Apple’s latest iPhone may be the most anticipated gadget of 2012, just as the iPhone 4S that came before it. There are a lot of reasons why the iPhone generates such excitement and anticipation – it’s expertly designed, simple to use, and capable of handling both work and play without missing a beat.
I’ve been using the iPhone 5 exclusively for just over a week now, and have had a chance to fully experience Apple’s latest and greatest smartphone. I didn’t expect to be wowed by the iPhone 5. In fact, before I actually picked it up and turned it on, I was completely content with my iPhone 4S. In my first week with the iPhone 5, I found that the Apple’s latest smartphone delivers a much more substantial upgrade than I ever expected.
Design
At first glance, it may be hard to see what all the excitement is about with the iPhone 5. It looks somewhat similar to the iPhone 4S, and it doesn’t offer any radical new hardware features. In fact, it doesn’t appear to be much of an upgrade at all. Some might even say that it’s disappointing. In my experience, nothing could be further from the truth. While the iPhone 5 may not seem like a dramatic upgrade at first, there’s a lot more to Apple’s latest smartphone than meets the eye.
The very first time I picked up the iPhone 5, I found myself wondering whether I had been duped. This device is so lightweight that it feels like a prop or a display dummy – but it’s not. The iPhone 5 is a full 20% lighter than the iPhone 4S – but because it’s so thin, and made mostly of aluminum instead of glass, it feels even lighter. I’ve never been so surprised by picking up a gadget before.
Besides the remarkable weight decrease, the iPhone 5 is also nearly 20% thinner than the iPhone 4 and 4S. The overall effect of the new thinner, lighter design is that the iPhone 5 feels completely different in hand than any prior iPhone – and the change is absolutely for the better. Beyond that, I was extremely impressed with the almost gun-like precision in the iPhone 5’s design – it looks absolutely perfect. Not a single element out of place.
The decreased weight and height are due to Apple using a new one piece unibody-style aluminum shell for the device. Along with that comes a few aesthetic changes that I’ve really become fond of. For instance, the edges around the perimeter of the device are much more rounded, and the antennas are no longer wrapped around the outside of the iPhone 5, so the “AntennaGate” issues that some experienced with the iPhone 4 won’t be an issue.
The final changes come in the physical design of the rear and side panels of the device. Apple also moved to a gorgeous two-tone rear panel, which looks fantastic, and has changed the color of the metal casing on the black from silver to black, giving the device a very attractive Darth Vader-like black finish over its entire surface. The white version also appears more streamlined, and almost futuristic.
The end result of all of these changes is a device that is not only more attractive than its predecessor (in my opinion, at least), but also thinner, lighter, and much easier to hold. Picking up and using the iPhone 5 is really an experience unto itself.
The Screen
One of the most talked about new features of the iPhone 5 is the 4-inch screen, which is taller than previous iPhone displays, but not wider. The iPhone 5 is the very first iPhone to use a different screen size. But what does the iPhone really gain from this extra screen real estate? A lot.
I must admit I wasn’t sure I liked the idea of a taller iPhone display, but after using the device for a week, I’m pleasantly surprised at how much I like the change. The iPhone 5 screen can hold an extra row of apps on the home screen, and allows information-based apps, such as Twitter, to display significantly more information. The same is true of the Mail all and others that rely on vertical space.
The new wider display now features an aspect ration of 16 x 9, which makes it much more ideal for wide-screen video. I’ve also found that games, and entertainment apps such as djay for iPhone, provide a much better experience due to the extra width. I have found it disappointing, however, that many developers (including Apple) are quite slow to adapt their apps to the new screen size.
The new screen gives the impression of being much larger than it actually is, especially if you use it after an iPhone 4S. It feels so much more spacious, and makes the entire iPhone experience feel much less cramped overall.
Perhaps the most remarkable change in the new display, however, is the improved color saturation. This screen is gorgeous. Apple claims that the display offers 44% better color saturation. The real-world translation of that is that colors look much richer and more vivid, blacks appear blacker, and the entire screen is taken to the next level of accuracy especially when viewing photos.
It appears almost as though the colors are literally painted onto the device. Every detail is sharper, richer, and crisper than anything ever experienced before on an iPhone.
Camera
Another significant area of improvement in the iPhone 5 is the camera. While the camera still features the same 8-megapixel resolution featured in the iPhone 4S, Apple has managed to dramatically improve the overall quality of images taken on the device.
With the iPhone 5, Apple has moved to a sapphire lens cover, and has made a number of software-level changes that allow the iPhone 5 camera to boast far improved low light performance (as seen in the below comparison). The camera also loads and captures images much, much faster than the camera on the 4S.
