Is Buying A Refurbished iPhone 5s the right choice Or Stupidity?
Refurbished iphone 5s was one of the building blocks of the newest series of iPhones. However, it has not been in production for over ten years.
Hence, is it viable to buy a refurbished iPhone 5s that is outdated? Let us dive right in to know the answer to that.
iPhone 5s Overview
It is interesting to see how far iPhones have come so far. What started as a humble project became one of the most giant phones in the cellphone industry. Apple has created a specific niche for itself. A niche that is exclusive and irreplaceable.
This is primarily because the phone runs on a separate OS. This changes the whole ball game to another level.
However, it wastook work for older iPhone models to stay on the market. Some phones managed to do this with ease.
One such phone was the iPhone 5s. The iPhone 5s was a legendary phone that dominated the sales chart of the year it was released.
The phone was released alongside the iPhone 5c in the year 2013. Since then, the phone has gone on to become a classic.
But is it worth buying a refurbished iPhone 5s in 2024? Well, you would only know if you get through this article.
Technicalities
To answer the previously stated question, you need to understand the technical aspects of the phone. Otherwise, you are just making a blind decision, which would not work out in the long run.
The following section will help you learn more about s=different aspects like design chipset, battery, etc. Therefore, keep an eye on this section to learn more about the technical aspects of the legendary iPhone 5s.
Design
Design is the foremost thing that we like to start our journey on. This is because design is one of the first things one notices when we talk about an iPhone. The iPhone 5s is a beautiful phone with some fantastic design choices.
The iPhone 5s features the classic iPhone design, a distant memory nowadays. The phone comes with a 4-inch or 10-inch LCD multi-touch Retina display.
The display has a resolution scale of 640×1136 at 326 ppi. Therefore, the screen is functional and will not disappoint you.
The phone comes with an aluminum composite frame. This keeps the phone light and sturdy. The phone was released in three color options: Gold, Silver, and Space Gray.
However, it has been around a decade since it was released. As a result, you might be getting all the colo options due to availability.
Chipset
The phone was powered by an Apple A7 system on a chip. This was a 64, but the chipset was one of the most sought-after chipsets of that generation.
All the software and the operating itself come with a 64-bit architecture. As a result, this chipset was a considerable step up from the previous generation.
One fun fact about the A7 chipset is that Samsung manufactured it. Therefore, there was an inner joke going on. Either way, the processor was phenomenal and has even won some accolades.
This same processor can be found on iPad Air and iPad Mini 2. Therefore, it was a popular and extensively used processor.
Battery
Battery is a tricky area to discuss when it comes to refurbished phones. This is primarily because batteries lose around 50% of their essence in the first year. As a result, it is essential to know that the following figures may need to be revised.
Either way, presenting you with an objective view of the whole landscape is our onus. Expect your refurbished iPhone 5s to come with a 1560 mAh battery pack.
This valuation was considered to be outdated according to today’s standards. However, back then, it was a power beast.
This humble yet powerful battery pack was capable of producing around 10 hours of talk time and 250 hours of standby time.
Biometrics
It might be surprising to many, but Apple was laying the playing field for the future generation of iPhones. Therefore, the brand made sure to fit their seventh generation iPhone 5s with some of the most advanced biometrics of that generation.
If you are buying a refurbished iPhone 5s, expect it to come with features like fingerprint sensors. This is located at the very center of the phone in the form of a home button. This sensor really changed the game of the iPhone to a great extent.
For the first time, the brand allowed touch ID to be used in applications like iTunes and App Store to authenticate or login to accounts. This was a great feature that was carried over to newer phones as well.
Camera
The camera has always been one of Apple’s prized aspects. The brand has always strived to bring only the best when it comes to the camera.
As a result, the brand has indeed worked hard to make some fantastic changes from its previous iteration.
iPhone 5s was released with a dual camera set-up: one at the front and one at the back. The back camera came with a resolution scale of 3264 × 2448 and captured images and photos in a 4:3 native aspect ratio. The lens had an aperture of (f/2.2), which is a considerable step up from its previous iteration.
The camera came with some neat AI softwares like native color correction, image stabilization, tone mapping, 10 FPS burst mode, and slow-mo.
Therefore, you will be able to capture decent videos and images with relatively moderate resolution and clarity.
Accessories
iPhone 5S was released at a time when Apple used to ship their phones with a complete set of accessories. These accessories include earphones known as Apple EarPods. These Pods were phenomenal and paved the way for modern-day Airpods.
Apart from that, the phone also came with a dedicated charger. This allowed users to charge the device. The phone and the accessories provided were well-received by critics and customers alike.
However, some critics claimed that the in-pack EarPods lacked some advanced features. However, since you are already buying a refurbished iPhone 5s, we think features are outside your primary concern.
