The iPhone 5S, stylized iPhone 5s, is a touchscreen-based smartphone developed by Apple Inc. It is part of the iPhone line, and was released on September 20, 2013. Apple held an event to formally introduce the phone (and its mid-range counterpart, the iPhone 5C) on September 10, 2013. Like the iPhone 4S, the iPhone 5S is a revised version of its predecessor, the iPhone 5, but also incorporates a 64-bit Apple A7 processor and a built-infingerprint sensor called Touch ID on its updated home button.
The iPhone 5S is supplied with iOS 7, the seventh version of Apple's iOS mobile operating system, which is based on the concept of direct manipulation, using multi-touch gestures. Interface control elements consist of sliders, switches, and buttons. Interaction with the OS includes gestures such as swipe, tap, pinch, and reverse pinch, all of which have specific definitions in the context of the iOS operating system and its multi-touch interface. New features in iOS 7 include Control Center, AirDrop, iTunes Radio, and a new flat design directed by Jonathan Ive.
Reception towards the iPhone 5S was generally positive; some reviewers called it the best smartphone on the market. While Touch ID was praised as a major market changer, many commentators believed that iOS 7 was the most significant update to the smartphone line. The 64-bit Apple A7 was also favored. Pundits claimed that it is a catalyst for various new applications from developers. The iPhone 5S, along with the iPhone 5C, sold nine million units on their weekend of release, breaking Apple's sales record for iPhones.
Contents
[hide]History[edit]
Before its official unveiling, media speculation primarily centered around reports that the next iPhone would include afingerprint scanner; including Apple's July 2012 acquisition of AuthenTec, a developer of mobile security products,[5]references to a fingerprint sensor on the home button in the beta release of iOS 7[6] and leaked packaging for an iPhone 5S showing that the traditional home button now had a metallic "ring" around it. Similar ring-based imagery was seen on the official invite to Apple's iPhone press event in September 2013, where the new device was unveiled.[7] Shortly before its official unveiling, The Wall Street Journal also reported the rumor.[8][9]
Apple announced the iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S during a media event at its Cupertino headquarters on September 10, 2013.[10][11] While the iPhone 5C became available for preorder on September 13, 2013, the iPhone 5S first became available on September 20, 2013.[12] While most of the promotion focused on Touch ID, the 64-bit Apple A7 was also a highlight during the event:
"This is the first-ever 64-bit processor in a phone of any kind. I don’t think the other guys are even talking about it yet. Why go through all this? The benefits are huge. The A7 is up to twice as fast as the previous-generation system at CPU tasks, and up to twice as fast at graphics tasks, too."
Schiller then showed demos of Infinity Blade III to demonstrate the A7's processing power and the iPhone 5S camera using untouched photographs.[14] The release of iOS 7 on September 18, 2013, was also announced during the keynote.[14]
On September 20, 2013, the iPhone 5S was released in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, China, France, Germany, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore.[15]
Features[edit]
Operating system and software[edit]
The iPhone 5S features iOS, Apple's mobile operating system.[16] The user interface of iOS is based on the concept of direct manipulation, using multi-touch gestures. Interface control elements consist of sliders, switches, and buttons.[17] Interaction with the OS includes gestures such as swipe, tap, pinch, and reverse pinch, all of which have specific definitions within the context of the iOS operating system and its multi-touch interface. Internalaccelerometers are used by some applications to respond to shaking the device (one common result is the undo command) or rotating it vertically (one common result is switching from portrait to landscape mode).[17]
The iPhone 5S is supplied with iOS 7, released on September 20, 2013.[18] Jonathan Ive, the designer of iOS 7's new elements, described the update as "bringing order to complexity", highlighting features such as refined typography, new icons, translucency, layering, physics, and gyroscope-driven parallaxing as some of the major changes to the design.[19] The design of both iOS 7 and OS X Mavericks (version 10.9) noticeably depart from skeuomorphic elements such as green felt in Game Center, wood in Newsstand, and leather in Calendar, in favor of flatter graphic design.[19]
The phone can act as a hotspot, sharing its Internet connection over WiFi, Bluetooth, or USB, and also accesses the App Store, an online application distribution platform for iOS developed and maintained by Apple. The service allows users to browse and downloadapplications from the iTunes Store that were developed with Xcode and the iOS SDK and were published through Apple.[20]
iOS 7 adds AirDrop, an ad-hoc WiFi sharing platform. Users can share files with any Mac with OS X Lion or above, iPhone 5 onwards, the iPod Touch(5th generation), iPad (4th generation), or iPad Mini.[21][22] The operating system also adds Control Center, which gives iOS users access to commonly used controls and apps. By swiping up from any screen–including the Lock screen–users can do such things as switch to Airplane mode, turn Wi-Fi on or off, adjust the display brightness and similar basic functions of the device. It also includes a new integrated flashlight function to operate the reverse camera's flash LED as a flashlight.[23]
The iPhone 5S functions as a media player, and includes Apple Maps and Passbook. The mapping application includes turn-by-turn navigation spoken directions, 3D views in some major cities and real-time traffic.[24] Users can rotate their device horizontally to landscape mode to access a collage of album covers.
