SpecEagle
SpecEagle review · Apple

iPhone 5s review: The first 64-bit phone — and the debut of Touch ID.

SpecEagle Editorial·Sep 2013·$649
Overall
38/100
Class rank
#2 of 3
Tier
Flagship
Buy?
Look elsewhere
The verdict, up front

A landmark 2013 iPhone — Touch ID and 64-bit computing began here.

The iPhone 5s introduced Touch ID and the first 64-bit mobile chip. It is a historically important device and, today, a collector’s item.

01Display

42/100

42/100 trails the 46-point cohort average for flagship phones of 2013.

TypeRetina IPS LCD, 60 Hz
Size4.0 inches
Resolution1,136 × 640 px (326 ppi)
ProtectionIon-strengthened glass

02Camera

40/100

40/100 — right at the average for flagship phones of 2013.

Main8 MP, f/2.2
Selfie1.2 MP, f/2.4
Video1080p @ 30 fps · 120 fps slow-mo
FeaturesTrue Tone flash

03Performance

30/100

30/100 — right at the average for flagship phones of 2013.

ChipsetApple A7 (28 nm) — first 64-bit
CPUDual-core
GPUPowerVR G6430
RAM1 GB
Storage16 GB / 32 GB / 64 GB

04Battery

40/100

40/100 trails the 45-point cohort average for flagship phones of 2013.

Capacity1,560 mAh
WiredUp to ~5 W (Lightning)
WirelessNo

05Build

62/100

62/100 — right at the average for flagship phones of 2013.

06Value

38/100

38/100 — right at the average for flagship phones of 2013.

What works
  • First 64-bit smartphone chip (Apple A7).
  • Introduced Touch ID fingerprint sensing.
  • Genuinely pocketable 4-inch design.
  • Aluminium build, light at 112 g.
What doesn't
  • Tiny 4-inch low-res display by modern standards.
  • 1 GB RAM; 16 GB base.
  • Stuck on iOS 12.
  • Discontinued — a true vintage device.

How this review is built: every section score, spec row and comparison on this page comes from SpecEagle's tracked catalogue — scores weight measured specs against the 3-phone cohort of flagship devices released around the same time. We don't publish invented lab anecdotes. Spot an error? .