Operating System
iPhone 5s was one of the highest-selling iPhones of the year. It was released alongside some equally iconic devices. However, the iPhone 5s managed to remain one of the significant names in the industry.
iPhone 5s was initially released with an iOS 7. This was a revolutionary OS that allowed users to push the phone to its limit.
Some of the highlight features of the iOS system include better interface, gyro-driven parallaxing, icon translucency, etc.
This latest iOS also introduced the all-new AirDrop feature that allowed users to store essential details and documents in the cloud server.
Sadly, the iPhone 5s does not support cross-platform compatibility, unlike newer phones. As a result, the phone does not come with the feature to update.
General Reception
Reception is not directly related to the technical aspect of a phone. However, since you will be buying a refurbished phone that is around a decade old, this whole thing becomes crucial.
iPhone 5s mostly received positive reviews from critics and customers alike. Most reviewers have stated that this is a well-made phone.
However, some reviewers believe that this phone is more of a gimmick than anything else.
Walt Mossberg of All Things Digital claimed that the Touch ID was more of a gimmick than an actual upgrade.
Other than that, everyone received the phone very well. All in all, this was a well-made phone that really tried doing some things differently. As a result, your refurbished iPhone 5s is not just a piece of technology but so much more.
Common Refurbished iPhone 5s Problems
iPhone 5s was a well-built phone with some fantastic features that made it iconic and legendary. However, like all things, the phone is not exempt from some flaws. You should be wary of these flaws since you are buying a decade-old phone.
In this section, we will specifically talk about some of the biggest and most prominent problems that refurbished iPhone 5s users have noticed.
However, iPhone 5s is around a decade old. Therefore, it is not possible to list all the major problems that you might see with this phone.
Therefore, keep an open mind and approach this section.
WiFi Problem
It should not come as a surprise, but WiFi problems in iPhones are super common. Therefore, prepare yourself for the possibility of running into some connectivity problems like a bad WiFi connection, etc.
The only way to fix this issue is to reset your phone or WiFi router to be compatible. In some cases, you can even get results if you set the HTTP Proxy to auto.
This will allow the phone to reset its connectivity according to the connection available.
Unresponsive Home Buttons
Another widespread problem that most users pointed out was the unresponsive home buttons. Back when the iPhone 5s was released, home screen buttons were super popular.
However, this button is not the most reliable component of the iPhone. If the button is unresponsive, you need to wipe it in order to make it more reactive. If the problem persists, you need to replace the button or get professional help.
Rapid Battery Draining
The battery is one of the fastest depreciating components of your refurbished iPhone 5s. Therefore, it is very natural for the battery to act up. It is a natural process as well. If your battery drains rapidly, you need to optimize your device.
Just switch off all the background applications that are battery-intensive. This should solve the problem. If you need help, you can seek professional help.
Purple Glare
This is an uncommon problem. However, users have noticed that some of their images come with a purple glare. This purple glare is a result of a faulty or outdated camera unit.
This glare is most prevalent in bright pictures. The manual way of solving this issue is by shielding the camera with your hand while capturing an image.
This should get the job done. However, it is likely that it would only dampen the glare and not fix it. Therefore, you should get it checked by a professional.
Out of space
This should not be listed as a problem. However, several iPhone users have reported that it is an annoyance over an extended period of time. Unlike modern phones, your refurbished iPhone 5s would come with a fixed storage space.
As a result, there is always the risk of space running out. The only way to clear the space is by deleting unnecessary media and files. This should get the job done.
Final Checklist Before Buying
If you are buying a refurbished iPhone 5s, you need to remember that you are purchasing a decade-old phone.
Therefore, you must follow a checklist to keep yourself from getting duped. You could follow a small checklist before checking out.
Wear & Tear: Look for wear and tears that are unrecorded. This would help you negotiate the price further.
Proof Of Purchase: Ask the seller for proof of purchase. This would help you establish that the phone is not stolen.
IMEI Number: Check the phone’s IMEI number, as it is one of the most crucial aspects of a phone.
Port Checks: Old phones might have faulty charging and 3mm ports. The only way to establish this is by putting your refurbished iPhone 5s through rigorous port testing, where you use more than one charging port to charge the device.
Battery Test: Finally, you should check the battery as it is an old iPhone that has not been in production for around ten years now. Therefore, the battery should be tested to see how it performs.
The Final Thought
Buying a decade-old refurbished iPhone 5s is a financially viable choice. However, it would help if you remembered that you are purchasing a decade-old phone.
Therefore, it will likely have some significant issues and would be severely outdated. But if you are okay with all these points, then we suggest that you go for it. Keep following our page for more such content.
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