If you're looking for a new 4-inch iPhone, the iPhone 5S is no longer the best model you can buy. On March 21 Apple revealed the iPhone SE, a response to the people who still want a smaller iPhone. It's a seriously good piece of kit and if you have the money to shell out on a relatively pricey contract, it could be the perfect upgrade.
Related: IPHONE SE
Related: IPHONE 7
There are improvements across the board. While the form factor has remained mostly the same (say for a couple of tweaks to the corners and chamfered edges), everything else is bang up to date with the latest iPhone 6S and IPHONE 6 PLUS
First, there's the latest Apple A9 processor that you'll find in both the flagship devices, which should improve performance significantly. There's faster 4G and better 802.11ac Wi-Fi, too. The camera has had a huge upgrade, bringing it in line with the latest devices. This is huge news for anyone remotely interested in taking photos on their iPhone and is probably the most attractive thing about the iPhone SE.
You'll also get Apple Pay, 4K video recording, better slow-motion and Live Photos thrown in. Prices start from £359 upfront, and we'll update our other iPhone SE coverage when networks give us contract pricing.
If you're in the market for a new phone, the iPhone SE should be on your shortlist, especially if you need something a little smaller than the gigantic iPhone 6S and 6S Plus.
First reviewed 5/12/2013
Related: IPHONE7
LIVING WITH THE IPHONE 5S
By smartphone standards the iPhone 5S is outright ancient. First released in 2013, with the rumoured approach of Apple’s fabled IPHONE6S on the horizon, the iPhone 5S is close to becoming two phone generations old.
This means compared to more modern handsets the iPhone 5S is no longer a powerhouse handset. Making up for this, the upfront cost of the iPhone 5S has plummeted.
Now many carriers, including Vodafone UK, are offering the iPhone 5S with no upfront cost on a variety of affordable contracts.
Apple has also dropped the iPhone 5S’ sim-free price on the Apple Store and is selling the 16GB model for £459 - making it £80 cheaper than the £540, 16GB iPhone 6.
The price, combined with its smaller 4.7in screen and form factor mean the iPhone 5S remains, on paper, a fairly compelling choice for Apple fans on a budget and has stood the test of time surprisingly well.
What has surprised me most about the iPhone 5S is that I have not missed 5-inch phones as much as I thought I would. I sometimes struggle juggling bigger phones while on a train or bus so it's been a bit of a relief stepping down in screen size. That changed since I lived with the 5.5-inch LG G3. That phone looks like a tablet compared to the iPhone 5S but manages to remain easy to use because of clever ergonomic design. Other competitors like the Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC One M8 aren't quite as slick to use.
There’s is not much to say about the iPhone 5S’s performance here other than that it’s blisteringly fast and very reliable. I’ve not experienced any issues with apps misbehaving other than the Google Maps hanging occasionally. It's annoying but may be as much down to the app as to the phone.
Apple’s iOS has its limitations, you can't customise to anywhere near the levels of an Android phone, but the fact that it just keeps working well is a godsend to those too busy to learn every little foible of their phone. I’ve not experienced the slow-down effects that tend to occur on Androids after lots of apps and updates have been installed - the iPhone 5S is rock solid.
iOS 7 is a wonderfully simple operating system and while some don't like the new design, I've been delighted by it. The ‘Today’ notification isn’t something I’ve taken to much, but the multitasking menu and the Control Centre are great. In fact the lack of these features is one of the reasons I picked Android over iOS in the past. The Control Centre is still missing a quick access button to the full settings menu, which is particularly annoying when wanting to switch or connect to Wi-Fi networks. The newer iOS 8 is even better and the iPhone 5S runs perfectly with it on too.
It’s the Apple app store that makes iOS a great platform. As a mobile gamer the depth and breadth of titles is fantastic – Limbo, for example is a great little game that you can’t get anywhere else. Generally the apps are still of higher quality and depth than you can get anywhere else.
Cameras have become so important on mobiles that there are now some, like the Nokia Lumia 1020 and Samsung Galaxy Zoom, which are more camera than phone. I’ve found that the iPhone 5S’s camera to be solid, but not as exceptional as some others. It is perfectly suited for snapping and reacts quickly, which is what I want from a phone camera, but there’s not as much detail as you can get from the Galaxy S5 or LG G3.
