Parodies have been tailing the iPhone 5s since its launch on Tuesday. One video quips that the ‘s’ in ‘5s’ stands for ‘same’. They also take a jab at the 5c, joking that Apple tacked on ‘c’ for ‘cheap’. But as most people know, anything can be parodied, and the digs made on targets should be taken with a grain of salt. There’s a reason why the new iPhones are not labeled ‘6’. It’s more reasonable to look at these models as offshoots of the iPhone 5 or half-steps to the iPhone 6.
Take the iPhone 5c: it is not a contract-free or pre-paid smartphone, so it is by no means ‘cheap’ in that regard. That description might be geared toward the hardware, which is very much 2012 technology; however, that isn’t a problem for someone simply looking for functionality. The candy-bright polycarbonate cover also knocks a bit off the price tag. For anyone with a budget, this is a great smartphone to get. With the phone being “$99 or less on contract,” a better word to describe the iPhone 5c would be ‘economic’.
As for the iPhone 5s, it’s true that no appreciably major changes were made to the phone’s appearance. Most of the tweaks are internal and subtle. The new fingerprint scanner is one example. The scanner has a lot of potential, especially when it comes to security. If anything, that’s a feature to keep an eye on. Two other updated features include the improved camera and the faster processor.
Sure, some iPhone lovers are truly disappointed by the lack of shocking change in the iPhone line. But these minor improvements seem like stepping stones toward a bold new direction. The iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c are offshoots of 2012’s beloved iPhone 5. The major innovations are yet to come.
