iPhone 5S specification sheet appears to have leaked

by Mark Tyson on 9 September 2013, 16:12

Tags: iPhone

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Just a day before we expect to see Apple’s new smartphones launched a new leak has appeared to confirm more details and features of the imminent iPhone 5S. As we edge nearer to Apple’s 10th September Cupertino HQ breakfast and presentation event it looks like breakfast isn’t going to be fresh and hot but pretty cold and stale. However I do hope there are some surprises that previous leaks have missed, or only covered by more vague rumours, like an iPhablet device.

Above: highlighting of the dual flash and new design home button

The changes to the iPhone 5S compared to the current iPhone 5 model are as follows;

  • CPU: Apple A7 SoC, upgraded from Apple A6
  • Camera: remains an 8 megapixel device but it is upgraded with an f2.0 lens and is capable of recording at 1080p at 120fps (double the frame rate of the iPhone 5). Also the 5S has a dual LED flash.
  • Standby time: is improved going up to 250 hours from 225 hours
  • Home button: redesigned, includes a fingerprint sensor

The fingerprint sensor component?

As you can see from the above spec changes most of the changes concern the camera's quality and functionality with all other specs not listed in the bullet points remaining the same as the iPhone 5. Camera function and quality has been a focus of attention for smartphone competitors in the last year. The A7 chip upgrade seems to have helped a little with standby time but for now we don’t have any information about performance.

Above: Highlighted mention of the fingerprint sensor functionality

The redesigned Home button is an interesting choice as it includes a fingerprint sensor. Many people, me included, have experienced temperamental fingerprint sensors in previous devices so hopefully Apple has managed to get this working almost faultlessly and hassle free. Also with the recent press coverage of smartphone theft, big city initiatives to curb such theft and the pressure upon mobile tech companies it will be interesting to see if thieves can steal iPhone 5S phones and ‘refurbish’ them to be used by the subsequent buyers of stolen goods.

Let’s see if these specs are confirmed tomorrow. I’m also very interested to see the ‘budget price’ of the iPhone 5C and if it will be available in the west.

HEXUS Forums :: 27 Comments

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Posted by kingpotnoodle - Mon 09 Sep 2013 16:35
In a typical Apple “we'll name our stuff what we like regardless of who else is” they have named their CPUs “Ax”, but now the shiny new A7 makes it sound like ARM's low end core, which is rather confusingly silly…
Posted by sykobee - Mon 09 Sep 2013 16:43
Considering half of the tech in a phone is within the SoC, knowing the name of the SoC doesn't really tell us much.

Although a dual-core Apple Swift (v2) ARMv8 device at ~1.6GHz (1.3x performance) with Imagination Rogue graphics (1.5x performance) seems a reasonable guess. On paper it sounds worse than a quad-core Snapdragon at 1.9-2.3GHz, but the performance will still feel competitive.

I presume Apple will be applying the “Image Quality” story regarding having an 8MP sensor rather than a 13MP sensor.
Posted by TheAnimus - Mon 09 Sep 2013 16:49
No one who buys an iPhone cares about processors, it is a curious androidisim to be so concerned with speed!

I think going with the 120hz recording is damned smart. It is cheap to do because they've the processing power already paid for, but mostly the insufferable pricks who buy iStuff will love the idea of anyone who's so cool they record their sports, being aligned with the brand. Clever.

Fingerprint reader on the tactile button is another nice one. I miss tactile buttons :(

However, its all about price now, so the interesting bit will be their low end offering! (if any, might just be buy a 5)
Posted by Ferral - Mon 09 Sep 2013 16:54
Wonder how long it will take them to patent the fingerprint sensor and start hitting anyone and everyone that has used them for the past 30 years with patent infringements
Posted by Rob_B - Mon 09 Sep 2013 16:55
TheAnimus
…the insufferable pricks who buy iStuff will love the idea of anyone who's so cool they record their sports, being aligned with the brand. Clever.

Fingerprint reader on the tactile button is another nice one. I miss tactile buttons :(

A feature on an Apple product you admit to liking some sort of derivation of ?? Wait, just let me sit down for a second….:surprised: /s

Seems like the usual spec bump, not sure who expected anything else? Although fingerprint reader for the 5S ? Surely thats a feature deserving of the iPhone 6 otherwise what will its ‘new’ feature be? There isn't much more phone manufacturers can actually do that hasn't been done to death already.

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