The big media event is over, and the new iPhones have been presented to the masses. Now the most important question: Which one should you put on your credit card?
It used to be easy. There was one iPhone model, and the only decision you had to make was about storage capacity. With today's introduction of a multi-pronged iPhone sales strategy, and now that there are SO MANY PHONES to choose from, Apple has ultimately made things more difficult for consumers to feel like they're making the right decision.
But fear not: We will run through the high-level decisions involved in a smartphone purchase and determine which iPhone should be your new iPhone.
Storage
There was a time when calls for a 128GB iPhone seemed completely logical. Music, photos, apps -- we wanted our iPhones to hold it all. But thanks to streaming music from Rdio, Spotify, Rhapsody, and now even Apple, you don't have to shove all your music onto your phone. Photos get the same treatment with Dropbox, Flickr, and Photo Stream. For most folks, 16GB is fine if they actively manage all their apps and media. But who has time for all of that? A 32GB iPhone hits the sweet spot. This should be more than enough room for your key apps, photos, your latest and favorite tunes, and a few larger games -- so long as you don't cram everything you own on it.
Camera
Sure, you think the Retina display is important. In reality, the camera is more important than a display. After all, the camera is how you get your duck face selfies onto Instagram. It's how you Vine your friend eating a hot dog in under six seconds. A good camera is critical. The iPhone 5S has a better camera than the iPhone 5C. The sensor is 15 percent larger, and it has an updated dual-LED flash system that measures the light in the room and alters the color temperature of the flash accordingly. Night shots will appear more natural, and you won't look like a ghoul when you're out in the club -- something the current flash is really good at. The iPhone 5S also features updated camera software with burst mode, slow motion video, and live video zoom.
The bottom line here: Your smartphone is the camera you carry with you all the time, and likely the only camera you will have on you when you really need to take a picture. Get the iPhone with the best camera.
Processor
The processor differences between the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5C are substantial. The iPhone 5S has the brand-new 64-bit A7 processor, while the iPhone 5C is packing the less-awesome A6 processor. The huge difference right now is speed, but in the long run, iOS and apps will be optimized for the 64-bit architecture. The key consideration is how long you plan on holding onto your iPhone. If you're going to stick with your iPhone for only two years, it might not that big of a deal. If you're in it for longer than that, you will want to go bigger. Plus, Apple has thrown a second processor into the iPhone 5S called the M7. This little helper takes care of the the gyroscope, accelerometer, and compass. By pulling processing off the power-hungry A7, the lower-power M7 will keep your battery lasting at least a bit longer. It should also make your phone more capable of managing health and fitness apps, or any apps that rely on the motion sensors in the phone.
Battery
Apple claims that both iPhone models will last for 10 hours browsing the web with LTE, Wi-Fi, and video playback. Both offer eight hours of talk and web browsing and chatting with 3G. And if you're still using your phone to chat, LTE battery life is 10 hours for both. So that's a wash.
Fingerprint
Touch ID will make anyone who doesn't like iOS's lock screen happy. But it may also get those of us who couldn't be bothered to secure our phones to finally lock down our sensitive information. For the paranoid, it's either a great addition or a great evil. We think it's the future, and we're excited about it. So this round goes to the phone with the sensor, the 5S.
Metal v. Plastic
The metal and glass iPhone 5S is more resilient to drops and scratches. Period. Sure, the plastic-backed iPhone 5C has steel-reinforced frame, but it will probably still crack when subjected to abuse that would only dent the iPhone 5S. If the argument is for longevity, go metal. If you're going to put a case on your iPhone, the choice becomes slightly less critical, but certainly keep in mind that the addition of a truly protective case will make the iPhone 5C's color schemes moot.
Your New iPhone
The 32GB iPhone 5S is the phone to buy.
Its processor is a bet on the future. The camera is a substantial upgrade from the camera found in the 5C. The fingerprint sensor is a very cool addition. And it's metal. Metal is better than plastic. The $300 price tag is $100 more than the 32GB iPhone 5C. While the high-end features justify the additional cost, if you're really worried about throwing down another Benjamin, think of it this way: This is $100 over a two-year contract. That's less than $4.25 a month for better photos, better performance, a longer device lifespan, and overall peace of mind.
On the Other Hand
I'm getting the 16GB iPhone 5C. I've purchased the best of the best iPhones every time, right up until the iPhone 4S. Right now, though, I'm on a budget that can only handle $100 for a new phone. Also, I use my DSLR for the photos now. The iPhone 5C camera is good enough for walking-around photos of friends and random cats. Thanks to Rdio, Dropbox, iTunes Match, and Photo Stream, I no longer need 64GB of storage. I don't even really need 32B of storage. High-end gaming apps take up the biggest storage on the iPhone and I don't play those games. While 64-bit is the future, Apple has a good track record of supporting a few generations of iPhones with each iOS update. Plus, in two years, this phone will be sold or attached to a speaker in my house.
Plus, I like the colors. Although I wish there was an orange iPhone 5C.
