iPhone 5 vs iPhone 4 - Should You Upgrade?

[Eganwp]

Hey guys!

I keep seeing this question pop up time and time again as people are asking the question, is it worth upgrading my iPhone X to the new iPhone 5? Here is a video comparing them fully, from size, ergonomics, look & feel, speed, boot times, app launch times, benchmarks, features, changes, etc. to hopefully help you make that decision! My short answer is: YES!!!

iPhone 5 vs iPhone 4 Speed Tests:[video=youtube;spys8wzFeJo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spys8wzFeJo"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spys8wzFeJo[/video]
iPhone 5 vs iPhone 4 Boot-up Time: [video=youtube;ZvVTJGLsOLM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvVTJGLsOLM"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvVTJGLsOLM[/video]
iPhone 5 vs iPhone 4 Full Comparison Review: [video=youtube;9mM36F76fvQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mM36F76fvQ"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mM36F76fvQ[/video]



Also, for those just wanting to see the iPhone 5 speed & usage comparisons/benchmarks for maybe comparing to other models of phones, check the videos below:

iPhone 5 - Benchmarking: [video=youtube;NAwKVOfCGZg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAwKVOfCGZg"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAwKVOfCGZg[/video]
iPhone 5 - First Time Boot-up: [video=youtube;eVahFlxvj5M]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVahFlxvj5M"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVahFlxvj5M[/video]
iPhone 5 - Fully Utilized Boot-up Time: [video=youtube;KdZC3o36DTU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdZC3o36DTU"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdZC3o36DTU[/video]
iPhone 5 - Web Browser Speed: [video=youtube;lAtd3zDsRG8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAtd3zDsRG8"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAtd3zDsRG8[/video]


Cheers & God bless!!!
Egan

 

[djqwikcut]

I say no. If you have 4s and lots of accessories, docks etc, it's not worth it. We dont know if dock adapter will fit in things like clock radios etc and thy are $30 each. Plus it's just a stretched screen and not really a bigger screen.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[perezr10]

I've had my iPhone 5 since Friday and I'd say if you have a 4S the answer is NO. I'd wait a few months when apps & accessores have caught up to the phone and by the time everyone has caught up to the change in display and new lightning connector the 5S will be all the talk. And buyers of the 5S won't have to wait for the stuff that we 5 buyers are waiting for.

1. I know it's early but all the apps that I use are letterboxed. There is no advantage at all to having the longer screen so far. Although Safari rocks. Surfing the web is pretty cool on the bigger screen. It's not without it's drawbacks though. I can't launch apps on the opposite side of my top row anymore one-handed. I didn't think I have small hands for a 5' 9" guy, but maybe I do.

2. I can see already that not having my 30 pin accessories (docks, chargers, and interfaces) is more painful than I thought. And there is no adapter available yet.

The processor is screaming fast but there really aren't any apps that take advantage of it yet. The 4S still beats most phones on the market in the processor department when it comes to graphics.

My favorite part of my new 5 so far is the lightness of it. You can put it in your coat pocket without it making one side of your jacket sag alot. It's so light. I think it'll actually be better for working out if you decide to wear it on your arm at the gym just because it is so light and it's no thicker. Apple really did a good job with giving us a better screen and retaining it's usability. I was really worried that the iPhone would follow down the road of the big heavy Android phones. Thankfully no.

 

[cherryhesh]

I say no. If you have 4s and lots of accessories, docks etc, it's not worth it. We dont know if dock adapter will fit in things like clock radios etc and thy are $30 each. Plus it's just a stretched screen and not really a bigger screen.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

This is not quite accurate. If it were a "stretched" screen there wouldn't actually be room for a 5th row of icons. So there's actually a full "row" of Retina resolution pixels. It's not at all "stretched". But even with that correction I agree with those saying that by the 5S all bugs will be worked out and accessories innovated, etc.

I've been the first in line at my Apple Store since the 2G. Not this time. Firstly I'm too invested in the jailbreak world to ever go stock again for 3-4 months while we wait for a jailbreak. Secondly the taller phone is just goofy to me. Checked one out at Best Buy on Friday and it just feels weird and looks weird in the hand. Even a half inch wider would have made more sense. This configuration is even further from 16:9 aspect ratio than the 4 and 4S. Why??

Anyway. I'd love the A6 and LTE.. But I'm in no hurry. On AT&T LTE's not in my city yet. When that happens I may be more motivated to upgrade.

On another angle - does anyone know if Panoramic camera shooting is an iOS6 thing or a ip5 requirement?

 

[one2boost]

To answer the OP's question, no. I would actually wait for something with more changes. I went from a 3GS w/AT&T to a 5 w/Verizon. I had to change carriers because of coverage issues. If I did not have any issues with carrier, I would have probably upgraded anyway.

 

[I_Luv_Apple]

I use to have the 4S and have upgraded to the iPhone 5. I totally love it and would say a resounding "yes". But it all depends on personal preference and whether you have the spare cash. I would like to point out that there's a lot more to the phone than the screen. It's lighter, more durable with a much better charger, (previous model the pins sometimes broke) faster, great headphones, the larger screen works so much better this size when using the navigation. These are just some of the features which make it a worth while product.

 

[schoff0310]

This is not quite accurate. If it were a "stretched" screen there wouldn't actually be room for a 5th row of icons. So there's actually a full "row" of Retina resolution pixels. It's not at all "stretched". But even with that correction I agree with those saying that by the 5S all bugs will be worked out and accessories innovated, etc.

I've been the first in line at my Apple Store since the 2G. Not this time. Firstly I'm too invested in the jailbreak world to ever go stock again for 3-4 months while we wait for a jailbreak. Secondly the taller phone is just goofy to me. Checked one out at Best Buy on Friday and it just feels weird and looks weird in the hand. Even a half inch wider would have made more sense. This configuration is even further from 16:9 aspect ratio than the 4 and 4S. Why??