SEE ALSO: IPHONE 6 PLUS REVIEW
On the flip side the 5S’s camera works well in lower-lit conditions. The multi-tonal flash provides some far softer and more realistically lit shots in pubs and restaurants when compared to the harsh white light of most LED or Xenon flashes. The 120fps slow motion video is also great. I wasn't that fussed when I first used it but it quickly makes videos looks more polished and special. Fantastic slow shots of my nephews and nieces jumping on a trampoline made me view it in a new light. The front camera also works well for video-chat as long as there's decent ambient light.
Read also: Best Mobile Phones 2015
The iPhone 5S lacks a microSD card slot for memory expansion, but you can still get it in 16/32GB versions, Apple has discontinued the 64GB one. The catch is the extra storage is pricey – too pricey – each increment costs an extra £40 on top of the £459 base price. It all depends on your storage needs, but if you don’t carry a load of movies or music with you 16GB (of which 13.6GB is usable) should be adequate, but for many the 32GB model will be optimal and I haven’t managed to fill 32GB yet. At this price, though, the iPhone 5S is for big Apple fans only. The iPhone 6 is much better and you can now get much higher spec phones, like the Galaxy Note 4, for the same price.
One of the most talked about features of the iPhone 5S, and my personal favourite, is Touch ID. This is a fingerprint scanner located in the home button of the phone that lets you unlock it without requiring a PIN or password. It works brilliantly and I already find it irritating to use any phone with a PIN or gesture lock now. It may be a luxury, but I’m in no doubt that this feature, or one very like it, will be in every phone will have in a few years. It just makes using your phone on the move so much easier.
After a few weeks of use I had a bit of an issue with call quality – essentially my voice appeared distant to the person on the other end. The issue resolved itself after a short while but it was irritating while it lasted. It was not isolated either, a quick hunt on the internet showed a few users had the same problem. This is no longer a problem but we do sometimes find that call quality on the iPhone 5S is poor in low reception areas.
In terms of stamina the iPhone 5S is good but not outstanding. If used sparingly you will get two full days of use without a charge, but play games or use intensive apps for a few hours and you will need to recharge it overnight. The good thing about the battery is that it charges very quickly and is predictable – the 5S never suddenly drops a load of charge while it’s been sitting in my pocket.
On a day to day basis the iPhone 5S does everything I want it to do, and does the things I do most, better than any other phone I’ve used. It’s not gimmicky and other than the lack of widgets and customisations there’s not much I miss from using bigger Android phones. Apple has increased the screen size with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus and thanks to a slick design it doesn't make a big difference to the ergonomics. If you can afford it we'd opt for one of the newer versions but if you like your phones petite then the iPhone 5S is the best you can get.
WHAT IS THE IPHONE 5S?
Apple’s iPhone is one of the most popular and highly anticipated smartphones in the world. Whether you love or hate Apple, the original iPhone revolutionised the way we view and use our phone and, at one time, was the only smartphone you would consider buying.
These days there are a whole host of manufacturers that create great smartphones, from Sony to LG and HTC to Nokia, while Samsung has sold hundreds of millions of its Galaxy series, led by the Samsung Galaxy S4
Launched alongside the more price conscious iPhone 5C, the iPhone 5S is Apple’s latest attempt to reclaim its 'king of phones' crown. It’s more than twice as fast as its predecessor and comes with an improved camera and a brand new feature none of its competitors can match.
Whether you’re an Apple fan or an Android aficionado we go in-depth to reveal whether the iPhone 5S and the new iOS7 update is all it’s cracked up to be.
IPHONE 5S - DESIGN AND FEATURES
THE IPHONE 5, LAUNCHED LAST YEAR, ARRIVED WITH A 4-INCH SCREEN AND DIAMOND CUT ALUMINIUM BODY. AS IS APPLE’S WAY WITH ITS S PHONES, THE IPHONE 5S SHARES THE SAME DESIGN. AT FIRST GLANCE IT LOOKS IDENTICAL, BUT THERE ARE SOME SMALL CHANGES IN THE COLOUR OPTIONS, AS APPLE HAS ADDED THE MUCH SOUGHT AFTER GOLD OPTION, WHILE THE 'BLACK' IS NOW A LIGHTER 'SPACE GREY'. THE SILVER AND WHITE ONE WE HAVE, HOWEVER, IS EXACTLY THE SAME.