The 5S includes Siri, an intelligent personal assistant and knowledge navigator. The application uses a natural language user interface to answer questions, make recommendations, and perform actions by delegating requests to a set of Web services. Apple claims that the software adapts to the user's individual preferences over time and personalizes results.[25] iOS 7 adds new male and female voices, new system setting functionalities, a redesign to match the rest of the operating system, and integration with Twitter, Wikipedia, Bing, and Photos.[26]
Facebook comes integrated through Apple's native apps. Facebook features can be directly accessed from within native apps such as Calendar which can sync Facebook events, or use Facebook's like button from within the Apple App Store.[27][28] iTunes Radio, an internet radio service, is also included on the iPhone 5S. It is a free, ad-supported service available to all iTunes users, featuring Siri integration on iOS. Users are able to skip tracks, customize stations, and purchase the station's songs from the iTunes Store. Users can also search through their history of previous songs.[29]
Design[edit]
The touchscreen on the iPhone 5S is a 4 in (10 cm) liquid crystal display, with a screen resolution of 640×1136 at 326 ppi.[30] The iPhone has a minimal hardware user interface, featuring five buttons. The only physical menu button is situated directly below the display, and is called the "Home button" because it closes the active app, accesses Touch ID, and navigates to the home screen of the interface.[31]
The iPhone 5S maintains a similar design to the iPhone 5. However its home button has been updated with a new flat design using a laser-cut sapphire cover surrounded by a metallic ring; the button is no longer concave, nor does it contain the familiar squircle icon seen on previous models.[32]The phone itself is 0.30 in (7.6 mm) thin and weighs 112 grams (4.0 oz).[33] The phone uses an aluminum composite frame, and is less vulnerable to scuffing and accumulating dirt than the iPhone 5C.[34] The iPhone 5S is available in three color finishes; space-grey (replacing black with slate trim), white with silver trim, and white with gold trim.[11][35]
Several additional, minor changes also occurred in the iPhone 5S's design. The "iPhone" label on the back of the phone is now in Myriad Light, as opposed to Myriad Pro Semibold. The microphone hole on the back of the phone is now a circle in contrast to a oval in the iPhone 5. The casing around the screen is much lighter and colored gray.[36]
Hardware[edit]
The iPhone 5S is powered by the new Apple A7 system-on-chip, which the company claimed was the first 64-bit processor ever used on a smartphone, with the pre-installed iOS 7 operating system and its pre-loaded apps being optimized for 64-bit mode, promising increased performance. Performance may be negligible at release without the developers updating their apps.[37] The A7 processor is manufactured bySamsung,[38] and is accompanied by a new M7 "motion co-processor", a dedicated processor for processing motion data from its accelerometer and gyroscopes without requiring the attention of the main processor, which integrates with iOS 7's new CoreMotion APIs. M7 motion coprocessor will help to improve battery life of iPhone 5S by keeping away motion related task from main CPU. On the connectivity front Apple iPhone 5C features 3G, LTE, Wi-Fi, Maps, USB, and Bluetooth etc. Apple claims iPhone 5c to support more LTE bandwidth than any other smartphone in the world. The battery pack provides 10 hours of talk time and 250 hours of standby time.[39] While still 8 megapixels in resolution, the camera uses a larger aperture (f/2.2) and larger sized pixels in itsimage sensor than previous iPhone models, and has dual "True Tone" flashes—consisting of an amber LED and a white LED, which are variably used based on the color temperature of the photo to improve color balancing. The camera also includes automatic image stabilization, dynamic tone mapping, 10fps burst mode, "best shot" mode and slow motion video at 120 fps.[40]
The home button on the iPhone 5S incorporates a fingerprint recognition system known as Touch ID, based on technology from AuthenTec,[41] a company which Apple had acquired in 2012. The sensor uses a capacitive CMOS-based sensor which can detect the "sub-epidermal layers" of fingers at 500 pixels per inch, and uses a 360-degree design that can read the print at any angle. The sensor itself is activated by a touch-sensitive metallic ring surrounding the button. Touch ID can be used for various authentication activities within the operating system, such as unlocking the device or authenticating App Store purchases instead of an Apple IDpassword. The sensor can be trained to recognize the fingerprints of multiple fingers and multiple users. Fingerprint data is stored in an encrypted format within a "secure enclave" of the A7 chip itself, and is not accessible to any other apps or servers (including iCloud). It accepts artificial fingerprints made out of latex milk or wood glue put on a laser print out of a fingerprint.[42][43][44][45]
Accessories[edit]
Main article: iPhone accessories
Apple announced during the keynote a case for the iPhone 5S that is made of soft microfiber on the inside and leather on the outside.[46] This case was announced along with the iPhone 5C's case, both of which are the first cases Apple has announced since the iPhone 4 Bumpers.
