Earlier today, Apple unveiled two new iPhone models, including its new flagship the iPhone 5S and the colorful, less-costly iPhone 5C. I was on-hand at Apple's Cupertino headquarters to witness the reveal and get a first hands-on with the new devices. Should you be placing a pre-order this coming Friday, September 13th? Read on to find out.
Like previous entries in Apple's "S" series of iPhones, the iPhone 5S offers upgraded components and exclusive software features in a form factor otherwise near identical to last year's model. The big changes are obviously the new and improved camera, 64-bit A7 processor, and fingerprint scanner — the latter of which is perhaps the most drastic departure. The home button has been redesigned to incorporate an integrated fingerprint sensor, which apple is calling Touch ID. The sensor is capable of learning and detecting your unique fingerprint in order to instantaneously unlock your phone, as well as authorize iTunes purchases, which would otherwise require entering your Apple ID password.
Apple walked me through the Touch ID setup process, which was surprisingly thorough. To get started, owners need to create a new fingerprint profile and calibrate the sensor. The system requires you to repeatedly press your finger against the surface of the button — but not push the button down — so the underlying sensor can detect the finite details of your fingerprint. In addition to learning the surface of my thumb, the software also gathered the details of the sides of my thumb, taking a total of roughly a minute and a half. Most importantly, the sensor also supports multiple users, which allows owners to grant access to loved ones without requiring them to memorize a PIN code. Profiles can be deleted at any time and the iPhone 5S can always be accessed using the traditional lock screen.
And really, despite Apple's the emphasis on added security, the Touch ID is more of a convenience feature. The sensor is incredibly responsive — recognizing my thumb and unlocking the iPhone 5S almost instantaneously. Due to my limited time with the device, I couldn't stress test the system to see how accurate it is, but one would hope Apple's new tentpole feature isn't susceptible to faulty user identification.
But my favorite feature is without question, the new camera. While the device hasn't received a raw megapixel count increase, the wider aperture and 1.5μ pixels sensor produce more vivid, color-accurate images and video. Most importantly, Apple has added some new camera software that is exclusive to the iPhone 5S, most notably continuous burst mode and slow-motion video. The new sensor paired with the device's A7 processor allows the iPhone 5S to capture 120 frame-per-second slow motion video and 10 frame-per-second still photographs. As a result, images are noticeably crisper and more detailed, alleviating a lot of the motion blur associated with smartphone cameras.
The demo environment was sadly devoid of any compelling subject matter, like plant life or a nice landscape, but even amidst a fairly sterile white room filled with journalists and demo stations, the iPhone 5S' exceptional still camera performance was readily apparent. Similarly, the environment was less-than-ideal for highlighting the new slow-motion feature, but within the confines of people shuffling about and fingers flicking across touchscreens, the slow-motion feature was smooth, detailed. The iPhone 5S captures in slow-motion footage just like it does traditional HD video, but players can slow down entire clips or segments using sliders built into the editing mode.
As I mentioned, slow-motion and burst are exclusive to the iPhone 5S, due in large part to the A7 processor. Apple spent a lot of time trumping up its performance gains and 64-bit architecture — twice the speed and graphics performance of the A6, they say — but unfortunately the chips first optimized game, Infinity Blade III, was nowhere to be found during the hands-on session. In terms of general performance, the iPhone 5S felt snappy and responsive, but without running independent benchmarks or installing more taxing software, it was hard to showcase how much of a gain the A7 offers.
There's also the new color options — space gray and gold. Space gray features a lighter shade of aluminum and black glass casing, most likely in response to how prone to obvious scuffs and dings last year's black model was. The gold variation struck me as somewhat gaudy, but will appeal to those who prefer the midas touch.
But there's plenty more to dive into when it comes time to review the iPhone 5S. There's also Apple's new motion processor, the M7, the "True Tone" dual-LED flash, as well the finer points of iOS 7. Perhaps most importantly, there's also the critical question of how the powerful new processor, LED flash, and fingerprint scanner impact battery life, if at all.
The iPhone 5C may be Apple's worst-kept secret, but there's one thing that the pre-announcement leaks had wrong: the iPhone 5C is not Apple's "cheap iPhone." While the iPhone 5C may trade custom-tooled aluminum for polycarbonate plastic, it bears all of the other core components of last year's flagship, the iPhone 5. That means consumers still get the benefit of its 8-megapixel sensor, A6 processor, LTE connectivity, and 4-inch 1136x640 (326ppi) Retina Display. It may fall lack the iPhone 5S' new fingerprint scanner, improved camera, slo-mo / burst mode capture software, and powerful new 64-bit A7 processor, but overall, iPhone 5C offers relatively high-end specs.
The early leaks also did the iPhone 5C's design a disservice. In person, the bright, vibrant array of colors look fantastic and complement iOS 7's new, more colorful look. The design is slightly thicker than the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5S — 8.97mm vs. 7.6mm — but that, paired with its steel-reinforced frame, makes the iPhone 5C feel substantial in your hand. Surprisingly, the plastic casing isn't nearly as fragile or cheap feeling as one might suspect.
But I've got my reservations. The iPhone 5C's casing has a high-gloss finish, which accumulated dust and smudges easily throughout my brief time with the device. The choice in plastic material and finish also recalls memories of the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS, which were prone to scuffs and scratching. But, of course, a final verdict will come during review testing. For now, I'd say prospective owners should wait and see.
Scott Lowe is IGN's resident tech expert and first-person shooter fanatic. You can follow him on Twitter at @ScottLowe and on MyIGN at Scott-IGN.
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