the iPhone 5. Apple is introducing some serious improvements here. The new model’s processor, the A7 chip, is the company’s fastest mobile CPU yet, and represents the first time 64-bit architecture has been used on a phone. There’s an upgraded camera, featuring a larger image sensor—to enable better low-light performance—and a redesigned flash. There is also a new motion coprocessor—dubbed the M7—which collects data from the phone’s compass, gyroscope and accelerometer so applications can rapidly access this information without taxing the main CPU. That makes possible all sorts of nifty stuff where apps sense movement—or the lack thereof—and act accordingly. One potential example: knowing not to check email while the phone sits undisturbed on a table at night (a feat that could save battery life). Finally, there is the most heralded feature of the iPhone 5s: a fingerprint sensor that allows users to unlock their phone, and even confirm purchases from Apple’s iTunes and App stores, by just pressing their finger to the home button.
