7 Things You Might Not Know About the iPhone 5s

The iPhone 5s has been around for years, but there are some things current and prospective owners might not know about the device as we push into 2018.

Apple no longer sells the iPhone 5s, but plenty of people still own the company’s 4-inch flagship from all the way back in 2014. It’s still a fairly solid phone and Apple recently upgraded the device with its new iOS 11 operating system bringing a collection of new features, including new emoji characters, to the four year old smartphone.

It remains an option for those looking to buy a cheap iPhone minus the huge display. It’s not the company’s best 4-inch option, as you’ll learn today, but it’s an option nonetheless.

If you currently own an iPhone 5s or if you’re currently looking into buying it for pennies on the dollar, you probably know quite a bit about the 4-inch fossil. That said, there are some things Apple, employees at your local carrier store, or the person selling you the phone might not tell you about the iPhone 5s.

In this guide we’re going to take you through some things you might not know about the iPhone 5s in your possession or the device you’re looking to buy today, tomorrow, or next month.

Our walkthrough will take you through some things you might not know about the iPhone 5s’ software, a rumored alternative coming in 2018, and a brief look at the iPhone 5s’ bleak future.

If you’ve been thinking about upgrading your phone or if you’ve thought about making the iPhone 5s your next phone, these details should come in handy.

The iPhone 5s Isn't Worth It

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The iPhone 5s is extremely cheap. You can get a Straight Talk iPhone 5s for $100 at Walmart or an unlocked iPhone 5s on Amazon for $220. If you're fine using a refurbished phone, Gazelle's got a 16GB model for just $150. It's tempting, we get it.  That said, if you can help it, you should avoid buying the iPhone 5s. Here's why.  Apple's got another 4-inch iPhone on the market called the iPhone SE and the iPhone SE is superior to the iPhone 5s in every way. And like the iPhone 5s, it's cheap.  The iPhone SE, which Apple still sells, comes with the same internals as the iPhone 6s, a device that we, and many others, still recommend.  The iPhone SE's camera is better, it has better battery life, its faster, it'll get several more years of iOS updates, and you can buy it from Apple for just $14.55/month with carrier financing if you qualify. If you plan to keep your phone longer than a few months, you're much better off going with the iPhone SE (or the iPhone 6s if you can stomach the larger screen) or waiting a few months for Apple's annual spring launch event.

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