It’s an angular, timeless design – elegant and slim. In hand the cut aluminium feels premium and solid, but the iPhone 5S is far lighter than most other phones. At just 112g it initially feels a little too light, especially if you’re used to the iPhone 4S's glass and metal body. However the build is excellent and the 5S certainly doesn't feel flimsy the way some lighter phones can.
The highly engineered body feels quality, but it isn't the most comfortable. The diamond cut edges are a little sharp, not sharp enough to cause any real discomfort but slightly more rounded edges would make it easier to hold for long periods of time.
However, iPhone 5S is thin and light enough to easily warrant a case, whether it’s the pricey £35 leather case Apple announced with it or a third-party one. Using the leather case significantly softens the phone and makes it much more pleasurable to hold.
A double LED flash is next to the camera while on the front the screen bezels are slim. The home button is detailed in a metal ring that provides a useful function, the Touch ID – more on that later.
All buttons are instantly accessible using one hand without having to ever juggle the phone. The one difference it has from most other phones is that the 3.5mm headphone jack is at the bottom. It’s a little odd at first, but actually makes sense when you consider that a phone goes top first into a pocket so you don’t have to flip it round when you take it out.
As a 4-inch phone the iPhone 5S is significantly smaller than all its direct Android and Windows 8 competitors. Deciding whether the smaller screen is a benefit or weakness will depend entirely on you and whether you value screen real-estate over ease of use.
Samsung has managed to keep the Galaxy S4 as tidy as possible, but its 5-inch screen means that it is more of a handful and it can be tricky to reach some areas of the screen when used one-handed. The 4.7-inch screen on the HTC One is slightly more manageable.
From left to right: the iPhone 5S, iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S4
While the iPhone 5S trails behind this competition in terms of sheer size you might find it much more comfortable to use day-to-day if you have average sized hands. It also tends to fit in a pocket easier.
So the 5S looks likes its predecessor, but that's where the similarities end .
iPhone 5S – Touch ID
We've already mentioned that the iPhone 5S has an ace up its sleeve. It is a finger-print scanner called Touch ID, discreetly integrated into the metal ring around the iPhone 5S's menu button.
This could easily have been a gimmick, a feature that offers a lot of marketing potential with little functional use, like the back buttons on the LG G2.
Thankfully Apple has made no mistake with it, just the way Sony has managed to crack waterproofing a phone with the Xperia Z1.
Initially you need to set up your fingers or thumbs to be recognised. This takes around 30 seconds and involves tapping the button repeatedly while the complex contours of your fingerprints are mapped. You can add up to five fingers, whether they're all your own or someone you want to share access with.
The key thing Apple has managed to achieve with Touch ID is flawless execution. It's easy to forget that your phone is locked at all when a tap of the home button to wake the iPhone 5S also unlocks it.
If you never lock your phone then you'll have little use for Touch ID, other than to authorise app purchases. Even if you do lock your phone you might think tapping a four digit PIN or drawing a symbol is not too much of a barrier to access. However, once you experience the ease of Touch ID it's hard to not become a convert.
Aside from the fact it works so well (even when you turn the phone upside down the iPhone 5S unlocks without a hitch) it is far more secure than a four digit PIN or symbol. A fingerprint is yours and yours alone. While there is a way for the very determined to copy your fingerprints, it's highly unlikely to be worth the effort. You also can't forget your fingers!
Fingerprint scanning leads us to a source of quite appropriate concern. No-one wants Apple to have millions of fingerprints on a massive database somewhere, no matter how well protected. Regular news and rumours about how the NSA and other governmental organisations demand, and are given, user information from companies brings trickles of sweat to even the most innocent and blasé.
