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Apple iPhone 4S vs iPhone 5, worth the upgrade?

Apple has released its best iPhone ever — the iPhone 5. Obviously, it has a more attractive build and beefed up specs. But how is it totally different from its predecessor the iPhone 4S? Let’s find out by pitting the specs against each other.

As you can see, the iPhone 5 is taller, thinner and lighter than the iPhone 4S. But the size of the iPhone 4S can be an advantage for those who prefer a shorter device. The same goes with the display but most would probably opt for the iPhone 5’s 4-inch.

To round it up, the iPhone 5 has twice the RAM, twice the CPU clock speed, longer battery life, more camera features, better front-facing camera, faster download speeds, smaller semiconductor size and smaller but better Lightning connector.

What do you guys think? Are these the upgrades you’re looking or something better?

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Avatar for Diangson Louie

This article was written by Louie Diangson, Managing Editor of YugaTech. You can follow him at @John_Louie.

80 Responses

  1. Avatar for binx binx says:

    ..waiting for the holographic version…. XD

  2. Avatar for dheah03 dheah03 says:

    Whatever phone you choose for an upgrade, just make sure that you have the money to splurge and the brain to use so you ciuld maximize the fearures. Sayang naman kung naka note II, sgs3 or ip5 ka pero for txting and calling mo lang ginagamit ang phone mo ^^

  3. Avatar for nix nix says:

    i installed ios6 GM in my 4s,, i dont see any reason why I should buy the new phone except for the design and screen plus the a6 processor. all is there on my 4s ios6, panorama is also there. but i want the black ip5 :)

    • Avatar for Marcelino Marcelino says:

      @nix:

      Really? May panorama rin sa iPhone 4S? Haha! So talagang medyo pointless mag-upgrade?

      By the way, yeah the black iPhone 5 looks good. Kaso black na yung iPhone 4S ko eh, so parang gusto ko naman yung white this time (if ever mang mag-upgrade ako.)

      Sayo, anong kulay ng 4S mo?

    • Avatar for :)) :)) says:

      sir pwedeng mag tanong?? pano gamitin ang panorama sa iphone4s? ehe d kase ako masyadong familiar sa panorama ng iphone4s kaka update ko lang ng ios 6

  4. Avatar for mx mx says:

    siguro kaya sila nagagalit dahil gusto nila inform yung public about better options, not to blindly follow whats trending, maybe they just want you to choose wisely, or on what they think is a greater buy.. i know cos that’s what i think, pero di naman ako galit sa iphone5, yung mga afford naman buy lang nang buy, wala namang problema dun :)

  5. Avatar for meldrin meldrin says:

    Iphone 5, The Frankenstein. The chips are made by samsung, Battery by LG & Screen by Sharp.

  6. Avatar for Dorminator Dorminator says:

    Sa palagay ko mas nakabubuti kung ang bibilhin mong telepono ay naaangkop sa kakayahang intelektuwal. Sayang naman ang kakayahan ng teleppono kung di mo ito mapapakinabanangan lahat at kayang gamitin. Tulad halimbawa ng tinatawag na apperture sa camera ng bagong iphone, alam ba natin kung ano ito? Ang 802.11 a/b/g/n, para saan ba ito?
    Pero kung nais mo talaga, bumili kayo.. Yan naman ay pagrespeto lang sa kagustuhan nyo.

  7. Avatar for Kimchi_S.Korea Kimchi_S.Korea says:

    Mga utak pulboron na pala ang mga bagong henerasyon na pinoy,puro kayo mga reklamador,insecure,the article is asking if it`s worth the upgrade?Kung gusto mo at my pambili ka di go for it,it`s a matter of choice preferences(Kitnayu kitdi).

  8. Avatar for tsktsk tsktsk says:

    bakit ba kayo nagagalit sa mga may gusto ng iphone? may nagagalit ba sa inyo kung gusto niyo ng ibang brand? kakatawa naman kayo. mga pinoy talaga tsk tsk.

  9. Avatar for Jayson Jayson says:

    I’m an iPhone 4S user and I love my phone. I’m not going to upgrade to the iPhone 5 though. And really? We’re talking about getting an iPhone because it’s a status symbol? It’s hardly one nowadays when a LOT of people have iPhones and probably just like it for what it does and not think about showing off. Granted it is at the top of the heap in terms of price but not outrageously above other brands’s flagships.