Anyway. I'd love the A6 and LTE.. But I'm in no hurry. On AT&T LTE's not in my city yet. When that happens I may be more motivated to upgrade.

On another angle - does anyone know if Panoramic camera shooting is an iOS6 thing or a ip5 requirement?

Panoramic is an IOS6 feature available on older models. And I went from IP4S to IP5. LTE IS AWSOME!

 

[webb1234]

I use to have the 4S and have upgraded to the iPhone 5. I totally love it and would say a resounding "yes". But it all depends on personal preference and whether you have the spare cash. I would like to point out that there's a lot more to the phone than the screen. It's lighter, more durable with a much better charger, (previous model the pins sometimes broke) faster, great headphones, the larger screen works so much better this size when using the navigation. These are just some of the features which make it a worth while product.

Although the new iPhone have no great breakthrough, but hit a sell record. May be what you stated is the main reason . It is better than before, with a new design.

 

[Booch_21]

I went from the 4 to the 5 yesterday. I really like it and for me, it was a great move. Did I really need to do it? Certainly not. It's faster, crisp and lighter. Accessories will flood us before long. So I'm holding out for the ideal case for my use. Thumbs up!

 

[Eganwp]

To answer the OP's question, no. I would actually wait for something with more changes. I went from a 3GS w/AT&T to a 5 w/Verizon. I had to change carriers because of coverage issues. If I did not have any issues with carrier, I would have probably upgraded anyway.

Just FYI my OP wasn't a question, it was an answer to all the people asking this question.

 

[CW8175]

I went from a 4S to the 5 .. LOVE LOVE IT !! the weight is the first thing you'll notice .. beautiful screen .. LTE is SUPER FAST .. issues .. Do Not Disturb is not working .. an OS issue, waiting for a patch according to the tech gurus .. also .. SUPER battery drain .. use it as a clock at night .. 11 PM .. 100% battery .. 5:30 AM .. 1% .. all notifications are turned off .. the tech people TRIED to tell me that Words with Friends and Bingo Bash were battery hogs .. so I deleted them .. still same battery drain .. will deal with needing to plug it in at night for now .. normal use during the day ~ texting, surfing, playing music .. about 8+ hours .. so the night time issue makes no sense to me .. adapters coming soon I hope .. UPGRADE ~ YES !!

 

[mahall]

I've had my iPhone 5 since Friday and I'd say if you have a 4S the answer is NO. I'd wait a few months when apps & accessores have caught up to the phone and by the time everyone has caught up to the change in display and new lightning connector the 5S will be all the talk. And buyers of the 5S won't have to wait for the stuff that we 5 buyers are waiting for.

1. I know it's early but all the apps that I use are letterboxed. There is no advantage at all to having the longer screen so far. Although Safari rocks. Surfing the web is pretty cool on the bigger screen. It's not without it's drawbacks though. I can't launch apps on the opposite side of my top row anymore one-handed. I didn't think I have small hands for a 5' 9" guy, but maybe I do.

2. I can see already that not having my 30 pin accessories (docks, chargers, and interfaces) is more painful than I thought. And there is no adapter available yet.

The processor is screaming fast but there really aren't any apps that take advantage of it yet. The 4S still beats most phones on the market in the processor department when it comes to graphics.

My favorite part of my new 5 so far is the lightness of it. You can put it in your coat pocket without it making one side of your jacket sag alot. It's so light. I think it'll actually be better for working out if you decide to wear it on your arm at the gym just because it is so light and it's no thicker. Apple really did a good job with giving us a better screen and retaining it's usability. I was really worried that the iPhone would follow down the road of the big heavy Android phones. Thankfully no.

Thank you from a guy that's setting on the fence, deciding to upgrade or not! I think I have heard enough "not so positive feed back on the 5" to stay with the 4S! I love the 4s, it does all I need it to do!! Why fix something if its nit broke??

 

[mahall]

This is not quite accurate. If it were a "stretched" screen there wouldn't actually be room for a 5th row of icons. So there's actually a full "row" of Retina resolution pixels. It's not at all "stretched". But even with that correction I agree with those saying that by the 5S all bugs will be worked out and accessories innovated, etc.

I've been the first in line at my Apple Store since the 2G. Not this time. Firstly I'm too invested in the jailbreak world to ever go stock again for 3-4 months while we wait for a jailbreak. Secondly the taller phone is just goofy to me. Checked one out at Best Buy on Friday and it just feels weird and looks weird in the hand. Even a half inch wider would have made more sense. This configuration is even further from 16:9 aspect ratio than the 4 and 4S. Why??

Anyway. I'd love the A6 and LTE.. But I'm in no hurry. On AT&T LTE's not in my city yet. When that happens I may be more motivated to upgrade.

On another angle - does anyone know if Panoramic camera shooting is an iOS6 thing or a ip5 requirement?

I inherited Panoramic shooting on my 4S Via>IOS6

 

[jodilapenna]

I went from a 4S to the 5 and could not be happier!! There's a lot more to the 5 than the 4S, you just have to find what works for you!!

 

[mahall]

I went from a 4S to the 5 and could not be happier!! There's a lot more to the 5 than the 4S, you just have to find what works for you!!

Like what? All I hear is a little faster and a little bigger!! Which is a big deal to a lot of people!! Think about it!! How important is it to have an app open 1:43 seconds faster? Not very to me!! I want one of two things on the next phone to be wowed! Either wireless charging via(solar) or a battery that is so much more efficient, charging is an afterthought, similar to the IPad!! Perfectly happy with every feature on my 4s-