Top 10 reasons not to buy an iPhone 5S or 5C
Hidden specs, lazy design and have you seen the prices?!
Today eager Apple fans are finally getting their mitts on the new iPhone 5S, some having queued for days for the pleasure. However, those with a tad more sanity and critical faculties will be considering if the phone is worth the outlay.
Furthermore, those wondering what on earth all the fuss is about with Apple devices may be tempted to move to the 'cheaper' iPhone 5C device in order to experience the iOS lifestyle. But after all, it's not cheap, and many may either be happily embedded in Android, or more than satisfied with their iPhone 4S or iPhone 5, and unsure if they really need to upgrade yet again.
For those who are unsure, we've listed some of the negative aspects of the new device to counter all the upbeat marketing pizzazz from Apple, and help you decide if it really is worth your hard-earned cash.
10. The closed model makes it slow innovation-wise
Since its very beginning Apple has always taken a closed approach to its software and hardware. Being fair, this does have some advantages. For example, the closed nature of Apple's iOS ecosystem - which vets any app before letting it onto its App Store and blocks developers setting up third-party marketplaces - is a key reason the OS has remained blissfully malware free for so long.
However, as noted by newly hired AVG chief executive officer Gary Kovacs during an interview with V3, it also has some drawbacks, the most serious of which is how it massively slows innovation.
On a basic level this is because of the extra hoops Apple forces developers to jump through to get their wares onto iOS, with the extra admin costing them both time and money. For this reason, while Apple development is safer, it will never be able to enjoy unexpected changes and innovation from third-party sources the same as open systems such as Android can.
Top 10 reasons not to buy an iPhone 5S or 5C
Hidden specs, lazy design and have you seen the prices?!
9. There's still no micro SD card slot
Only a little annoyance, and not something Apple was likely to include, but a micro SD card slot is still a nifty feature found on many other high-end devices such as the iPhone's biggest rival, the Samsung Galaxy S4.
Its omission from the iPhone 5S means users are forced to rely on internal storage for music, images, apps and videos, and iCloud, with its fairly paltry offerings - unless you want to pay, of course.
While these should prove adequate for more people, a micro SD is so much easier to use and it's a shame Apple favours design so much more over usefulness.
8. Camera update is still far behind rivals
Camera technology has been a hot topic in the smartphone world for years now. This is largely thanks to Nokia, which started the trend back in 2012 when it released its first 41MP camera phone, the 808 PureView. Since then every smartphone maker in the world has started trying to rob Nokia of its crown, loading their phones with a host of custom technologies, such as HTC's UltraPixels.
Apple has chosen to join the race, toting the iPhone 5S 8MP rear camera as its best yet. However, even with Apple's great marketing spiel about the 5S's improved sensor and iOS 7 imaging software, the fact is there are better camera phones out there, such as the recently launched and current top dog, the Nokia Lumia 1020.
7. Most iOS innovations are Android copies
Apple lists iOS 7 as having over 200 new features, which on paper makes the software look fairly forward thinking. And if you've only ever been embedded in the iOS ecosystem, it is.
But to those used to playing outside Apple's walled garden in the Android world, it's really not, with close to all the important changes all very similar to those already seen on Google's mobile operating system.
A good example of this is the new quick settings bar. The quick settings menu is a nifty addition that offers a quick and easy way to access certain options and quickly check notifications, however it's a feature that's been on Android for years now and the only real difference is that you access it by swiping up from the bottom of the screen, not the top.
Top 10 reasons not to buy an iPhone 5S or 5C
Hidden specs, lazy design and have you seen the prices?!
6. It's better to wait for next year's iPhone
If Apple wants to keep investor faith for the long term, the firm needs to show it can increase its smartphone market share and start making a dent in Android's numbers, especially before Microsoft has any chance to catch up with Windows Phone now it has bought Nokia's mobile device business.
The iPhone 5S and 5C bring nothing significantly new to the table to help Apple rapidly build its market share, so it's likely that the firm will need to show some true innovation with the next smartphone it launches. Apple also tends to save its major hardware upgrades for every other year, so the iPhone 4S was only a marginal change to the iPhone 4, while the jump between the 4S and iPhone 5 saw a total overhaul of size, weight, screen and internal parts.
