The next generation of the iPhone was released just last week and not much has changed with the population of Apple lovers. If you happened to walk past any Apple store that day, you would have seen the typical hour-long lines filled with masses of people who literally could not wait to get whatever the next thing Apple was selling. This time it was the iPhone 5S.

What’s new? On the outside, nothing. You could put this iPhone and its predecessor, the iPhone 5, side by side and struggle to tell the difference- the exception being the new fingerprint scanner, which is located on the center button. While Apple didn’t pull the usual “it’s thinner now!” trick, they did make the phone somewhat faster and added a better camera. The iPhone may has improved marginally, but it hasn’t stopped people from expressing their disapproval. A YouTube parody of the Apple commercials that mocks how nothing has really changed in the iPhone has gone viral.

Pine Crest is among the places where you probably can’t walk five feet in any direction without inevitably running into an iPhone user. One such iPhone user is senior Joseph May. When asked about the iPhone 5S, which he had already bought, he said he loved the phone, especially the new “M7 chip”, a motion sensor that can act as a fitness tracking device. However, not every PC student loves Apple. I caught up with a senior who has never actually bought an iPhone, (*gasp*), Blake Hawthorne.

Me: So Blake! Have you gotten the new iPhone 5s yet?

Blake: No, absolutely not.  Which one are you talking about; the iPhone 5cheap or the iPhone 5same?

Me: Well I mean both seem pretty awesome.  True or False? The iPhone 5s is the greatest smart phone to ever hit the market. Ever.

Blake: False. Absolutely false. I can name an endless amount of phones that are better than the 5s. Off the top of my head: the galaxy S3 and S4, the Note 3, the-

Me: -Alright got it. So why haven’t you ever bought an iPhone?

Blake: Well, I don’t know. I’m afraid my phone will get lost among all the other ones that look exactly the same. Seriously, all the those other phones are way better phones packed with way better features than the iPhone 5S.

Me: Ya, but my iPhone is just like, ya know? So simple!

Blake: Motorola has a simple phone, just as “easy” as the iPhone with the sleek and simple look, but cheaper and with way more features than the 5S.

Me: So, wait. What new features does the iPhone 5s have that other phones already possess?

Blake: The biggest thing is that “awesome” finger print scanner. There’s nothing new here. Motorola’s Atrix had one in 2011. Also, the awesome new camera hasn’t even caught up to the ones on Android phones! It has a “wonderful” new 8mp camera, while Android has had a 13mp camera for a while now!

Me: (He didn’t mean that Siri, don’t worry…you’re beautiful.) Okay last question: if you could give any Apple iPhone consumer your thoughts on the iPhone 5S craze, what is the one thing you would tell them? Don’t be too cruel.

Blake: Have you decided which new iPhone you’re going to get yet? The same exact phone you got last year with a plastic body, or the exact same phone you got last year with a finger scanner? It must be hard this time because Apple normally only releases one phone every two years and basically makes the decision for you. But this time thankfully, they released two! *phew*.

Me: Thank you Blake. Your time and sarcasm are always appreciated.

Blake: Any time.

Does what Blake say make sense? So far, the sales for the newest iPhone have broken records and the phones are even selling on Ebay for $1000+. It’s up to you to decide whether or not you want to follow the iPhone 5S craze.