  10. Avatar for maxx maxx says:

    If you are more into the specs and flexibility, go for an s3. If you are pasosyal, a social-climber club member or the one who can really afford? Then by all means get an ip5! Go! Lol

  11. Avatar for Raha Sulayman Raha Sulayman says:

    Okay lang naman talaga bumili ng iPhone because of brand loyalty. Huwag na sana ipilit ang mga baluktot na hirit kesho design is unparalleled o ecosystem is great or I have money to burn. Tunog tanga lang ang dating.

    In the end, the iPhone 5 really is not worth the hype and the selling price. Talo na sa specs, hindi pa price competitive. Apple is not really raking awards in design either. Nokia is.

    That is just the truth. So iTards, huwag magalit sa katotohanan.

    Mayaman din ako. I do have the money to burn. Pero I have the brain not to burn that money.

  12. Avatar for booboo booboo says:

    It’s a better decision for iPhone 4 users to upgrade to iPhone 5. For iPhone 4s user: better wait for the iPhone 5s or 6. After all, it’s the iOS 6 that matters, which will be available to most iPhones.

    A6 chip has no huge difference to A5 chip (iPhone 4s), better upgrade your old A4 chip (iPhone 4) to maximize the wonders of the new OS.

  13. Avatar for lito lito says:

    Sana naman magisipisip na ng apple na iunlock all the old iphones tolal wala naman na sila pakinabang sa luma eh di give away nalang sana ang unlock. and one thing more the only purpose of being have a phone is more on txt and call and internet, there are many more camera more tha that of the iphone 5.

  14. Avatar for Kendra Kendra says:

    for me, i’m not that satisfied with the improvements except for its camera and. i just really hope that it can really take better shots at night against my reliable xperia neo phone as my backup cphone camera at night. but as for market value-wise, i’ll upgrade because yes i’ll buy a diff brand but i can only resell it almost half the price in less than six months time unlike iphone.

  15. Avatar for adrian adrian says:

    I think it’s a worthy upgrade. Definitely worthier than from 4 to 4s. My contract will expire this May and I would definitely get the Iphone5. I think for 90% or more of the people who get the iphone they get it because it’s an iphone. Not about specs. My wife, mom and almost all my uncles, aunts doesn’t even have the slightest idea what dual-core processor, LTE, retina even size of the screen or what an app is yet all are using iphones. It’s like getting a car. You don’t buy a Mercedes or BMW for specs or practicality. You buy them for being a Mercedes or BMW.

  16. Avatar for smack_tj smack_tj says:

    It’s worth it to upgrade to iPhone 5 or to stick to iPhone 4S. The important is the features of this can provide the daily activity of people who using it.

  17. Avatar for Dazed_32 Dazed_32 says:

    My iPhone 3GS post-paid plan contract with Globe will end this coming October. I think the iPhone 5 is a reasonable upgrade. :-)

  18. Avatar for phil phil says:

    hahaha this article made me laugh.. he must be eating his own words now..

    http://www.callingallgeeks.org/38549/heres-why-the-iphone-may-always-have-a-3-5-inch-display/

    “Apple thinks that a mobile phone touting a display larger than 3.5″ is actually useless”

  19. Avatar for rslimjr rslimjr says:

    Yes. I believe it is worth it to upgrade to the iPhone 5, regardless if you’re coming from the 1st generation of iPhone or the 4S. I don’t think Apple could have done a better job at making the new iPhone. It has twice as much of power and speed than the 4S (and please take note, the 4S is a still a very, very fast and powerful device). They also succeeded in improving what is arguably the best 8MP camera on a phone there is (the one in the 4S). In terms of the screen, retina levels (ppi) remain the same despite the slightly bigger screen. They did not opt to add more width to the device so going 4 inches diagonally (in screen size) is pretty much the max that they could go before it would look “weird”. Overall, it may be what people expected it to be in the end but isn’t that a good thing? I mean, people were buzzing that the new iPhone’s gonna be like this or that and now that it is exactly what they wanted it to be in the first place, they suddenly don’t like it? I just find it funny. :)

    I’m not siding with Apple on this, but this is just my opinion. I’m not even an iPhone user. I have the Samsung Galaxy Note and Lenovo P700 – both great devices that I love having and using. :)

  20. Avatar for cxian cxian says:

    tough decision: Lumia 920, Note 2 or next Nexus

  21. Avatar for Les Les says:

    For me its worth the upgrade and for those who don’t own an iphone, now is the time to own one.

