The iPhone 5S is the most expensive handset in the Kenyan Smartphone Market. The prohibitive price keeps one of the world’s most popular Smartphones on the planet an exclusive of high-income earners in Kenya.
iPhones are designed for exclusivity. Most of the features you find on an iPhone are unavailable on other Smartphones. Just like Safaricom finds pride in M-Pesa, the Apples owns iTunes, their billion-dollar mint. iTunes is so big that it has been the world largest music retailer for close to half a decade now.
I am a Samsung Fan Boy (I must admit) but if I were to jump ship, I would definitely hop onto the iOS cruise ship. If you have ever used iTunes, you would probably give my latter statement a thumbs up.
Well, enough with the Techie Talk (there will be more below), here is a quick review of the iPhone 5S and price in Kenya.
Design
Frame Size: 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm
Weight: 112 g
Every single aspect of the iPhone 5S design concept screams premium. This ranges from the all-metal chassis to the exclusive Gold Finish. If you are used to the gigantic frames of the Galaxy S4, the iPhone 5S will feel a lot like a mid-range Droid.
I personally prefer the portability aspect of a device. Unlike the Android biggies, the iPhone 5S does not give you an awkward bulge on your skinny denims. Once you slide the handset in your pants, no one knows it is there.
Everything is all first-rate on the iPhone 5S. So premium that having an iPhone is actually a sign of wealth in most developing nations. On the flip side, a ‘controversial’ survey also discovered that women are more attracted to men with iPhones.
Display
Screen Size: 4.0 inches
Screen Resolution: 640 x 1136 pixels
Screen Resolution Density: 326 ppi
Screen Protection: Corning Gorilla Glass & Oleophobic coating
The iPhone 5S has the smallest display among all other flagship devices. Additionally, the iPhone 5S also has the lowest screen resolution and resolution density.
However, it is worthwhile to mention that somehow Apps appear sharper on the iPhone 5S compared to let’s say the 1080P display of the Galaxy S4. The reason behind that is the fact that most iOS developers optimize their apps for the 4.0” display found on all iPhone 5S.
Performance
CPU: Dual-core 1.3 GHz Cyclone (Apple A7)
RAM: 1 GB
GPU: PowerVR G6430
The tech specs above look more like those of Android Mid-Range devices such as the HTC One Mini and the Galaxy S4 Mini. However, it is worth noting that the iPhone 5S has a 64-bit processor, the first processor of its kind in a Smartphone.
The highlight of the iPhone 5s is definitely the Touch ID. The Touch ID is notably absent in the iPhone 5C. Apple has replaced passwords with biometric authentication. Therefore, you only need your thumb to unlock your device and purchase Apps & Tunes from iTunes.
Here is a video giving you a breakdown of how the Touch ID technology works.
Memory
Internal Memory: 16|32|64 GB
Card Slot: No
Operating System: iOS 7
Camera
Rear Camera: 8 MP
Front Facing Camera: 1.2 MP
LED: Dual-LED
There is just something about the iPhone 5S Camera. The 8MP Camera captures some pretty decent images even when compared to the 13 MP snappers on most Android flagship handsets. I specifically loved the quality of the self-shots captured by the iPhone 5S.
Battery Life
Battery Capacity: Li-Po 1560 mAh battery
Tech Trends Diary Verdict
Why You Should Buy the iPhone 5S
- Premium Design
- Console Quality Graphics
- Biometric Authentication [Touch ID]
- Runs iOS 7
Cons of the Samsung Galaxy S4
- Steep Price
- Low Capacity Battery
Techie Talk
The iPhone 5S is in a niche of its on. One amazing thing with the iPhone is the how quickly you can solve any annoyance you encounter while using the device.
A five-minute Google search in iOS forums gets you a solution to most queries. In addition to this, Apple rolls out its updates uniformly across all its devices.
Additionally, the iPhone is more of an investment. An Android flagship may be worth Ksh Ksh 60,000 at launch and six months later, the same phone it has a Ksh 49,000 price tag. Exactly what is happening to the price of the Note 3 after the recent launch of the Samsung Galaxy S5.
The iPhone value is fairly fixed, therefore, you can always shift your device on OLX or to a colleague let’s say you go broke or something.
The iPhone 5S is, however, not for rebels. You become part of the ‘iSheep’ congregation and play to each Apple’s tune. However, there is a way out through Jailbreaking your device.
Overall, it is kinda badass to be the only dude/dudette with a Golden 64-bit smartphone in the room.
Tech Trends Diary Rating
iPhone 5S: [usr 9]
Rivals
Alternatives of the iPhone 5S include the HTC One, the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact.
Best Price in Kenya
The iPhone 5S (16GB) has a suggested retail price of Ksh 13,499 in Kenya.
It will be totally awesome if you rate this gadget! (means alot!)
Kevin is a tech enthusiast and the lead writer at MobiTrends.co.ke. He has been writing about smartphones and tech related topics since October 2012. About Us | Contact Us
