After months of excitement building up, the iPhone 5 was finally let on the loose on September 21st, having been released just over 10 months after its predecessor, the iPhone 4s. The prolonged deliveries of this in-demand product are frustrating people all over the country, but the wait promises to be worth it. Many say the reason for this is due to the phone’s new display, which uses in-cell touch panels for a thinner design, making manufacturing a bit more time-consuming.
Image courtesy of HotHardware.com.
This new addition to the Apple family did not live up to most of the rumored concepts, some of which included having a laser keyboard or a teardrop-shaped exterior. The phone is 20 percent lighter than the 4s at just 112 grams, allowing for a whole new experience. And, at 123.8 mm tall, the 4-inch screen fits five, instead of four, rows of apps.
Though lightweight, this new phone isn’t exactly light on your wallet. Like previous iPhone models, the iPhone 5 is available in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB for $199, $299, and $399 respectively.
Aesthetically, the phone is delightful. It comes in both white and black, the latter of which seems to be more susceptible to scratches, according to recent reviews. In fact, multiple customers have already reported scratches on their phones from the packaging.
Image courtesy of Savemisc.com
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Other design changes include tweaks to the headphone jack, iSight camera, and the charger connector. While both the headphone jack and the camera have received positive reviews, the Lightning connector does seem to be causing a bit of an uproar. Devoted Apple customers will soon have to buy $30 adapters for each of their devices if they want them all to plug in to the same connectors, a price some customers aren’t willing to pay.
Technologically speaking, the iPhone 5 is definitely a step ahead. The new A6 chip delivers
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more speed and efficiency, and the new operating system, iOS 6, has greatly improved: everyone’s personal assistant, Siri, is now even smarter, you can FaceTime using 3G or 4G alone, you can instantly reply to a declined call with a message, and much more.
Apple Maps, however, has caused a little controversy. Though it boasts new features like turn-by-turn navigation, its accuracy is questionable. For example, Apple seems to think that the Washington Monument, which stands directly between the U.S. Capitol to the east and the Lincoln Memorial to the left, lies several hundreds of yards to the south, near the Potomac River.
In terms of manufacturing, the rush of the iPhone 5 is supposedly to blame for serious violence and riots occurring between workers and security guards at one of Foxconn’s factories. In a statement, Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehavior said, “Whenever there are new products launched by Apple, consumers are thrilled. At the same time, workers are queuing up for the company bus and lining up to swipe their staff card at Foxconn, but without similar excitement.” Evidently, the pressure of such high demands often takes a toll on workers.
Being eligible for a new phone for about five months now, this Thursday, I finally picked up a 32G black iPhone 5 myself. I ordered it the night before at 10 p.m. for pick-up the next day at a near-by Apple store. Out of its elegant box packed with new Apple EarPods and the infamous Lightning connector, the iPhone is smooth, sleek, and slender. I love the new lightweight feel to it, and the size is perfect for me. One would think its newly extended screen would be too large, but it fits perfectly in the palm of my hand. The camera is excellent, and the strength of its 4G connection alone is basically equal to that of my own WiFi.
Not only is this phone fast, but it’s easily navigable. Additionally, Siri seems much more competent, having answered more questions and told me a joke (and remembered the punch-line): “Susannah, get Siri-ous!” though she still can’t remember how “Two iPhones walk into a bar…” ends. However, my newly British male version of Siri doesn’t know any knock-knock jokes. Overall, though, my new iPhone 5 was definitely worth the wait.
So, looking back on the months of anticipation and rumors building up to the iPhone 5, was all the hype overextended? That question remains partially unsolved and will be left up to consumers to decide. For now, there are always holograms, lasers, and end-to-end screens to look forward to with the iPhone 6!
Watch the official iPhone 5 trailer here.