    Here are my reasons:

    1. front camera is now 1.2MP, super clear facetime and skype calls for me

    2. 1GB RAM means i’ll be able to use more apps/features(multitasking)

    3. larger screen means less stress for my eyes

    4. LTE for super fast mobile internet, this will benefit me coz i use video calls a lot

    don’t upgrade if you’ll just use it for emails, facebook and twitter

    • Avatar for Nick Nick says:

      Hey Les,

      Your reason for getting the iphone are soooo lame.

      You know why?

      Here are my reasons:

      1. front camera is now 1.2MP, super clear facetime and skype calls for me – THE GALAXY S2 HAS a 2MP FRONT CAMERA

      2. 1GB RAM means i’ll be able to use more apps/features(multitasking) – WTF Apple just now???? SAMSUNG STARTED THIS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO

      3. larger screen means less stress for my eyes – HELLO???? THE S2 has A WAAAAYYYY BIGGER SCREEN

      4. LTE for super fast mobile internet, this will benefit me coz i use video calls a lot – LTE IS ALREADY BEING OFFERED BY SONY and SAMSUNG. HECK i think even HTC has em.

      You’re OBVIOUSLY AN APPLE ZOMBIE – DUMB AND MINDLESS

    • Avatar for mau5trap mau5trap says:

      That’s his opinion, chill lang. lol

      Hate on the REAL blind and dumb iPhone users. (Yung mga pang status symbol lang iPhone nila.)

    • Avatar for lyxtian lyxtian says:

      What if i told you that all of your reasons are inferior to SGS3? plus SGS3 offers NFC,Opensource,etc.

    • Avatar for Les Les says:

      Ang tatanga ninyo, pakibasa nga yung Title ng article! Tinatanong ba dito ang Samsung or Android? mga bobo!

  22. Avatar for guyrony guyrony says:

    It’s not worth it if you’re coming from 4s. The changes are minor that you are better off keeping the 4s for now.

    However, if you are coming from Iphone 4, then that might be something of a prospect.

  23. Avatar for Jeremiah Jeremiah says:

    somebody should sue apple for the 4″ screen !!!

  24. Avatar for Benchmark Benchmark says:

    I am not a fan of apple iphone but after reading alot of tech news andseeing some leaked pictures of it before the release made me feel bad about it, coz the trill is all gone, unlike the time of Jobs which there are few leak photos of it, the trill iand excitement os there.

  25. Avatar for Zo Zo says:

    great. aside from the .5″ added and couple of hours of batt life, i won’t be missing much if i don’t get the iphone 5. i’ll be lurking around TCP waiting for people to sell their 4s for a really good deal and get it. Make it my backup for my nexus.

    yobong. 4s pang backup lang. LOL so much for innovation, Apple.

  26. Avatar for Grover Grover says:

    Actually its not the thinnest

    there are three phones that take the thinnest title

    Huawei Ascend P1s
    Oppo Finder
    Fujitsu Arrows F-07D

    all of those measure 6.7mm in thickness

    Thinnest iphone perhaps then yes. but still they are going to sell a lot for sure because of their brand name.

    pero pag may common sense ka at practicality…pwes sa presyo niyan may mas maganda ka pa mabibili

    itabi mo na yung nakapaglalaway na design, piliin mo functionality at flexibility para sa pera mo lol

  27. Avatar for Marcelino Marcelino says:

    There’s nothing new here.

    4″ screen? A LOT of phones with AMOLED, Bravia, IPS-LCD have done it.

    Panorama? Matagal na sa Sony yan. 3D Sweep Panorama, that is.

    Thinnest? The Motorola Razr is still the thinnest smartphone, with 7.1mm at its thinnest part.

    There’s nothing revolutionary here.

    Now to answer your question, I don’t think so. I might as well stick to my iPhone 4S.

  28. Avatar for JL JL says:

    I’m super disappointed of this latest iphone. kulang sa innovation. No wonder samsung + android will hit the market!

