Apple's iPhone 5s got a massive price cut, but is it still worth it?

Apple launched the iPhone 5s in India back in November 2013. Two years later, its price has now dropped significantly. At Rs. 21,499 officially for the 16GB version, does the iPhone 5s still make a good deal? Of course, it’s not the latest and greatest version Apple’s smartphone. We’ve already seen four new ones since, the iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s and the 6s Plus. At a time when smartphones become irrelevant and outdated quickly, should you be spending money on a two-year-old device? The best small size phone deal Right now, if you’re considering an Android smartphone, you have two options: a small-sized handset that doesn’t perform very well, or a large-sized handset with all the bells and whistles. Seriously, it’s ridiculously difficult to get a small Android smartphone that will give you a great camera, excellent battery life, lag-free performance, and a vibrant high-def screen. [caption id=“attachment_291572” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”] Image: Karlis Dambrans / Flickr[/caption]   In that aspect, the iPhone 5s is a clear winner. The 4-inch screen and overall thin profile makes this phone eminently pocketable. You’ll never feel like you need two hands to use it, although you can if you want to. And it’s all packaged in Apple’s incredible design and best-in-class materials, so it feels like a premium smartphone. The best Android comparison in this size and price range is the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact. Now, that’s a really good phone, but let’s not kid ourselves, it can’t match up to the iPhone 5s on multiple fronts: camera, battery life, and performance. With the iPhone 5s, we’re talking about hardware that simply isn’t available in any similar-sized Android smartphone in this price range. The 5s has a fingerprint sensor, one of the best cameras out there, and easily lasts all day, especially with iOS 9’s battery-saving features. Will it get updates and support new apps? And that’s the other thing: it has iOS 9 and is compatible with most apps. As Android Police shows in this comparison, Apple’s phones support software updates for much longer than Android phones. Even the geriatric iPhone 4s has got iOS 9, so you can expect OS updates for some time given the better hardware on the iPhone 5s. [caption id=“attachment_291573” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”] Image: Kelvinsong / Wikimedia[/caption] The iPhone 5s rocks Apple’s A7 chip, which is not only powerful enough for most regular uses but also supports a wider variety of apps than what you’ll find on the iPhone 5. The benefit of the A7 chip is that it’s 64-bit. As iOS progresses, developers are making apps for 64-bit processors, used in all devices from the iPhone 5s onwards. We’ve already come across a few games that don’t support iPhone 5 because of the older 32-bit processor, but are compatible with 64-bit processors; so again, in terms of future compatibility, you’re more likely to be served well with the iPhone 5s. When it comes to software updates and app support, the Android ecosystem is a joke compared to iOS, so let’s not even get into that debate. You’ll be lucky if any non-flagship phone you buy is supported beyond 18 months, given that’s even Google’s official limit on its Nexus phones. What are your compromises and limitations? This isn’t to say that the iPhone 5s is a perfect phone experience. You’ll have to be ready for a few compromises. While it’s smooth and functionality, the 5s isn’t as fast and zippy as the iPhone 6s. The biggest bottleneck you’ll find is in the RAM, which can prove to be insufficient if you’re a power user, especially while browsing several tabs or if you are doing something while having multiple Facebook Messenger conversations (that app really eats up your available resources!). [caption id=“attachment_291575” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”] Image: Karlis Dambrans / Flickr[/caption] You’ll also miss out on some new technologies that could change how iOS apps are designed. For example, pressure-sensitive 3D Touch is available on the 6s, but you won’t get it on the 5s. The ecosystem of accessories is also going to dwindle as you go forward. Apple has now decided that 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch are the two new device sizes they want to support, so third-party accessory makers will concentrate on making cases, speaker docks, and other devices for those sizes; not on the now-defunct 4-inch size. Also, remember that the 21,000-rupee-deal is on the base 16GB model. As many have pointed out, that might become too little space very soon, if you don’t back up and clean your drive, or if you install a truckload of games. A good thing in a small package Despite these drawbacks, if you want to buy a small-sized smartphone, then the iPhone 5s is the most sensible deal right now. Its excellent performance on all parameters and long-term software support make it a clear winner in this size. It’s difficult, almost impossible, to get a premium smartphone experience in a small-sized handset anymore. Both Android and iOS have pretty much ditched anything close to a 4-inch screen, so this is your best bet to get a great experience in a single hand. With the price cut, even more so! Heck, even if we were to expand the price range to include all phones in this size, you can’t find a better value-for-money proposition right now. What if I don’t want a small size phone? If the small size isn’t the factor that’s of prime importance to you, then forget about the iPhone 5s. There are plenty of other phones in this price range that are a better deal. The secondary appeal of the iPhone 5s is in its size. What’s the primary appeal, you ask? Well, it’s an iPhone.