iPhone 6 vs iPhone 5s: What’s new?

The iPhone 6 lands in the UK on 19 September, bringing a number of hardware improvements. But are there enough to justify an upgrade from the previous generation?

If you're thinking about trading up from an older handset, it may still be worth investing in the iPhone 5s, which now starts at 459 and will be able to run iOS 8 from 17 September.

Here we take a look at the key differences between the iPhone 6 and 5s:

Display size

iPhone 5s - 4in (1136 x 640) Retina Display, 500cd/m2 brightness, 326ppi

iPhone 6 - 4.7in (1334 x 750) Retina Display HD, 500 cd/m2 brightness, 326ppi

The display on the iPhone 6 has a slightly higher resolution but pixel density and brightness remain the same. Apple claims to have increased the viewing angles on the latest device by using dual-domain pixels.

Having a larger screen size means the iPhone 6 has a couple of additional interface features. These come in the form of Display Zoom and Reachability.

Display Zoom increases the size of the icons or apps on screen and reachability moves apps toward the bottom of the display making it possible to use the device in one-handed mode.

Battery life

Apple is touting modest improvements in battery life between the iPhone 6 and 5s. Both quote 10 hours of 4G browsing, but the iPhone 6 offers four hours extra talk time (14 hours).

As with all iOS products, the batteries on the iPhone 6 and 5s are not user replaceable.

Performance

iPhone 5s - A7 64-bit processor + M7 co-processor and 1GB RAM

iPhone 6 - A8 - 64-bit processor + M8 processor and 1GB RAM

Using it's second generation 64-bit processor, Apple is claiming CPU performance has increased by up to 25 per cent and graphics performance by 50 per cent from the iPhone 5s.

Apple has added a barometer so the M8 co-processor in the iPhone 6 is capable of measuring distance and can also differentiate between elevation.

During the presentation, Phil Schiller, SVP of marketing at Apple, claimed the iPhone 6 will be able to sustain high-performance without generating as much heat as its predecessor.

Camera

iPhone 5s - 8-megapixel iSight with True Tone flash, BSI sensor

iPhone 6 - 8-megapixel iSight with True Tone flash, BSI sensor

There's little to differentiate the cameras in terms of megapixels but Apple has improved the sensor, enhanced face detection and increased the speed of auto-focus in the iPhone 6.

In terms of video recording, the iPhone 6 now offers continuous autofocus and video stabilisation as well as the option to record HD video at 60fps. The 5s only offers the ability to do so at 30fps.

Storage

iPhone 5s - 16GB or 32GB

iPhone 6 - 16GB, 64GB or 128GB

The iPhone 6 is available with up to 128GB, so users will be able to store plenty of content without having to worry about transferring it off. The 5s is limited to 16 and 32GB variants.

NFC

The iPhone 6 finally brings NFC connectivity to iOS devices. This will work in conjunction with the firm's Apple Pay system - so you can tap to pay for goods in participating stores. This feature will initially roll out to 220,000 stores across the US, with key territories such as the UK expected to get the system in 2015.

Apply Pay shown on a smartphone

Is it worth the upgrade?

The feature set of the iPhone 5s is almost identical to the iPhone 6 - with the key differences being the screen size and the ability to use Apple Pay. Whilst there are also performance upgrades and improvements to the battery life and camera, these don't blow the 5s out of the water.

If you're coming to the end of a contract and you're using an iPhone 4/4S or simply thinking about getting an iOS device, the iPhone 5s represents good value.

Khidr Suleman is the Technical Editor at IT Pro, a role he has fulfilled since March 2012. He is responsible for the reviews section on the site  - so get in touch if you have a product you think might be of interest to the business world. He also covers the hardware and operating systems beats. Prior to joining IT Pro, Khidr worked as a reporter at Incisive Media. He studied law at the University of Reading and completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Magazine Journalism and Online Writing at PMA Training.