5 iPhone 5S Features We Want in September

The iPhone 5S could arrive as soon as September with many new features packed inside a similar design. After using the best smartphones of 2013 and dissecting the rumors for exciting smartphones that will still come out we have a list of iPhone 5S features we’d love to see in September.

Some iPhone users might refer to these features as gimmicks, but after using phones with these features that don’t need to sacrifice design style, quality or usability it’s clear that Apple could deliver a better iPhone 5S with the addition of these features.

Read: iPhone 5S Buyers: Start Saving for September

Here are a collection of iPhone 5S features that could complete the iPhone user experience this fall. Apple will surely deliver iPhone 5S exclusive features, and we hope some of these appear on stage at the announcement.

Water Resistant iPhone 5S

The Sony Xperia Z and Samsung Galaxy S4 Active are the latest smartphones to deliver a water-resistant coating that protects the phone from water, sand and other common hazards smartphones face. Apple uses sensors to tell if your iPhone got wet, but with a nano-coating the company could put an end to most water related damage claims. The video below shows an iPhone 5 that can withstand a drop in water, without a special case or port covers.

The iPhone in this video is coated with Liquipel 2.0, which is an aftermarket add-on that can protect the iPhone from water for $60. If Apple were to build this in, like Samsung does with the Galaxy S4 Active, users wouldn’t need to worry about humidity, spills or using the iPhone 5S in a shower or a pool.

Glove Friendly Screen

Another feature that would make the iPhone 5S easier for many users is a glove friendly touch screen. This is another feature that many smartphones offer in 2013, and while it may not be the sexiest feature it is great for users who live in cold climates, want to take their iPhone skiing or who need to wear gloves while they work.

The video above shows the Samsung Galaxy S4 responding to touch with gloves on. This is also a handy feature for users who are working in their yard while wearing gloves, and is much better than stopping to take off gloves. If the iPhone 5S offers a water-resistant design and a glove friendly display, dirty gloves wouldn’t be a big deal either, because users could quickly wash them off.

More Durable Finish

The iPhone 5 shows signs of wear fairly quickly. Many iPhone 5 users with the black iPhone report scratches on the back and on the chamfered edge that ruin the otherwise good looks of the iPhone 5. The image below shows an iPhone 5 with many scratches, which was in a case for 90% of its life.

If Apple can deliver a MacBook Air and an iPad mini that doesn’t scratch as easily, we hope they can figure out a more durable design for the iPhone 5S.

Wireless Charging

Apple downplayed wireless charging in the past, but after using wireless charging with an iPhone 5 case and on the Samsung Galaxy S3 and Galaxy S4, it’s definitely a feature we’d love to see on the iPhone 5S.

This may be a tough call as Apple is apparently not changing the design of the iPhone 5S, but as we’ve found the wireless charging components are very thin, so until we hear otherwise an iPhone 5S with wireless charging is on our wishlist.

Better iPhone Battery Life

If Apple only delivers on one of these iPhone 5S features, we hope it is better battery life. For many heavy users the iPhone 5 cannot make it through a full day without recharging. Because there is no removable battery this means many users need to rely on an iPhone 5 battery case just to get through an average day.

 These solutions add considerable bulk and at the very least add $80 to the price of the iPhone 5. Apple delivered a major boost in MacBook Air battery life with a more efficient processor from Intel. The iPhone 5S will likely use a new Apple A7 processor which could deliver better battery life through efficiency.