So how has Apple combated the concern of iPhone 5S fingerprint databases falling into the wrong hands? In quite a simple way, they don't keep any. Fingerprint scans are encrypted and stored locally only. In other words only on the iPhone 5S – in one secure section of the CPU, not in the user accessible memory.
If you're extremely security conscious or have highly sensitive data on your phone then fingerprint locking alone may not be enough. It's here that Apple could have upped the security ante by allowing the option of dual-factor authentication – supporting the option of finger-print unlocking with a PIN. We hope this will be an option in future iOS updates.
The bottom line is Touch ID is not an industrial grade security measure, but that's fine. It is more secure than a four digit PIN and means you don't have to constantly input your iTunes password to make purchase, two things that make it a more than worthwhile addition.
IPHONE 5S - SCREEN
The iPhone 5S has kept faith with the highly responsive 16:9 Retina-display 4-inch screen of its predecessor. The display offers a resolution of 1,136 x 640 with 326ppi. On paper it falls behind the 400ppi 1080 Super AMOLED screen on the Samsung Galaxy S4 and even further behind the 468PPI on the HTC One. To the human eye, however, there's very little in it, and the iPhone 5S is pin sharp and text looks crisp at all levels of zoom.
Regardless of the lack of iterative display improvements the iPhone 5S has one of the best screens on the market. Set it to maximum levels and it is a lot brighter than the other two, as well as offering better colour accuracy and a less 'saturated' look than the Samsung Galaxy S4.
Apple has also managed to remove a layer during the screen production process. This means that the images are not recessed but in fact almost appear to float on the glass. The effect is even more striking when combined with the new iOS7 parallax wallpapers that shimmer under the icons as the 5S is moved.
Where the screen of the iPhone 5S falters a little is with low-light video and images. Shady scenes are not quite as dark as they could be and blacks not as deep.
However, if there was one thing Apple could afford to retain from the iPhone 5 it was the screen. Considerations on whether it is right for you should centre around its size rather than quality. Is 4-inches big enough and do you intend to multi-task on a phone?
There have been some iOS 7 improvements to help with multitasking but you still won't be able to have two apps open on-screen at the same time. What you can do is double press the home button. This offers up a preview list of open apps, lets you dismiss them by flicking up, scroll through multiple pages if it's a browser or just easily flip from one app to another.
This is just one of the new features on the iPhone 5S, but there's a lot more to iOS 7.
IPHONE 5S – APPS, IOS 7 AND SOFTWARE
Apple's big launch next to the iPhone 5C and 5S was the latest iteration of its mobile operating system, iOS 7. It's one of the biggest changes since the App Store arrived in 2008 and has divided opinion with a radical redesign and some iOS 7 upgrade battery life issues for some users.
So what's new? Well firstly the icons and buttons have had a drastic overhaul. Gone are the textured layers and beveled buttons of previous iOS versions – they've been replaced by much flatter and more defined icons. To our eyes it's an improvement over the fussy previous design.
There have also been some significant functional improvements. Swipe down from the top of the screen and a revised notification centre appears informing you of missed calls, messages and social updates, together with stocks and weather. You can turn elements off, but unfortunately you won't be able to add other information.
Swipe up from the bottom and a new Control Center. If you're an Android native you'll be very familiar with this functionality and it was high time it was added to iOS. Essentially it allows you to quickly access several of the most useful settings of your phone including connectivity options, such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, as well as screen brightness and media controls.
There's also a set of four of Apple's built-in apps you can now get to with ease, these are the torch, timer, calculator and camera apps. Once again there's no opportunity to tweak or swap these for other apps.
Control Centre and open app navigator
It was high time Apple included an easily accessible control centre in iOS but in our eyes it hasn't gone far enough with it. There is no option to go straight to the settings menu from the Control Center and the lack of any sort of personalisation means the tinkerers among you will miss the customisation options of Android.
What iOS 7 does offer on the iPhone 5S, however, is a quick and slick interface that works perfectly for most average users – and in this respect it's still peerless. Need anything else? Well then there's an app for that.
iOS 7 on the iPhone 5S also brings with it a new folder configuration so you can add reams of apps to a folder and flick through it to find the one you need. It's a lot clearer than before and makes finding apps a lot easier. The improved search option helps too.
