The iPhone 5 is the iPhone that was anticipated since 2010, accumulating all the upgrades that have been long- overdue. Its new design is beautiful both to the eyes and to the grip. It can be used for anything one can think of. Most of its features come from iPhone 4S.
It is true. Other smartphones can beat iPhone 5. Say if you want a larger screen, go Samsung Galaxy S3. If you want a better battery life, get the Droid Razr Maxx. But if you want a great flexible smartphone, then this is it. As MacBook is to laptops, iPhone 5 is to iPhone.
Appearance
iPhone 5 is thin, metal and very light. It has a wide metal body which stretches beyond previous iPhones like iPhone 4 and 4S, yet thinner. It looks similar to iPhone 4 and 4S – volume buttons, silence switch and sleep/wake button on top. Headphone jack transferred to the bottom, just like the iPod Touch. The bottom part is actually new – larger redesigned speakers, smaller Lightning connector port and different perforated grille.
Metal comes instead of Gorilla Glass. The rear top and bottom is still in the glass. The anodized aluminum which Apple said to be similar to MacBook laptops feels the same.
Distinction
iPhone 5 has all the upgrades everyone wanted to have. Its wonderful camera makes it the choice for anyone who is ready for an upgrade. The camera has improved a lot. Speakerphone is added and also noise-cancelling quality. It has a lot more enhancements brought by iOS 6. Siri becomes smarter too. Then there are those Passbook, location-aware and digital wallet for documents such as boarding passes, gift cards and tickets.
First, anyone would be shocked by how light iPhone 5 is, even if it is longer and has a bigger screen. Having it a few days would make iPhone 4S heavy. Second is the subtle lengthening of the screen. Once used to it, users shall have a hard time going back to the older models.
Holding an iPhone 4S with iPhone 5 can make the thickness difference transparent. iPhone 5 is not bigger, but it has expanded in length and width but yet lighter at 3.95 ounces. iPhone 4S is 4.9 ounces and iPhone 3G is 4.7 ounces. The first iPhone and iPhone 4 were 4.8 ounces. Yet, iPhone 5 has not looked dramatically different unlike what iPhone 4 experienced when it debuted. iPhone 5 just seems a fusion of iPhone with iPad and MacBook.
Interface and Apps
The interface is the same – app icons greeting in a grid, and a dock of apps at the bottom. The longer screen accommodates five rows of four apps grid, instead of four rows of four apps. More apps fit to the home screen.
Apps are iMovie, Pages, iPhoto, Numbers, GarageBand Keynote, iCards and all of the 5’s built-in apps like, Reminders, Maps Messages, Camera, Photos, Videos, Passbook, Notes Weather, Stocks, iTunes, Newsstand, Game Center, the App Store, Calculator, Contacts, Voice Memos, Compass, Safari, Mail, Music and Phone.
Pros & Cons
The good thing about iPhone 5 is it adds all the things everybody wants in an iPhone 4S – 4G LTE, a bigger screen, a faster processor and a turn-by-turn navigation. Plus a physique that is feather-light, sharp and slim.
The bad thing is that Apple Maps seems to be buggy and unfinished. Models of Verizon and Sprint cannot use data and voice at the same time. The smaller connector makes current accessories unusable if there is no adapter. There are no NFC and the screen size pales if compared to bigger Android models.
Conclusion
The iPhone 5 completely rebuilds its roots with new designs and features and addresses the shortcomings of the previous models. It is absolutely the best iPhone to date, and easily secures its plastic in the top level of the smartphone lines.
Enough or not, these enhancements are pretty good. For some users, these are more than enough of a smartphone. They no longer can ask for more. Any additional enhancements would surely be welcomed but it should be really useful. As of now, anyone is not sure what technology shall it be.