Josh Kerr on the iPhone 5c and the iPhone 5s

Josh prefers the iPhone 5c and explains why.

I’d like to go over his thoughts and opinions, and offer my rebuttal:

Somebody was smoking crack at Apple when they decided that a fingerprint reader would tempt folks to shell out the additional cash for the high end model iPhone. It is a boring feature announced with a bunch of other boring features that make Apple’s iPhone 5C appear to be much more interesting than its top of the line iPhone 5S.

First, for me the killer feature of the iPhone 5s is its new camera, as it was already two years ago for the iPhone 4S. The fingerprint authentication doesn’t seem like much but I think it will prove very handy in the end.

For practical purposes, 64-bit means that the processor in the phone can address more than 4GB of RAM. The 5S has 2GB of ram so it isn’t even taking advantage of it. Not only that, but developers need to compile their apps into 64-bit versions to take advantage of it.

Multiple people and publications have already proven that a 64-bit processor is much more than just RAM. And people shouldn’t even worry about this anyway: The thing to keep in mind is that the iPhone 5s is faster to much faster than the already pretty fast iPhone 5. Faster is better. (That’s one the main argument of the Android clan, even though the performance is sub par.)

When I first heard that one of the compelling new features would be a new flash, I knew the phone was going to be a bore. I disable the flash on every piece of camera equipment I own. In my book, there is never a scenario where it is okay to use a flash, if it is too dark to take the photo, then don’t take it.

Yeah, OK, I’ll give him that. Though I’ve been in situations where my friend expect a picture, even a crappy one, and the flash has to do.

Even the marketing folks at Apple think the 5C is more exciting than the 5S. The Apple website leads with the iPhone 5C story first and its hard to miss because they did a full page takeover making the background match the color of the phone.

Yeah, well, the iPhone 5c is much cheaper for Apple to produce as it uses last year’s components and a much easier to manufacture polycarbonate case.

Color is important to folks and the eye popping colors of the 5C and the fact that there are more choices than the 5S allow folks to instill more of their identity into their choice of phone.

OK, second point I’ll give him. I’ve longed for a phone that is as lovable and whimsical as the color iPod mini. Remember these? They were so great. Oh, the memories…

Add the really great looking Andy Warhol-esque cases and you’ve got a phone that you can really make your own.

This one is very personal I think. I find them atrocious to look at.

The iPhone 5C ships with iOS 7 pre-configured to use background wallpaper that matches the color of the Phone. Little touches like this really differentiate Apple’s products from its competitors and Jony Ive put a lot more of them into the 5C than the 5S.

I’m pretty sure the color Nokia Lumia ship with the matching Windows Phone home screen theme, or whatever it is called.

In most of the iPhone 5C videos promoting the phone, Jony seems decidedly more excited when he is talking about the 5C than when he talks about the 5S.

I’m not too sure about this. Jony sure seems to love his aluminium.

I won’t be upgrading to an iPhone 5S, nope, I’ll be getting an iPhone 5C in blue.

And I’m sure you will be pleased. I’d get a yellow one myself, but the iPhone 5s — while too serious — fits me better.