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iPhone 5S vs iPhone 5: What’s changed?

REFILE - CORRECTING NAME AND POSITION OF SPEAKER Phil Schiller, senior vice president of worldwide marketing for Apple Inc, talks about the camera in the new iPhone 5S during Apple Inc's media event in Cupertino, California September 10, 2013. REUTERS/Stephen Lam (UNITED STATES - Tags: BUSINESS SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS TELECOMS)

So, you’ve had you’re first look at Apple’s new iPhone 5S. As expected, it's got more storage space, improved features and even a nifty fingerprint security button. But once you step back from all those bells and whistles, you probably find yourself asking, just how different is it from my iPhone I have now?

If you are currently toting an iPhone 5 and want to know if it’s worth ditching it to get the iPhone 5S, we’ve got you covered. Here are the ways that the iPhone 5S outperforms the iPhone 5, and the areas where nothing much has changed.

Processing Power

The new iPhone 5S’s A7 chip will have processing power that rivals computers we were buying just a few years ago. It’s the first 64-bit chip to ever be put in a phone, making what Apple is calling a “huge leap forward in mobile computing performance.” That leap forward means the iPhone 5S will be twice as fast as the iPhone 5, and have twice the graphics performance. To demonstrate the difference, Apple demonstrated Infinity Blade III, a sequel to the popular (and graphic-intensive) iOS series:

iSight Camera

Making use of all the extra processing power, Apple has overhauled the iSight camera with an assortment of new features. The iPhone 5S has a sensor 15 per cent larger than the iPhone 5 and a new f2.2 lens (while the iPhone 5 had an f2.0 aperture lens). Apple has also improved the flash by adding a two-tone option. A second LED means you can choose between a cool light or an amber flash, giving you more options to customize your photos.

Apple has also improved the image stabilization, added the option for burst photo mode and a slo-mo video mode, which films at 120 frames-per-second.

Security

The biggest leap forward on the iPhone 5S is the new Touch ID fingerprint reader. The iPhone 5S will feature a multi-layered home button that will read your fingerprint, eliminating the need to swipe the screen to unlock it. It will also end the need to remember your Apple ID password every time you buy something in an app. Instead, your fingerprint is all the authentication you need to make your purchase. Your finger print won’t be sent anywhere, it’s encrypted and stored locally on the phone, so there’s no risk of your Touch ID being sent anywhere.

Motion

The iPhone 5 included an improved three-axis gyroscope and accelerometer, which lead to some pretty cool innovations in apps and games. Apple has taken it one step further with the inclusion of the M7 motion control co-processor. It works alongside the A7 chip, dedicated to the motion sensor functionalities. As a result, Apple has been able to make these sensors more sensitive and able to pick up more accurate information, specifically tailoring to health and fitness apps.

Size

The form factor and screen resolution of the iPhone 5S is just the same as its predecessor. It keeps the 4-inch screen and the 640x1136 pixel resolution.

Colour

Yes, it comes in a new colour. Instead of just the "white" and "black" options of the iPhone 5, you can get the iPhone 5S in "silver," "gold" and "space gray." You can also get a leather case from Apple in one of five colours for the iPhone 5S.

Battery Life

3G talk time battery life has gotten a boost, up to ten hours from the eight hours promised on the iPhone 5. Wi-fi browsing on the iPhone 5S will be about the same as the iPhone 5 at ten hours, too, but LTE browsing battery usage is improved, lasting you for ten hours instead of eight. Standby battery life has been improved overall, up to 250 hours from 225.

For more on the iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C and all things tech, keep reading The Right Click, Dashboard and Yahoo Tech.

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