Pull down on any home screen and a search box appears. As you start typing it finds apps, notes calendar events, messages and emails that fit the bill. It's nice and simple and helps you find that pesky email without having to access the mail app.
The App Store is still market leading. The quality and quantity of apps available is still ahead of Android, and miles better than Windows Phone 8. It's still a significant pro when considering whether to join or leave the Apple ecosystem.
Moreover, anyone buying a new iPhone can now download Apple's iWork and iLife apps for free. These include Pages for word processing, Keynote for presentations, Numbers for spreadsheets, iPhoto for photo editing and iMovie for video editing. All, with the arguable exception of the rather confusing iPhoto app, are solid apps and the fact they're free makes them all the more attractive. They integrate seamlessly with iCloud, too, so documents created on your iPhone are synched.
iOS 7 sees numerous other improvements, too. Siri has new features that makes it easier to use and more useful and many of the core apps are improved, but we suggest you read our comprehensive iOS 7 review for all the details as there's plenty more about the iPhone 5S we need to cover.
IPHONE 5S – PERFORMANCE
The iPhone 5S is a significant step up in terms of power and performance over the iPhone 5. The new A7 dual-core 1.3GHz processor with 1GB of RAM sounds feeble when compared to the quad-core 1.9GHz 2GB RAM of the Galaxy S4 or stonking 2.2GHz of the Sony Xperia Z1. But phones are not top trumps and the processor on the iPhone 5S is hugely impressive, even though it looks much weaker on paper.
True Tone Flash
So there's a delay, but does it make a difference to the quality of the shot? As the comparison above shows, the difference is subtle but it is there. The 5S shot on the left has fewer shiny, harsh light reflections, while the hair colour is more natural and accurate. It's by no means a revolution in flash photography on a phone, not least as the range is still much the same, but it does diminish the worst imperfections caused by pure white LED flashes.
Apps load instantaneously and 3D games looks jaw-droppingly good. The cars in Real Racing 3 look almost photorealistic while Infinity Blade 3 provides console quality graphics.
The benchmarks support the experience. Only the Snapdragon 800 processor on the Xperia Z1 outperforms the iPhone 5S. In our CPU, browsing and graphics tests the 5S scored 40% faster than the Galaxy S4 and more than 100% faster than the iPhone 5, the phone it replaces.
It's impressive and just goes to show that picking the right phone is not about looking at the numbers anymore, just like picking a camera that takes great pictures isn't about how many megapixels it's packing.
In darker conditions the bigger sensor and pixel size come to the fore and mean that subjects are visible. There is obvious noise, but both the iPhone 5S and older iPhone 5 significantly outperform the Galaxy S4, which totally failed our low light test.
For a full breakdown of tests and results you can view our iPhone 5S benchmarks at the end of this review.
Shutter speed it fast enough and, if you keep the camera button pressed, the 5S can take 10 shots per second ad infinitum, well at least until you fill up the internal storage or run out of battery.
The first 64-bit phone processor
But before you do it's worth taking the time to think about the 'world first' Apple claimed in making the A7 chip the first 64-bit mobile processor. The transition to 64-bit computing on the PC took a long time. A fragmented system ensured it was years before the benefits were felt in the home, and those who jumped to 64-bit early found that all the software they wanted to use wasn't ready yet.
Fast-forward a few years and 64-bits on the PC has become the norm and Apple has added the A7 SoC (system on chip) processor to the iPhone 5S, making it the first 64-bit phone.
While the debate about its benefits right now is fearsome, it does have some small benefits (emphasis on the small) that will no doubt grow in future. The encryption side of the Touch ID is the most obvious benefactor, though arguably games will begin to benefit once developers start to unlock the full potential of the A7 chip.
But it's really a move for the future that means that developers can get busy supporting 64-bit now when it's less critical so that its true potential can be unlocked on future iPhones and iPads. If you want to find out more about the iPhone 5S processor and 64-bit computing then read our guide: What is 64-bit? The Apple A7 chip explained.
