15-20K Is iPhone 5S still worth it?

[mathrisk]

Looking for my wife - her usage involves WhatsApp and Facebook mainly. No gaming. No strict requirement in camera. Screen shouldn't be more than 4.7/5".
I showed her the available Androids in this range - OPT, OP-X, Motos, Mi's etc. But she's skeptical about android as my antique SGS III is super laggy most of the times unlike the iPad Air she uses, which is quite fast.

She'd seen the 5S and she's okay with it. (SE is way over the budget)

But I am not sure if 5S is till worth it considering that it's a 4 years old model !! Does it have 4G?
We don't normally change our phones too often - she plan to use it for at least for 3 years. So.. is 5S recommended ?

Spoiler: Obligatory Template

Questions:-
1. Budget?
A: INR 20k-25k

2. Preferred display size, type and resolution?
A: 4.7"-5"

3. Preferred operating system? (Android (with version), iOS, Windows Phone etc).
A: iOS

4. Preferred connectivity options? (4G, 3G, 2G etc).
A: 4G

5. Do you have any brand preference or dislike? Please name them.
A: Leaning toward Apple.

6. What is your intended use for this phone (internet, camera, multimedia, mails etc.)?
A: WhatsApp, FB, FB-Messenger, other basic internet

7. Single SIM/ Dual SIM?
A: No preference

8. New or Used? Online or Offline?
A: New. Don’t mind buying online

9. Any other requirements?
A: NA

10. If you have already considered a phone, then please mention the model
A: iPhone 5S - 16GB

TIA

 

[vyral_143]

With iOS 9, it still works fluidly. It does have 4G as model sold here is A1530 (someone correct me if I am wrong on model number part). However with iOS 10 I am not sure if it will be same fluid. For usage mentioned, it is a good device. Do remember that 16GB model will give 11.9GB as usable space.

 

[soulweaver]

Though I am not a huge fan of Apple, I would say the short answer is Yes.

I will not receive updates but, for the usage mentioned, it should not be a problem. I would not recommend the SE at all. It is overpriced.

 

[Shubham1401]

Try to push for Iphone 6. Simply because of one factor - It has a 4.7 inch screen.
Even for things like Whatsapp, basic browsing and facebook, a 4 inch screen will be very limiting. 4.7" on the other hand has enough width to make the experience massively better!

And I'm suggesting this because you said your wife is going to use it for 3 years. So, spend a little extra for a much better long term solution.

Otherwise, Iphone 5s is a great phone still. But don't expect it to be as good for 3 years.

 

[drkrack]

Buy iPhone 6 or IPhone SE,
Next major update will most likely exclude 5s. Get iPhone 5s only if you're getting it below 15k. Unfortunately its going to be outdated soon ; Apple clearly understands the biggest competition for SE is 5s, they created SE mainly for previous 5s owners' need to upgrade in 2016.

Try to get unlocked SE from abroad & get only 64gb version ! Thats still value for money (strictly from Apple POV) over buying iPhone 5s now.

 

[ssslayer]

When will android phones become non-laggy and nimble
When will phone makers start making hand sized phones once again (instead of the laptop sized ones being made today)

 

[swatkats]

Buy iPhone 6 or IPhone SE, Next major update will most likely exclude 5s. Get iPhone 5s only if you're getting it below 15k.

5S is likely to get updates over the next 2 years for sure. Yes, Get it only if its at bargain for <15-15.5k tops.

Looking for my wife - her usage involves WhatsApp and Facebook mainly. No gaming. No strict requirement in camera. Screen shouldn't be more than 4.7/5".

But I am not sure if 5S is till worth it considering that it's a 4 years old model !! Does it have 4G?
We don't normally change our phones too often - she plan to use it for at least for 3 years. So.. is 5S recommended

- Yet to complete 3yrs. It was released in Sept 2013
- Get 5S A1530. It supports all the 4G bands in India.


I call iPhones typically a 12-14hours lasting phone on normal usage. It should last up to 18hrs if you do a little texting and few calls but needs to charge everyday if used.

 

[dafreaking]

A lot of iOS smoothness is down to excessively slow animations which trick you into believing that there is no lag. Still a phone like the 5s will be smoother than most androids released around the same time.

 

[drkrack]

A lot of iOS smoothness is down to excessively slow animations which trick you into believing that there is no lag. Still a phone like the 5s will be smoother than most androids released around the same time.

Changing android animations to 1.5x in developer's option wouldn't make android buttery smooth ; you'll still appreciate the Lag ! I'm not saying android devices are slow by any means, but the OS isn't fluid enough.

Things are better on Android flagships (especially pure Android - Nexus devices & S6/M8 with certain Custom Roms ) but you can appreciate the lag if you observe closely, I don't know the reason. Once executed the the task is relatively fast in Android, but the initial lag from touch to execution of the commands (mostly during clicking on icon) is appreciable.

One more issue with Androids is it gets laggy over a period of time, needs a factory reset once in 6 - 9 months, mostly after a new update but, Of course, you get lot more things done on Android over iOS.

 

[ELLIPSIS]

Go ahead with 5s but go for 3gb if possible.