I remember the iPhone 5s keynote clear as day. The phone featured Touch ID, a 64-bit processor, a new Space Gray and Gold finish. This week, Apple declared it obsolete.
Apple’s iPhone 5s Was One of my Favorite iPhone Models to Date – Today, it’s Obsolete and No Longer Supported
It was September 10, 2013. Apple unveiled the iPhone 5s to the world. Since it was an ‘s’ product, therefore it was a refinement over the iPhone that was released before it, the iPhone 5. However, this was more than a refinement. It was a massive leap forward for iPhone and the mobile tech industry in general.
The iPhone 5s had the same design as the iPhone 5, the same 4-inch display, etc. But, the place where the phone took a massive leap was the A7 chip. It was the world’s first 64-bit chip inside a smartphone. In Phil Schiller’s own words: “I don’t think the other guys are talking about it yet.” And he was right – no one was at the time. This iPhone transitioned the entire smartphone industry away from the 32-bit architecture, allowing for new and faster app experiences.
The move to 64-bit architecture meant the iPhone 5s saw a performance boost of two times – same for graphics.
Twice the performance leap in a single year.
Another thing that made the iPhone 5s amazing was the introduction of Touch ID. The concave Home button was replaced by a flat fingerprint sensor which also doubled as a Home button. Just place your finger on it and you’re inside iOS and eventually it was used to authenticate app purchase, Apple Pay and more. And it was massively secure, and it still is to date, with latest generation Touch ID sensor living in devices like the Mac, iPad Air, iPad mini. And it all started with the iPhone 5s.
This was the first-ever iPhone that added a new flavor of color to the iPhone lineup. Instead of the usual black and white color options from last year, the iPhone now came in Silver, Space Gray and Gold. The Space Gray model instantly caught my eye and I rushed to get the phone as soon as it became available. It felt like the most premium phone ever has ever done, and it truly was. Give me flak all you want, but the design was a massive improvement over the iPhone 4 and 4s.
I adored the 5s till the iPhone 6 came out next year and it was the only iPhone model I truly miss to date because of its tiny 4-inch display. Sure, we’ve had the iPhone mini a couple of times, but it didn’t quite spark the nostalgia as Apple hoped it would. The 5s was built different even though we’ve had way better models after it.
Reading about the iPhone 5s going obsolete definitely felt like a flight back in time. From the keynote all the way to unboxing the phone, it was surreal. We tend to forget about technology when the new thing comes out but it always leaves a mark in our lives one way or the other.
Goodbye, iPhone 5s. You were great.