The M7 processor
Of greater import to the here and now is the new, much less powerful 'co-processor' chip called the M7. The purpose of the M7 is to deal with all the motion capture data provided by the accelerometer, gyroscope, and compass. This data requires much less processing power to manage, which means using the main processor is overkill and seriously inefficient.
So the M7 helps lighten the load on the battery, but it also has one more important power saving trick up its sleeve.
If you leave the iPhone 5S in a location where there's no signal, a gym locker for example, the M7 will recognise that the phone has not been moved and that there is no signal in the area. Pinging the networks constantly to find signal is one of the biggest battery drains on a phone and there's no point doing it if there's no signal to be found.
This particular feature only works when the phone is immobile, but it's not the only benefit of the M7. For example, It allows to the iPhone 5S to know when you switch from a car or walking, switching the directions to suit, but it could also open a whole new set of possibilities for third-party accessories to use its specialist processing. The likes of the Nike Fuelband, Fitbit Flex and similar gadgets seem the most likely benefactors, but we'll have to wait and see how they use it.
IPHONE 5S – BATTERY LIFE
One of the few issues the iPhone 5 had was a limited battery life. In this area the Samsung Galaxy S4 trounced it. Apple has tried a few things to improve battery life on the iPhone 5S, like including the M7 processor, but to varying degrees of success.
The most obvious resolution would be a bigger battery. This poses a problem for Apple as the iPhone 5S shares the same chassis as the 5, so there's not a lot of additional space to play with. Regardless it has managed to increase the size from 1440mAh to 1560mAh, about 8%.
Together with the touted iOS 7 efficiency improvements and processor efficiencies we did notice that the iPhone 5S outlasts the iPhone 5.
We got between nine and 10 hours of mixed usage, including streaming video, gaming, browsing, calls, taking pictures and video and listening to music.
Impressively steaming, 720p video at half screen brightness seemed to tax the battery very little, with only 3% disappearing in half an hour. Playing music stored locally using the included Earpods at high volume saw of a 4% drop in 30 mins. Gaming, particularly intensive 3D games such as Real Racing 3 and Infinity Blade 3, sapped juice at a steady, but reasonable, rate while 3G browsing was the other main drain.
Used normally we managed to make the battery last for a day and a half before requiring a charge, better than the iPhone 5.
Unfortunately the iPhone 5S is still not on a par with the Android big boys. The Samsung Galaxy S4 outlasts it by some margin and the removable cover offers the ability to switch batteries if you're really desperate and very well organised.
On the other hand the iPhone 5S is much smaller and lighter, allowing the option of adding a power-pack case without it becoming too cumbersome. These can be pricy though and ruin the sleek design somewhat.
So, while it's an improvement on the iPhone 4/4S/5 in this regard, it does feel as if Apple has chosen to ignore serious improvements in this area. It's 'good enough' for the large majority, but if there's an area it cedes noticeable ground to the competition, it's here.
IPHONE 5S – CAMERA AND PICTURE QUALITY
Once again, on paper the camera on the iPhone 5S looks similar to the one on the iPhone 5. Both have 8-megapixels, but Apple has made some significant improvements to the iPhone 5S camera to help it cope better in low-light conditions – traditionally the area that phone cameras are weak.
It's attempted to get more light into the lens by enlarging the sensor from 1/ 3.2 to 1/ 3, which in turn leads to an increase in the size of the pixels from 1.4 microns to 1.5 mircons. It's a similar method to that attempted by the HTC One, albeit with mixed results due to its extremely low 4-megapixel resolution, half that of the iPhone 5S. Has Apple got the balance right?
In well-lit conditions the camera performs well. Colour is accurate and there's enough detail. There is not optical image stabilisation, such as can be found on the Nokia Lumia 1020, but the iPhone 5S uses software stabilisation to compensate somewhat for shaky hands.
The lower number of megapixels when compared to the Samsung Galaxy S4 or Xperia Z1 means it doesn't reach those cameras' level of detail in perfect light conditions, such as the sunny day we were testing.
The iPhone 5S compromises slightly on image quality when it takes burst shots so quickly, but not as much as we feared. It also recommends the best shots in the series so you don't have to sort through them all.