Docks for both the iPhone 5S[47] and 5C were found on the Apple Online Store after the announcement. Because of the casing difference between the iPhone 5S and 5C, they have separate docks, each made specifically for each respective phone.[48] This is also the first time Apple has released a new dock since the iPhone 4 Dock back in 2010.
Earphones known as Apple EarPods are included with the iPhone 5S. They superseded earphones that were included with previous generation iPhones and iPods before the iPhone 5.[49]According to technology commentators, the redesign of the earphones is aimed to improve sound quality by allowing air to travel in and out more freely.[50][51] Apple states that the redesign of their earphones allows it to "rival high-end headphones that cost hundreds of dollars more".[50] Reviews by Gizmodo and TechRadar reported that although the redesigned earphones sounded better than its predecessor, reviewers felt that quality of sound produced is poor.[52] TechRadar further opined that the EarPods is inferior to other earphones of a similar price.[51]
Reception[edit]
Critical reception[edit]
The iPhone 5S received generally positive reviews from reviewers and commentators, with many reviewers claiming that it was the best smartphone available. Walt Mossberg of All Things Digital gave the phone a favorable review, saying that although Touch ID "sounds like a gimmick, but it’s a real advance, the biggest step ever in biometric authentication for everyday devices," and labeled it "the best smartphone on the market."[53] David Pogue ofThe New York Times praised Touch ID, but said that the innovation of the smartphone market has been saturated, and "maybe the age of annual mega-leaps is over." He focused much of his review on iOS 7, which he believes to be the biggest change of the iPhone 5S over previous generations, eulogizing new Siri features, Control Center, and AirDrop.[54] In an editorial, Pogue stated that iOS 7 was the biggest change in the iPhone series, citing utilitarian interface changes as the main contributor to this.[55] Myriam Joire of Engadget found that the iPhone 5S could benefit significantly from the A7 if developers created applications optimized for the 64-bit processor and said that iOS 7 was the most notable update of the release.[56]
Darrell Etherington of TechCrunch also thought that the iPhone 5S was the best smartphone available. He said "looks may not be different from the iPhone 5, but the internal components have a dramatic impact on day-to-day activities normal for a smartphone user," and went into detail explaining the impact of the improved camera and specifications on the phone and argues that the 64-bit A7 processor will not reach its full potential until developers create applications supporting it.[57] Scott Stein of CNET said that although the iPhone 5s "is not a required upgrade, but it's easily the fastest and most advanced Apple smartphone to date".[58] He criticized the lack of design change over the iPhone 5.[58] Anand Lal Shimpi of AnandTech praised the phone's A7 processor, describing it as "seriously impressive", and stated that it was the most "futureproof of any iPhone ever launched. As much as it pains me to use the word futureproof, if you are one of those people who likes to hold onto their device for a while - the iPhone 5s is as good a starting point as any."[59]
Scott Lowe of IGN praised the 5S as being "one of the best looking, most well-constructed smartphones on the market," also speaking highly of its 64-bit processor, "which has a substantial lead in processing power over the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4, accounting for a graphics boost of up to 32% and 38% in CPU benchmarks." Criticism was directed towards the fingerprint scanner as well as the battery life of the 5S. Another criticism was directed towards software bugs, but felt that they were owed to a lack of "patched support for the A7's 64-bit architecture or lingering issues with iOS 7, but in either scenario, should be resolved easily with future updates."[60]
Apple's share price fell 5.4% after the launch to close at a month low of $467.71 on the NASDAQ.[61] Although reviewers praised the new iPhone for its camera, 64-bit A7 chip, M7 motion-chip, and fingerprint scanning capabilities, investors thought that the iPhone 5s, although a notable improvement over the 5, was still relatively unchanged from its predecessor, and worried that the iPhone has now become a stagnant, dull product. The iPhone 5C was criticized for having a much higher-than-expected price point.[62][63]
Commercial reception[edit]
