Apple iPhone 5 (sixth Generation iPhone)

On Tuesday, September 12th, Apple held a big event announcing the anticipated iPhone 5 (not “New iPhone”, as expected). In addition, new versions of the iPod Touch, iPod Nano, and iTunes were announced, as well as revamped “EarPods” headphones. The specifications of the iPhone 5 are as follows:

• Physical: 4.87” x 2.31” x .3”; 3.95 oz
• Display: 4”; 640 x 1136 pixels; 326 ppi pixel density
• Storage: 16/32/64 GB Variants; 1 GB RAM
• Processing: Apple A6 Dual-core 1.6 GHz
• Battery: 225 hours stand-by; 8 hours 3G talk time
• Cameras: 8 megapixel; LED flash; F2.4 aperture; 1080p HD video at 30 fps; 1.2 megapixel front-facing
• Connectivity: CDMA/GSM/UMTS/LTE/HSPA+; 802.11 a, b, g, n (2.4 & 5 GHz) WiFi

This is the thinnest and lightest iPhone ever. The shell is constructed entirely out of glass and aluminum. The screen has been elongated, allowing for a fifth row of icons on the screen. Since the latest iPad was released with LTE connectivity, it was expected the iPhone would follow suit. Apple detailed many camera improvements, including improved low-light performance and 40% faster photo capture. Panorama mode has also been added, a feature long included in Android camera software. Photo stills can also be captured while recording video. Three microphones are incorporated which will support HD voice. The 3.5 mm headphone jack has been moved to the bottom. This is the first Apple device with the 80% smaller and reversible Lightning dock connector. A 30 pin to Lightning adapter is available to use your iPhone 5 with the now legacy 30 pin device docks. It is available in black and white and will follow the standard two year contract pricing scheme: $199 16 GB, $299 32 GB, $399 64 GB.

Apple has nailed industrial design. I have had issues with one-handed operation of the 4.3” screen on my HTC Rezound. Although I feel the ideal phone size differs for each person’s hand, my opinion is there is such a thing as a phone that’s too big. I believe Apple did considerable analysis to decide on the iPhone 5 screen size. The quality of materials in the phone’s construction is second to none. However, that is where my admiration ends. iOS 6 is just a bore. Apple has done very little modification to the user experience, and they need to. Android Jelly Bean provides a much better software experience, and I’m certainly intrigued by the looks of Windows Phone 8. A lot of reviews are calling the iPhone 5 a “bore”. I wouldn’t go that far. It’s not revolutionary, but it certainly is an improvement from the 4s.

So which carrier should you go with? Hands down, it has to be Verizon. Sprint will offer you unlimited data but they have no LTE infrastructure. In addition, they confirmed their network is not compatible with the iPhone 5’s HD voice feature. Similarly, AT&T’s LTE infrastructure is only slightly better than Sprint, but they do have an option to be grandfathered into an unlimited plan for existing subscribers while also subsidizing the cost of the phone. However, AT&T is playing games with requiring certain shared plans in order to use FaceTime over Cellular. Verizon will grandfather you into an unlimited plan but only if you buy the phone at full price. Overall though, I feel the Verizon variant will offer you the best user experience.

As shown by the dip in Apple’s last quarter smartphone sales, people are waiting for this phone to arrive, and it will sell like crazy. Preorders began at 3 a.m. EST on Thursday, September 14th. Unless you set your alarm and placed your order within the first hour, you may be waiting a couple of weeks to receive your preordered phone. Otherwise, you could always wait in line at a store to try to get it on September 21st.

My next blog will discuss the ways in which Nokia is advancing the mobile market.

#Apple #iPhone #iOS