A larger sensor is always a good thing, but the true innovation for the iPhone 5S's camera is the 'True Tone' flash. Apple has added a second, amber coloured, LED flash to the iPhone 5S for use when it's dark. The idea of the True Tone flash is to improve on the harsh tones and inaccurate colour reproduction of skin tones caused by white-LED or Xenon flashes.
It works by taking a picture, analysing the ambient light and then setting the correct flash tone and intensity. As you can imagine this takes time and there's a noticeable lag between pushing the button and taking the snap.
Video performance is also solid, with a few nifty additions. A slow-motion mode has been added and it's bundles of fun. The new camera and app allows shooting at 720p 120 FPS. Once you've finished shooting you can move some sliders around and make any section move in slow motion. It's simple but it works extremely well. Bouncing on a trampoline will never look more elegant.
All-in-all the myriad tweaks Apple has made to the camera of the iPhone 5S make it one of the best all-rounders out there, a fact helped no end by the much improved camera app that's easier to use and adds a few nice new features such as photo filters. It's hard to say it's the best phone camera around as the definition varies depending on your needs, but it's right up there.
IPHONE 5S - CALL AND SOUND QUALITY
The iPhone 5S provides excellent sound quality via its noise-cancelling microphones to the person on the other side. The quality of the ear speaker is also great with voices clear even on a windy high street or noisy station.
The speakers on the iPhone 5S have also had an upgrade, providing much clearer sound with less distortion at maximum volume. You won't be throwing any raves and the stereo speakers on the HTC One are still in a class of their own, but the 5S speaker works perfectly for hand's free calls and watching videos.
SHOULD I BUY THE IPHONE 5S?
If you're a convert to the plethora of phones with big screens on the market you may initially struggle to go back to the 4-inch display of the iPhone 5S, excellent though it is. That doesn't mean you shouldn't try, though. The iPhone 5S is more of a phone than some of the Android behemoths that straddle the realm of tablets, and it's a pleasure to use day-to-day.
Performance is superb and its camera performs very well. iOS 7 feels fresh and vibrant and the App Store has by far the best selection of apps you know are safe.
It is undoubtedly the best phone with a screen smaller than 4.7 inches.
But it comes at a price.
The iPhone 5S starts at £549 for the 16GB model, rising up to £709 for the 64GB one with the 32GB model making the piggy in the middle at £629. If you want it on contract you'll be looking at around £40 a month for two years.
That's a lot of money, the same as the Sony Xperia Z1 which offers great performance, waterproofing, a solid camera and a microSD card slot for cheap additional storage. However many will find that too bulky.
The Galaxy S4 has fallen behind in terms of performance and is not nearly as well formed as the iPhone 5S, but the amount of functionality and features Samsung has managed to pack into the svelte body is impressive.
Then there's the HTC One, arguably the best looking of all. It, however, suffers from an indifferent camera and average battery life.
It's a tough decision but you won't go wrong with the iPhone 5S, especially if you're thinking of upgrading from and iPhone 4 or 4S. The benefits you will see upgrading from the iPhone 5 are fewer.
And, while iPhone 5S is pricey, there's another thing to consider, iPhones retain their value very well with used 16GB 4Ss still selling for around £250.
VERDICT
The iPhone 5S may look like an iPhone 5, but it's better in all the right ways. If you are very comfortable with a bigger screen you might want to look elsewhere, but the iPhone 5S is a consummate performer that puts very few steps wrong.
IPHONE 5S PEACEKEEPER BENCHMARK
The Peacekeeper Universal browser test checks the browser's speed performance and can be used on all platforms. We use the stock Android browser to test on the Galaxy S4 and Z1 and the Safari browser on iPhones.
IPHONE 5S GEEKBENCH 3 BENCHMARK
Geekbench is a processor benchmark that tests the speeds of CPUs. We use the multi-core score in these results.
IPHONE 5S ICE STORM UNLIMITED BENCHMARK
3D Mark's Ice Storm Unlimited benchmark test makes direct chip-to-chip comparisons of system on chip. It removes display resolution scaling and operating system factors to ensure like for like comparisons between iOS and Android devices.
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