The iPhone 5S and 5C sold over nine million units in the first three days, which sets a record for first weekend smartphone sales,[64] with the 5S selling three times more units than the iPhone 5C. After the first day of release, 1% of all iPhones in the US were iPhone 5S's, while 0.3% were iPhone 5C's.[65] Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray reported that the line at the Fifth Avenue Apple Storecontained 1,417 people on release day, compared to 1,300 for the iPhone 4 in 2010, and 549 for the iPhone 3G in 2008 on their respective release days.[66] This was the first time that Apple has simultaneously launched two models. The first-day release in China also contributed to the record sales result.[67]
On launch day, major stock shortages were reported in most stores, across all countries where the iPhone 5S initially went on sale.[68] A great many customers in line outside Apple Stores worldwide were left disappointed due to severe shortages across all 5S models, with the gold model in particular being in highly limited supply.[69] While this situation eased in the US in the days following the launch, other countries have reported receiving very little restocks.[70]
Some commentators have questioned how Apple have handled the initial release, as online pre-orders were not offered for the iPhone 5S, meaning large numbers of people queuing outside physical stores, with most in line not receiving a unit.[71] Some pundits questioned the lack of online pre-orders, arguing Apple wanted large queues outside stores for publicity reasons.
There were also reports of many customers being shocked, bitterly disappointed, and highly annoyed they were kept queuing unnecessarily by Apple Store staff, despite staff knowing of low stock levels, yet not advising queuers of the situation, along with the continuation of two units being available per person, furthering lowering stock for others later in line.[69][71][72] So-called "scalpers" have also been a large problem on release day, with buyers intending to sell-on units for extremely high markups either online, or via the grey market outside of the initial countries where sales were released.[72][73][74]
Additionally, Apple have not had an email system in place to supply devices to customers on a first-come first-served basis for pickup at their physical stores for those who missed-out during queuing either, so customers have not been able to sign-up to be emailed by their local Apple Store when they have a unit available for them to pick-up, as they did last year, meaning customers wanting one from a physical store have to keep trying to see when stock is available. Meanwhile, In the US, Apple have offered an online reservation system, so customers can keep checking units available at their local Apple Stores, and order for pickup. A similar service has not been available for other launch countries, making the checking of physical stock availability much more difficult, resulting in larger than normal phone call volumes into physical Apple Stores accordingly to check availability.[75]
Online orders have also been in short supply on launch day, with the shipping date across all model sizes and colors, changing from "7-10 working days" to sometime "October" in all countries, within hours of online orders being taken.[76][77]
Touch ID impact[edit]
Main article: Impact of Touch ID
A number of technology writers, including Adrian Kingsley-Hughes[78] and Kevin Roose of New York believed that the fingerprint scanning functionality of the iPhone 5S could help spur the adoption of the technology as an alternative to passwords by mainstream users (especially in "bring your own device" scenarios), as fingerprint-based authentication systems have only enjoyed wider usage in enterprise environments. However, citing research by biometrics engineer Geppy Parziale,[79] Roose suggested that the CMOS-based sensor could become inaccurate and wear out over time unless Apple had designed the sensor to prevent this from occurring.[80] Brent Kennedy, a researcher of the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT), recommended that users not immediately rely on the technology, citing the uncertainty over whether the system could properly reject a spoofed fingerprint.[81]
Following the release of the iPhone 5S model, the German Chaos Computer Club announced on September 21, 2013 that they had bypassed Apple's new Touch ID fingerprint sensor by using "easy everyday means." The group explained that the security system had been defeated by photographing a fingerprint from a glass surface and using that captured image as verification. The spokesman for the group stated: "We hope that this finally puts to rest the illusions people have about fingerprint biometrics. It is plain stupid to use something that you can't change and that you leave everywhere every day as a security token."[45][82]
Timeline of models[edit]
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