The Power of Anticipation: Apple iPhone 5 Review

The much awaited release of the new iPhone 5 promises to be the new standard in smartphone technology and to be as ground breaking, if not more than, the original iPhone itself a few years back.  The new design is lighter than its older siblings are but has a bigger display and a longer battery life.  The subtle exterior changes cannot justify the host of upgrades the 5 has over the iPhone 4S.  Apple was so keen in making the iPhone 5 make such a big hit that it was almost a year late from its original release date.  So, let’s find out if this latest incarnation is indeed worth waiting for.

Overall design

From the outside, the new iPhone 5 is not much different from the outgoing iPhone 4S apart from a few details.  It is longer to accommodate the 4-inch screen but keeps the width similar to the previous model.  It is also lighter at 112 grams, a fifth of the outgoing model’s weight.  Holding an iPhone 5 will make you feel the difference but at the same time, there is a feeling of familiarity which in our opinion is a good thing.  The Facetime camera is now in the middle, right above the earpiece.  The 3.5-millimeter headphone jack now resides at the bottom.  Apple managed to shave off some the thickness by a few points, and aluminum with a couple of strips of glass on both ends replaces the all-glass back.

Connectivity

Perhaps the most controversial change is the use of the Lightning connector.  The main advantage of this is the ability to plug-in regardless of orientation.  This may come in handy if you need to plug-in in the dark among other things.  It is also meant to provide faster transfer rates, though this needs further testing until the USB version 3.0 arrives.  One thing to note is that using the iPhone 5 in the old 30-pin docks will require the use of an adapter.  While this provides the power and audio out, it will not work on in-dash controls on most cars.

The iPhone 5 supports LTE connectivity and Apple decides to release different versions across the globe.  Keep in mind that although the phone has the feature, using it will most likely depend on your service provider.  It also has a dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, GLONASS and GPS.

Processing power and storage

The new dual core A6 processor with 1.05 gigahertz and 1GB of RAM powers the iPhone 5.  So far, there isn’t an app that slows it down and the display doesn’t show any signs of sluggishness even when watching HD movies.  The iPhone 5 comes in either, 16GB, 32GB or 64GB, similar to the previous model.  It is not expandable unlike its competitors but, there is always iCloud for your storage needs.

Display and cameras

Even in 4S trim, the iPhone already has one of the best displays available and the 5 makes it “the best,” period.  Images are crisp, sharp and more detailed thanks to additional pixel rows and increased resolution.  Despite the increase in size, your thumb can reach all 4 corners with relative ease.

The 8-megapixel camera at the back receives only minor changes, as it is one of the best already.  The front-facing VGA camera is replaced by a 1.2-megapixel unit so, expect a clearer, more defined image of your face with this new one.  One cool feature is the panorama mode that lets you take a panoramic image by sweeping your phone around.  The system is far from perfect but it does a pretty good job, regardless.

Software

The new iPhone 5 comes with Apple’s new IOS 6 operating system.  It will handle almost anything you need from it.  Unfortunately, it isn’t as revolutionary as one would expect.  If you liked the previous IOS, than you would certainly enjoy this one.  That can also be said otherwise.

Conclusion

The iPhone 5 is definitely a significant improvement over the previous iPhone 4S.  Although it is not as groundbreaking as most people hoped, it promises to be a step closer to the ultimate smart phone.  For now, this is the best iPhone available.  Die-hard Apple fans will be very happy with this one.  However, will it be enough for people to switch over to this side of the boat? Maybe.

iPhone 5 release date

The iPhone 5 is expected in South Africa early September and pre-order dates are from 07 October 2012, Pricing is R11,999 from cacell,

The iPhone is facing stiff competition from the success of the Samsung Galaxy S3.