Photo: Maurizio Pesce from Milan, Italia / CC BY 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons · source
iPhone 5s
The first 64-bit smartphone, with a fingerprint sensor.
Overview
The iPhone 5s kept the size and shape of the iPhone 5 but added a new gold finish alongside silver and space gray. Its biggest hardware addition was Touch ID, a fingerprint sensor built into the home button that let users unlock the phone and approve purchases with a touch rather than a passcode.
The A7 chip was the first 64-bit processor in a smartphone, and it was paired with a motion coprocessor, the M7, that tracked movement without waking the main chip. The camera kept 8 megapixels but used a larger sensor with bigger pixels and a dual-LED True Tone flash, and it added 120 fps slow-motion video and burst mode.
The phone launched with iOS 7, the radical redesign of the software. Unlocked pricing was $649 for the 16GB model, with subsidized pricing of $199 on a two-year contract.
Why it mattered
Touch ID made strong device security convenient and set up the 64-bit transition that every later iPhone built on.
At a glance
- Announced
- September 10, 2013
- Released
- September 20, 2013
- Discontinued
- March 21, 2016
- Launch price
- $649
- Chip
- Apple A7, dual-core 64-bit 1.3 GHz
- Display
- 4"
- Storage
- 16GB, 32GB, 64GB
- Status
- Vintage
Highlights
- Touch ID fingerprint sensor
- First 64-bit smartphone chip (A7)
- M7 motion coprocessor
- Dual-LED True Tone flash
- 120 fps slow-motion video
Tech specs
Specifications as published at launch. Some values (like battery life) are manufacturer estimates.
Display
- Size
- 4-inch
- Type
- Retina IPS LCD
- Resolution
- 1136 x 640 pixels (326 ppi)
- Refresh rate
- 60 Hz
Chip
- Chip
- Apple A7, dual-core 64-bit 1.3 GHz
- Coprocessor
- M7 motion coprocessor
- GPU
- PowerVR G6430
Memory
- RAM
- 1GB
- Storage options
- 16GB, 32GB, 64GB
Camera
- Rear cameras
- 8MP, f/2.2, 1.5 micron pixels, dual-LED True Tone flash
- Front camera
- 1.2MP FaceTime HD
- Video recording
- 1080p at 30 fps; 720p slo-mo at 120 fps
Battery
- Video playback
- Up to 10 hours
- Charging
- Via Lightning connector
- Capacity
- 1560 mAh
Connectivity
- Cellular
- LTE (up to 100 Mbps), HSPA+ 42 Mbps, GSM / EDGE
- Wi-Fi
- 802.11a/b/g/n (2.4 and 5 GHz)
- Connector
- Lightning
- Bluetooth
- Bluetooth 4.0
- SIM
- Nano-SIM
Design
- Dimensions
- 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm
- Weight
- 112 g
- Materials
- Anodized aluminum back, glass front, chamfered edges
- Water resistance
- None
Security
- Authentication
- Touch ID fingerprint sensor
Software
- Launch OS
- iOS 7
- Final OS
- iOS 12.5.7