The biggest camera upgrade in the iPhone 5, however, is the front-facing FaceTime camera. Apple has finally upgraded the front-facing camera to HD quality – it can now capture video in 720p, which dramatically improves the quality of FaceTime video calls, as well as self-portraits.
Other enhancements to the camera include a much larger camera button not present on the iPhone 4S (even updated to iOS 6). The larger button makes it much easier to tap, especially when holding the camera at odd angles to get a certain shot.
iOS 6 packs a few great camera enhancements as well, including Shared Photo Streams and Panorama Mode, both of which are extremely useful. Panorama mode in particular has proven to be something of an addiction for me.
Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
Apple products aren’t about specs – they’re about easy of use, function, practicality, and the experience of using an iOS device – and Apple’s new A6 processor really delivers in this territory. Apple has increased both the processor speed and graphics performance in their new A6 chip.
I’m not going to spout out performance numbers and benchmarks on Apple’s A6 chip, because they just don’t matter in the long run – but what I can tell you is that everything about the iPhone 5 is snappier, more fluid, and far more responsive as a result. Flipping between pages on the home screen, loading apps, playing games, booting the device – all of these are very noticeably faster on the iPhone 5.
Besides the processor and graphics, Apple has also given a boost to the WiFi chip in the iPhone 5 – which is now dual-band for the first time ever (able to connect to both 2.4ghz and 5ghz networks). Overall WiFi performance is also improved.
And of course, no mention of the iPhone 5’s speed is complete without discussing LTE. Apple has packed the latest 4G LTE chip into the iPhone 5, which supports more LTE frequencies worldwide than the 3rd-gen iPad. Using LTE, you can hit speeds faster than many cable and DSL connections, which makes whipping through websites an almost magical experience.
Sound
Sound isn’t typically something that comes to mind when I’m discussing or reviewing a smartphone – but the iPhone 5’s sound improvements are so noticeable, my review absolutely wouldn’t be complete without making some mention.
First, the speakers. One of the first things I noticed in my first few days with the iPhone 5 is that it has significantly louder speakers than the iPhone 4S. Beyond the volume, the speakers are also of a very noticeably higher quality. Listening to music through the built-in speakers or having a conversation over speakerphone is a much more enjoyable experience.
I’ve also noticed, and had pointed out to me by a number of callers, that voice quality is much improved when making phone calls. Calls between two iPhone 5s sound better than I would ever expect from a mobile call.
Aside from the iPhone 5 itself, Apple’s new EarPods, which come with the iPhone 5, are also quite dramatically improved over Apple’s previous earbuds, both in terms of comfort and sound quality. In fact, I’d venture to say they’re the best $30 buds I’ve ever used.
Connectivity
With the iPhone 5, Apple has moved to a new dock connector for the first time in a decade, option for a tiny 8-pin connector called Lightning. While the move will make a number of accessories incompatible with the iPhone 5 (even with the $30 Apple adapter in some cases), overall, I think the new connector is a great move for several reasons.
While Apple could have chosen to use MicroUSB for the iPhone 5, the new Lightning connector has several distinct advantages. It’s far more sturdy than MicroUSB, supports two-way communication (for using steering wheel music controls in a vehicle while outputting sound to the car’s stereo system, for instance), and, best of all, is reversible – there’s no such thing as inserting the Lightning connector upside-down.
It’s also worth noting that keeping the 30-pin connector around simply wasn’t an option. As iFixit confirmed in their teardown of the iPhone 5, there’s simply no room for a 30-pin dock connector given the new slimmer, more compact design of the iPhone 5.
Battery
I am especially impressed with the battery life of the iPhone 5, which I find to be at least as good (and probably better) than the iPhone 4S. It’s remarkable to me that Apple has managed to increase the speed and performance of the iPhone 5, add in LTE support and a taller, higher quality screen, and improve every major aspect of the iPhone 5 all without significantly impacting the battery life. It’s a pretty remarkable feat.
Verdict
The iPhone 5 is everything I expected from Apple’s next-gen iPhone, and more. It’s everything I love about the iPhone 4S, all taken to the next level, and really enhances the iPhone experience. From the taller screen to the thinner and lighter build, the iPhone 5 is something you truly have to experience for yourself to fully appreciate.
I expected a lot from the iPhone 5, and to my pleasant surprise, Apple delivered everything I expected and then some. So, why should anybody upgrade to the iPhone 5? For me, the answer became apparent from the moment I first held it in my hands.
Pros
- Vastly improved display with more screen real estate.
- Faster, more responsive, and more powerful.
- Thinner, lighter, and more comfortable to use.
- No decrease in battery life.
- Significantly improved speakers and microphone, vastly improved earbuds.
- Stunning new design in both black and white – absolutely gorgeous.
Cons
- New Lightning connector may cause compatibility issues.
- Scratches are more visible on the black model (although the “ScuffGate” issues appear to be far overblown).
