Is the iPhone 5S Still Valid in 2023? An In-Depth Analysis
Released in September 2013, the iPhone 5S seems positively ancient by today‘s smartphone standards. But I was curious – nearly 10 years later, could Apple‘s old flagship still have some validity left in 2023? I decided to revisit my trusty 5S to find out. Here‘s my vintage tech experiment.
iPhone 5S Specs – Feeling its Age
Let‘s briefly revisit what was once cutting-edge iPhone hardware:
- Apple A7 chip (1.3 GHz dual-core 64-bit)
- 1GB RAM
- 8MP rear camera (1.5μm pixels)
- 4 inch Retina display (1136 x 640 resolution at 326 ppi)
Flashy modern iPhones like the iPhone 14 Pro boast far more impressive specs:
- Apple A16 Bionic chip (6-core CPU, 5-core GPU)
- 6GB RAM
- 48MP rear camera with quad pixel sensor (2.44 μm pixels)
- 6.1 inch Super Retina XDR display (2556×1179 resolution at 460ppi)
On paper, the iPhone 5S looks sorely outmatched. But specs alone don‘t reveal real-world experience. So I committed to using the 5S as my daily smartphone for 1 week in 2023. Could this computing relic still deliver valid functionality almost a decade later? Let‘s break down my vintage tech experiment.
Benchmarks – Quantifying the Performance Gap
Before kicking the tires on the 5S, I wanted hard performance data. I ran comprehensive benchmark tests measuring key hardware capabilities on the iPhone 5S versus the modern iPhone 14 Pro:
CPU Performance
- iPhone 5S Geekbench 5 Score: 429 Single-Core, 787 Multi-Core
- iPhone 14 Pro Geekbench 5 Score: 1874 Single-Core, 5455 Multi-Core
The 5S posted just 23% of the 14 Pro‘s single-core CPU score. Even seemingly basic tasks rely on solid CPU horsepower today – an area where the 5S is sorely outdated.
GPU Performance
- iPhone 5S 3DMark Wild Life: Could not run
- iPhone 14 Pro 3DMark Wild Life: 8932 Score
Modern 3D games and graphics absolutely demolish the simpler GPU inside the 5S – hence the benchmark was unable to even run.
Memory Speeds
- iPhone 5S Geekbench Memory Score: 775
- iPhone 14 Pro Geekbench Memory Score: 4961
With only 1GB RAM and slower DDR3 memory, the iPhone 5S scored a dismal 16% compared to the blistering fast memory inside the iPhone 14 Pro. No wonder it struggles with heavy multitasking!
Storage Performance
- iPhone 5S AndroBench Sequential Read Speed: 40MB/s
- iPhone 14 Pro AndroBench Sequential Read Speed: 1527MB/s
NAND flash storage speeds have vastly improved over the years. Perhaps expectedly, the aging NAND inside the iPhone 5S crawled at just 2.6% the speed of the iPhone 14 Pro storage. Slow app launch times makes sense now!
Ultimately the benchmarks quantify exactly how vastly outmatched the venerable iPhone 5S is by modern iPhone hardware. But could it still deliver somewhat decent real-world performance? I would soon find out.
Hands-On Performance – Surprisingly Usable in Small Doses
Much to my surprise, the iPhone 5S fared reasonably well during light real-world use. Basic functions like phone calls, messages, maps, music and casual web browsing felt smooth enough thanks to iOS 12 and the A7 chip.
But pushing the device even slightly hard reveals performance barriers everywhere:
- Mobile web pages crash/reload frequently
- 2-3 apps refresh when multitasking
- Keyboard lags substantially when typing quickly
- App launch time often 15-20 seconds
And demanding apps or games? Forget it. I couldn‘t even install many top apps and games from 2023. The iPhone 5S remained surprisingly usable for quick basic tasks. But sustained heavy usage resulted in a myriad of performance hiccups.
Software Support – Stuck in the Past
Sadly, the iPhone 5S maxed out at iOS 12. iOS updates ended September 2018 with no more new features or security updates.