  29. Avatar for tristan james tristan james says:

    If you are loyal apple fan, its depends to you if you want to upgrade to the newest smartphone, even the iPhone 5 is the latest line in Apple smartphone they consider that the user can use of all the features of it. Even though some people says that this latest smartphone of Apple is not so high-tech is some features they consider that the people who will able to use it can use it all.

  30. Avatar for metre9dmt metre9dmt says:

    why is apple doesn’t follow industry trend to use micro-usb connector? their lightning connector is so proprietary. wake up apple.

    http://news.cnet.com/8301-31322_3-57511687-256/apples-dock-connector-change-is-awful-dont-kid-yourselves/

    • Avatar for Kulam Kulam says:

      Some,if not all, Eu countries requires following the Micro USB charging standard. Apple made a work-around by offering micro usb adapters to their Lightning chargers.

    • Avatar for deadmau5 deadmau5 says:

      More adapters sold, more cash acquired :)

  31. Avatar for bayanpages bayanpages says:

    Some say that the best thing about the iPhone 5 is the battery life, but to me its still a disappointment. Maybe I’ll wait for the next iPhone when they’ve really improved the battery life given it has LTE capabilities and retina display.

  32. Avatar for Jayvee Jayvee says:

    Get the Galaxy S3. It’s a product of REAL innovation. Apple is losing its ability to innovate; reason enough to start hitting the competition in courts. The iPhone 5 is a HUGE disappointment, unless your main objective is to flaunt. So shallow!

  33. Avatar for metre9dmt metre9dmt says:

    Apple iPhone5: 4 inch screen? LTE? Overhype. Still expensive

    STAYING WITH ANDROID 8-)

  34. Avatar for ali ali says:

    it is always worth the upgrade.. it will make you look more handsome specially on your neighborhood, snatchers and holdapers..lolz..seriously no!!

  35. Avatar for johnfortich johnfortich says:

    With such great phones out in the market, this is such an insult if one actually buys it. Heck it be crazy even to tolerate Apple if one even buys this for an upgrade from current iPhone 4 or 4S. Might as well wait for iPhone 9, maybe 3 more rows of icons will be added. Geez.

  36. Avatar for NemOry NemOry says:

    Not a worthy upgrade. go get a Lumia 920 or 820.

  37. Avatar for Gerard Gerard says:

    This completely sums up the apple fanboy mentality :

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdIWKytq_q4

  38. Avatar for Gerard Gerard says:

    Not really worth the upgrade. Looks cheap and awkward, from a design sense.

  39. Avatar for tmcr7 tmcr7 says:

    if you’re a sheep, yes.

  40. Avatar for johnfortich johnfortich says:

    This is a funny phone intended for zombies.

  41. Avatar for deuts deuts says:

    If you’re too much into customization and hacking the phone, then no –> go to Android.

    But if you’re more into functionality, simplicity, reliability, and just works, then yes — worth the upgrade. After all, it’s a different form factor, unlike from iP4 to 4S.

    • Avatar for tduysoo tduysoo says:

      i think the article is asking if its worth the upgrade from 4s to 5 and not its not asking if you’ll get the iphone 5 in general. :)

  42. Avatar for chinitoguy chinitoguy says:

    Of course it worth the upgrade! A 4-inch iPhone is a big step. Bigger screen the better. But if compared with the new Samsung Galaxy SIII and the Nokia Lumia 920 it is still small. Sana 4.3 inch nalang and that will be a WOW factor for Apple. For those who are Apple fanatics out there better get this one.

    But personally, I never liked any Apple products. Sure its very smooth to operate, its user friendly and it adds up to your style. It makes you belong to the “IT” crowd as they say. But ever since I find Samsung and Sony attractive. Even before Apple introduced the iPhone in 2007 and Nokia was still the reigning leader then, I find Sony Ericsson and Samsung very nice and useful. It makes me feel different from the usual Nokia crowd. Many things changed since then. Samsung and Apple are the new Nokia crowd.

    I still find Samsung the better phone maker especially with the Galaxy line up – Galaxy SIII, Galaxy Note II, Galaxy Tab, Galaxy Note 10.1. But there’s something in the former Sony Ericsson, now Sony Mobile, really unique. I’m ending up owning a Sony product. Now I own two Sony Bravia LCD TV, a 4-year old Sony Cybershot camera, and my new Sony Xperia Sola. When it comes here, I’m planning to get the new Sony Xperia Tablet S.

