So the iPhone 5 is finally out which Apple claims is the best thing to happen to the iPhone since the iPhone. Here's a look at some quick key features that are new:
4G LTE:As speculated, the iPhone 5 will come with 4G LTE for high speed Internet. The iPhone 5 also hasdual-band 3.5G HDPA+ which means those who don't have a carrier with 4G can still access high-speed Internet. Just that it won't be 4G.
Design and Body: So as predicted, the iPhone 5 has a new glass and aluminum two-tone body. Also the device is only 7.6mm unlike the iPhone 4s, which was 9.3 mm and had a bulky look. The iPhone 5 also has a bigger screen, 4 inches unlike the previous 3.5 inch version. With the iPhone 5, we're seeing a bigger screen and a thinner body.
Also, the iPhone 5 is compatible with the Nano-SIM. Apple has ditched the regular SIM card for this one.
Screen resolution: Apple has upped the screen resolution to 1136x640 pixel which comes to around 326 ppi. The iPhone 4S had 960x640 pixel resolution on a 3.5 inch screen. A bigger screen means the iPhone is now in the leagues of Samsung Galaxy S III although that one has 4.8 inch screen.
Faster Processor: As predicted, the quad-core A6 chip is here. According to Engadget, Tim Cook claimed,
the chip to be 22 percent smaller than the A5 and hence more energy-efficient, while at the same time -- he says -- doubling all-round CPU and graphics capabilities. By way of practical benefits, the Apple CEO promises the Pages app will load up 2.1x faster than before, while Keynote attachments will hit the screen 1.7x faster.
The clock speed for the chip has not been revealed. Also everyone is still wondering whether Samsung still made these. Let's hope the A6 can compete with Galaxy S III and HTC One X and other quad-core devices.
Apple's latest offering, the iPhone 5, is much easier to repair than the 4S or 4 devices, according to tech gadget team, iFixit. The iFixit team has done its usual tear-down of the iPhone 5 and by all indications they like what they see. For pictures of what the iPhone 5 looks like from inside click here.
The team has good news for Apple fans saying that fixing the iPhone 5 should be easier. The team writes,
What's this? A suction cup? We haven't needed a suction cup to get into an iPhone since the 3GS!
Because the iPhone 5 is opened front-to-back, replacing a cracked screen is going to be easier than ever. Thank you, Apple. Compare this to the iPhone 4S, where it took 38 steps to isolate the display assembly, and this iPhone may be the most repairable iPhone we've seen in a while.
You can check out the complete post by iFixit here.
Apple's newest flagship device, the iPhone 5, is due to be released tomorrow. Not surprisingly, the Internet is going crazy in anticipation of the new smartphone. So is it going to be called iPhone 5 or iPhone 5S?
There's a good chance it will be called iPhone 5 as TechRadar points out that Apple has filed a complaint with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) over the URL for iphone5.com, which is currently held by a group that's using it as a message board for discussions about the new iPhone.
So what have the rumour mills been saying about features for the new iPhone?
It's likely to sport a bigger 4-inch screen compared to the current 3.5 inch one. It's should also be thinner than the iPhone 4S. It will have a new 19-pin connector port at the bottom instead of the proprietary 30-pin port to make room for the earphone moving to the bottom. A Quad-core processor, the A-6, Near Field Communications (NFC) capabilities and 4G are some other rumoured features.
And while these things sound cool by themselves, here's a look at some other features that we wish the iPhone 5 has.
3D: We know it sounds a little implausible, but hey what doesn't look better in 3D - remember Avataar. If Apple does get that experience onto mobile, that should make video calls a whole lot cooler. On the downside, mobile ads might get really creepy.
Design and Colours: Is Apple finally going to ditch the prized 'iPhone' design aka the rectangle with rounded corners. Unlikely since they fought Samsung for stealing this patented design. But hey, isn't Apple all about innovation as they claim? Will the next iPhone be radically different in terms of design? Let's hope the iPhone5 is revolutionary and not just evolutionary.
Apple's long awaited iPhone 5 will hit US stores on Friday. The device is already sold out on pre-order and according to Apple it is the fastest selling smartphone ever. So what are the tech pundits saying about the new iPhone 5? It's mostly rave reviews all the way.
Here's a quick look at a few:
CNET: The headline says it all about how much they love this phone. iPhone 5 full review: Finally, the iPhone we've always wanted. Reviewer Scott Stein says,
The iPhone 5 completely rebuilds the iPhone on a framework of new features and design, addressing its major previous shortcomings. It's absolutely the best iPhone to date, and it easily secures its place in the top tier of the smartphone universe.
For him, the winning point of the iPhone 5 is design, design, design. You can read the complete post here.
New York Times: This one seems mildly restrained as far as reviews go. From reviewer David Pogue, his point of view regarding the iOS vs Android vs Windows 8 debate doesn't change radically with the iPhone 5. As far the new screen-resolution in concerned, he says, It's a nice but not life-changing change.
The smartphone wars are heating up this season with the launch of the iPhone 5 and the new Nokia Lumia 920. For key features of the iPhone 5, click here.
iPhone 5's biggest rival is of course Samsung's Galaxy S III. Now the South Korean giant taken out a new ad that gives a detailed list of why the iPhone 5 is nowhere close to being a competitor. You can view the complete ad poster below. Samsung claims that the next best thing is already here and that the iPhone 5 doesn't even come close.
The ad poster, lists out the full and almost never ending virtues of the Samsung Galaxy S III compared to the iPhone 5. The tagline: It doesn't take a genius. Of course the ad is mocking Apple's Geniuses who offer users help with Apple products.
By the way in the list of iPhone 5 virtues, the ad mentions a totally new plug as a new feature. A clear shot at Apple's new Lightning, dock connector which has an eight-pin plug.
In anticipation of Apple's iPhone 5, Samsung went out on a limb and released a commercial which took the iPhone 5 head on, feature for feature.
The commercial shows, ostensibly, queues of consumers waiting for the Apple store to open as they wait for the much-awaited new offereing, the iPhone 5.
Shot almost like a documentary-vox pop, the TVC uses the word cool (or comparatives and superlatives) 4 times.
Samsung Galaxy SIII is cool, the ad seems to insist. More importantly, the TVC attempts to demonstrate that most of the features in the new iPhone are features that already exist in the Galaxy SIII - and hence, for Galaxy users, The next big thing is already here.
So why is the iPhone 5 selling like hot cakes - even giving a fillip to the US economy? Some analysts expect Apple to sell up to 10 million iPhone 5 models in the remaining days of September and JP Morgan estimates the phone release could provide a $3.2 billion boost to the US economy in the fourth quarter, says Times of India.
Because the iPhone 5 is cool - cooler than the Galaxy SIII. Not because Samsung says so or because Apple says so, but because the consumer says so.