All this points to Apple introducing a much-improved and redesigned handset next year, whether that's a much lower-cost model, a large-screen phablet or a completely new smartphone brand. So it's better to save your upgrade opportunity and cash for this time next year, rather than rushing to grab a 5C or 5S now that won't offer that much different from your current iPhone.
5. O2 customers face a long wait, with no 4G in sight
For those on O2 and desperate to get on 4G with an iPhone, the wait goes on. Apple will have to release a software upgrade to run on the network owned by O2, and for users this is yet more frustrating.
The firm will not even have the device in stock for the next three to six weeks, so even if the lack of 4G from the off is something you can live without, you can't even get the device yet anyway.
If you'd been waiting for a new device, perhaps its time to vote with your wallet and take the plunge with a new manufacturer and enjoy 4G from the off as well.
Top 10 reasons not to buy an iPhone 5S or 5C
Hidden specs, lazy design and have you seen the prices?!
4. New iOS 7 operating system could confuse average users
Perhaps one of the biggest reasons to put off buying an iPhone 5S or iPhone 5C is the fact it will come preloaded with iOS 7, with no option to go back to the older iOS 6 operating system.
Of course, such an attitude may seem odd, but iOS 7 represents such a move forward for Apple and its user base, that many may find themselves lost on the platform, struggling to understand how features they've long understood have changed.
However, if you're still on an iPhone 5 or older, you could put off the upgrade for a little while to see how those who do plump for an iPhone 5S get on, and try it out to see if it's for you.
3. Shady chip specifications
Apple has always refused to detail the full technical specifications of chips used in its iOS tablets and smartphones. This is because, according to Apple, the information is a false representation of how fast the device actually is, as speed is largely determined by how well-optimised the software is for the part.
In the past there has been some truth to this claim, with Apple's previous dual-core iPhone 4S easily outclassing all similarly specced Android phones. However, with each Android software release this claim has rang less true and today most current quad-core Android smartphones are able to match if not beat iPhones performance-wise.
For this reason, we'd really like Apple to stop its silence about its chip's specs and save the tech community the hassle of having to reveal specs with teardowns, making the policy pointless.
Top 10 reasons not to buy an iPhone 5S or 5C
Hidden specs, lazy design and have you seen the prices?!
2. Outdated design means the device does not stand out from the crowd
Aside from the downgrade to plastic and the colour palette, the two new iPhone models are pretty much identical on the outside to the existing iPhone 5. The iPhone 5C switches from the premium aluminium unibody casing to a plastic back, allowing Apple to slightly reduce the price tag. The 5C is also available in white, pink, yellow, blue or green, while the 5S comes in gold, silver or 'space grey'.
Speculation was rife in the lead-up to the unveiling that Apple would release a larger smartphone model, with reports initially indicating a slightly larger 4.3in screen. As the launch date neared, the rumour mill moved onto reports of an Apple phablet, with certain sources pointing to a 6in iPhone.
So while Apple has stuck with an iPhone 5 rework for this year, the firm is more likely to bow to market pressure next year and overhaul its iPhone 6 design, offering a large-screen model or a total redesign of the current model that will be more worthy of an upgrade.
1. Cost could put off both first-time and loyal buyers
Apple managed to surprise just about everybody when it finally revealed the iPhone 5C's cost. At £469 for the cheapest 16GB model, the 5C is effectively the iPhone 5 downgraded into a plastic casing and with a slightly reduced price tag compared with the iPhone 5S's cost of £549.
Apple's failure to take the braver step of reworking the iPhone to compete with mid-range smartphones such as the Galaxy S4 Mini and HTC One Mini, which both cost less than £400, could prove detrimental to its future outlook in the mobile space. According to smartphone user stats for the second quarter 2013, Apple now has 14 percent of the global market, down from 17 percent for the same quarter in 2012. Meanwhile rival mobile platform Android, which offers mobiles priced from £100 up to £600, currently accounts for a whopping 80 percent of the worldwide smartphone market.
Android's rapid rise demonstrates a major thirst for cheaper smartphone models, which are affordable across non-Western markets such as Asia and Latin America, and more accessible to younger buyers.
Apple still has its hardcore fans who will rush to upgrade, but pricing the two new handsets at only £80 apart means that the firm will be mostly competing with its own traditional customer base for sales, rather than enticing its core iPhone user base with the 5S, and competing with the S4 Mini and One Mini with the 5C.