Like most midcycle Apple smartphone releases, the new iPhone 5s doesn't look that different from its predecessor: A few improvements to the finish, new color combinations, and some minor cosmetic changes are all that separate it from the iPhone 5—at least on the surface.
Dig a bit deeper, though, and you'll find some significant under-the-hood differences in the latest handset to leave Cupertino's design labs, giving us some key clues about the tech giant's long-term plans for its mobile platforms.
We have the technology
The first big change beneath the iPhone 5s's screen is, of course, a new CPU—the A7 (in keeping with the Apple numbering scheme that debuted with the A4).
As you'd expect, the A7 is faster than its predecessor—twice as fast, according to the company. More interestingly, it also sports a 64-bit architecture, which puts it firmly in the big leagues of CPU design.
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