Do you really need the new iPhone?

By Nicole Wiesenthal

Freshman, Journalism Major

On September 12, you wake up, roll over in your bed and grab your iPhone which sits conveniently right next to your bed. The cracked screen lights up. You “slide to unlock” (several times because your phone freezes during your first attempt), and then open the Facebook app to see if you have any new notifications.

“So excited to get the new iPhone!!” is the first post you see on your newsfeed. You have just enough time to read it before the app crashes. Annoyed you glare down at your phone which is already down to 80% battery. Maybe you need to get the new iPhone too…

But what’s in it for you?

1. The Future is Here… With a Fingerprint Scanner

Do you ever get annoyed when your friends hack into your phone? Well, the new fingerprint scanner, iTouch iD on the iPhone 5S will prevent that from happening. The scanner will be used to unlock the phone, but rumors are that it will also later be used for a wallet app.

Most students are looking forward to the new feature even if it does come at a price. Freshman biochemistry major, Brad Arnold, shared that he is “super excited for the fingerprint scanner instead of a passcode.”

2. Candy Crush in HD

The new iPhone features the new Apple A7, the first 64-bit chip on a smartphone. Basically the change in chip size means that the newest iPhone is twice as fast as the previous models and also has twice the graphic power. If you’re sick of your phone lagging when you’re in the middle of a game of FIFA 14 or Candy Crush, maybe you should look into getting the new phone.

3. An Instagram User’s Best Friend: A Better iPhone Camera

The new camera on the iPhone 5s will allow you to take even clearer, higher quality photos than before. It will allow you to take better low light shots, as well as, sharper shots. The camera also takes multiple images and selects the one with the sharpest focus for the user which is awesome for when you’re trying to take a photo of a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Video quality has improved too so when that one friend skateboards down the stairs as part of a dare, you can preserve the memory almost exactly as you saw it.

4. Stayin’ Alive… All Day

You no longer need to plug in your iPhone to charge in the middle of your Fictional Writing class. With the new iPhone, you can have 10 hours of talk time, browsing, or continuous video playback.

For students like freshman political science and business major Gunnar Larson, who have to commute to the university, the battery life on the newer iPhones is much appreciated.  “I always have to charge my phone at random places, but with the new iPhone I wouldn’t really have to worry about problems like my battery dying when I’m trying to figure out what time my bus is coming,” Larson said.

5. The Midas Touch… Gold Phone

We all love expressing our uniqueness through our appearance and accessories. Although the iPhone 5S is not coming out in as many colors as the cheaper iPhone 5C, Apple introduced a third color, gold. The black option was also replaced with a softer gray. Personalization for the win.