    Bottomline, its a matter of preference. But I strongly suggest if you own an older iPhone and good timing your contract with Globe or Smart is about to expire, time to renew it and get the iPhone 5.

  43. Avatar for Sonofa Sonofa says:

    well, I’m going for the ipod touch… sana ma hack na agad so it could be tether thru bluetooth using a blackberry…

  44. Avatar for ceegii63 ceegii63 says:

    coming from from a 3GS yes

    coming from a 4 or 4S no

    Lumia 920 forever!!!

  45. Avatar for phil phil says:

    “a 3.5″ is just the perfect screen size of a smart phone. anything greater than that is just a complete waste”

    whoever said that or to that extent must be eating his own words by now.

    apple now plays the catch-up game.

    screen size, lte, panorama..

    next year would be nfc, burst shot and a lot more

    • Avatar for John John says:

      except that….

      NFC? wala pong nfc ang iphone 5.

      LTE? good thing na dahil sa iphone 5, pinamamadali ang LTE dito sa pinas. look at globe and smart.

      Panorama? if you watch the event, they clearly set a standard again. hindi kasi sya katulad ng panorama sa mga phone ngayon na pangit ang kalalabasan at mahirap gamitin. meaning, kahit paiba iba ang light sa lugar, hindi magiiba yung light sa picture. etc etc.

      on topic..

      NO. ip4S is the same with iPhone 5 just bigger.
      i believe na ok parin ang A5 chip. pero kung sa ip4 ka, ok mag upgrade since A4-A6 is a huge leap.

      natatawa nalang ako sa mga taong nagsasabi na walang bago sa iphone kasi mukang iphone parin na pinahaba. LOL

    • Avatar for young young says:

      hahaha, naaalala ko yang linyang yan! nakalimutan ko lang saang post at sino yang ganyang comment..
      nakadepende sa ilalabas ng apple ang standard niya, im sure, “above 4″ is a waste” na ang linya ng mokong na yun.

  46. Avatar for bing bing says:

    i’d rather get the new iPod touch and it’s a big improvement over the previous model

  47. Avatar for Manny Cavalier Manny Cavalier says:

    Nope. I was disappointed. I want to see something that wasn’t there yet from any Android phones. This will be the best time to get 4S, incase you haven’t had one yet, Expect 4S prices to go down once 5 is available. I still prefer 4S and I’d rather wait for the next iPhone. :-)

    • Avatar for kit kit says:

      you are buying a fone based on what other’s don’t have? is it a form of boastfulness? what if there was a fingerprint unlocking mechanism in there, you’re sold at that? just be mindful of what are your NEEDS. i mean, this is a follow up to a very great fone and they are making a leap out of that fone! there are people who look on the superiority of one device to another and not making any conclusive information because they didn’t have the device, which is obviously you of course.

  48. Avatar for neeeyo neeeyo says:

    upgrade?

    if you’re a fanboy, YES
    if you want to look rich, YES
    if you want to impress people around you, YES
    if you’re really rich, as in with real assets and good net worth not just a collection of credit cards, YES
    if you’re smart, ….

  49. Avatar for Anon Anon says:

    ” Apple has released its another best iPhone so far ”

    Awkward. Edit this out in the article. Seriously.

    Signed,
    Your Resident Grammar Nazi

  50. Avatar for Louie Diangson Louie Diangson says:

    Thanks for taking notice. Will correct it ASAP. :)

  51. Avatar for hellspeak hellspeak says:

    the “connector part” appears to be wrong. iPhone 4s for 30-pin and iPhone 5 for lightning.

  52. Avatar for juan juan says:

    *connector 5-lightning 4S-30 pin

  53. Avatar for xch xch says:

    typo. iphone 4s 30 pin. iphone 5 lightning. :)

  54. Avatar for emjee emjee says:

    It’s just literally an upgrade that doesn’t make a WOW!

  55. Avatar for Arwin A. Arwin A. says:

    An error on the connector part. Must be interchanged.

  56. Avatar for Emer Emer says:

    parang baliktad ata yung sa connector. lightning supposed to be on 5 not on 4s.

  57. Avatar for Miss Call Miss Call says:

    That’s it?

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