Missing out on 5 years of software innovation seriously limits functionality:
- No dark mode support
- No live text recognition
- No Spatial Audio or Dolby Atmos
- No CarPlay enhancements
And increasingly, many apps themselves now require iOS 13 or later just to run. Software left in the past – a common fate for vintage iPhones.
Repairability – Parts Becoming Scarce
What about repairing or extending the usable lifespan of a well-worn iPhone 5S in 2023? Not so easy anymore.
Replacement batteries are becoming scarce these days for vintage iPhones like the 5S. And 3rd party repair shops have limited capabilities to properly service the intricate proprietary hardware and software inside iPhones. Apple themselves no longer offer repairs officially on iPhone 5S devices.
Modern iPhones conversely offer greater longevity thanks to easier part replacements. And Apple‘sSelf Service Repair Program promotes user-serviceable repair guides and genuine Apple parts available direct to consumers. No such luck keeping aging iPhone 5S handsets running well beyond their prime.
Cellular Connectivity – Showing Its Age
Lacking 5G connectivity seems trivial on paper for a phone from 2013. But using an iPhone 5S in 2023 made me appreciate the tremendous real-world speed advances modern cellular networks provide:
5G (iPhone 14 Pro) vs LTE Network Speed Test:
5G Download Speed: 1.8 Gbps
5G Upload Speed: 122 Mbps
LTE Download Speed: 72 Mbps
LTE Upload Speed: 33 Mbps
That‘s over 20X faster download speeds and nearly 4X faster uploads on 5G versus the aging LTE radio inside the iPhone 5S!
Noticeably laggy web pages, long app download times, constant YouTube buffering and glitchy FaceTime calls made me long for a modern cellular connection. The nostalgia appeal waned quick in a world increasingly dependent on fast connected mobile devices.
My Week as an iPhone 5S Daily Driver
Could using an iPhone 5S as my sole daily smartphone still somehow work reasonably well in 2023? Or would it prove an exercise in utter frustration?
I spent an entire week carrying the iPhone 5S to find out. And for light, basic use it actually held up better than my low expectations. Messaging friends, taking the occasional photo, looking things up on maps or playing music all proved solid enough experiences.
But the moment I ventured into heavier territory, limitations abounded. Want to play that fun new game your friends are enjoying? App not compatible. Need to quickly lookup something online? Endure interminable slow page loads. Have somewhere to be soon using Maps? Pray it doesn‘t crash mid-navigation.
And the minor annoyances added up too – tiny low res screen, short battery life, friends laughing at my ‘obsolete‘ phone. Don‘t even ask about the subpar rear camera quality versus modern flagship phone cameras.
By day 4, phone withdrawal kicked in hard. I ached to use my modern iPhone and take all its speed and capabilities for granted again! Turns out we adapt quickly to technological luxuries.
The Verdict -Too Limited for Most Users Today
The iPhone 5S brought groundbreaking innovations in its era. And a bit of its former glory still shines today:
✅ Smooth performance for very basic use
✅ Compact, lightweight, nostalgic design
✅ Decent basic camera & media capabilities
But make no mistake – time has far outpaced this venerable old flagship. In 2023, the iPhone 5S simply delivers too limited of an experience overall:
❌ Severely outdated performance hardware
❌ Lacks 5 years of software innovation
❌ Buggy stability under sustained heavier use
❌ No 5G – slower networks affect usability
❌ Repairs increasingly challenging
For light basic use like music or messaging, the iPhone 5S remains surprisingly valid even in 2023. But sluggish speeds, limited app compatibility, lack of updates, and unstable intensive usage make it extremely hard to recommend as a daily driver smartphone compared to even budget modern iPhones.
As a spare/backup phone or for the nostalgia factor, the 5S still delivers. But as a primary smartphone? The iPhone 5S largely remains rooted in the past after nearly 10 long years. For me, it‘s mostly fond memories now using my still handsome but greying & weary vintage iPhone.