Apple iPhone 5 Review

If you are an “Apple Fan boy  it is probably best you do not read this review as it might hurt your feelings.  The Apple iPhone has been one of the most anticipated smart phone as per usual this year besides the Samsung Galaxy S3 and since the passing of  the Late Steve Jobs the pioneer, it has been a device we all hope will repair some of the wounds suffered from the disappointment of the iPhone 4S.  Some may say the 4S was a success which no doubt it was sales wise but for someone like us over here, we wanted more than just two or three upgrades to our previous device.

The iPhone 5 has been here from the night before public release and have gone through some thorough testing for the sake of this review unlike any other smart phones reviewed on GadgetsBoy.  It has so many good features that some might not even realize how good those features are until they have used it for a few days or weeks and we are guilty of that.  When the iPhone 5 was announced it was disappointing on some levels,

1. Most of the details were leaked unlike we have seen before.
2. Only changed screen size, processor and some other hardware features.
3. iOS6 was no big upgrade, just some extra features and taking off Google maps and other Google products might have been a mistake although Google smartly enough, took the opportunity to create a better YouTube app for example.

The Unboxing and first look

Apple’s packaging of the iPhone 5 felt cheap, the box did not have the same quality as its predecessors, call that petty but when you get the black version you notice it even more; the device itself taking it out of the box felt really light as advertised and very thin compared to all the previous iPhones and immediately makes the previous one feel heavier.  The new earphones known as earpods are surprisingly nice and fits perfectly in ear although sound quality will not stop me from using my beats by dre over ear headphones for now.

Design

Unlike the iPhone 4 or iPhone 4s, Apple decided to change the glass real estate to aluminium on the white and anodized version on the black copy to make it last longer cosmetically or make it durable and less susceptible to scratches from everyday use if you like me hate having it enclosed in a case.   The redesigned smart phone has a fine diamond cut edge around the rim and feels less metallic when compared to the previous chassis on the iPhone 4 or the iPhone 4s;  it is a good decision that they changed the glass back because a lot of people ended up dropping it and smashing it thereby costing more than anticipated unless you have it insured.

Apart from the thin profile at 7.6mm thick, light weight at 112g and taller screen at 4 inches on the diagonal, aesthetically, they have mostly the same features like where the volume rocker, silent/loud switch, power/sleep button still positioned where it has always been; mind you they moved the headphone jack to the bottom of the phone next to the new charging port and the SIM card has now been changed to a nano SIM again changing how things work.

Not to get into too much detail about what they have moved or changed on the uni-body  they also moved the front camera to the middle for better self photography or facetiming.  Overall the new design looks sophisticated  although it might feel otherwise for some; shopping around you would even hear some mention it is too light or it feels hollow and cheap but what do they know, it still feels rather robust when compared to its “rival” the Samsung Galaxy S3 made of plastic.

iPhone 5: Display

With the elongated display and full sRGB gamut, the iPhone 5 has the edge over the iPhone 4 and if you already own and iPhone 4s it has slight advantage over its predecessor.  The iPhone 5 also have  a Retina Display with 326 PPI (Pixels Per Inch) and  a Resolution of 1136 x 640 pixels although on our wishlist was a resolution of 1280×720 but perhaps we will see that glorified on the iPhone 5s or iPhone 6.

The screen looks very sharp and texts show up with great clarity, the feeling you get when you see the new iPad or the MacBook pro with Retina display which just makes playing game a great experience and compliments the longer/taller screen size very well.   Overall for any average consumer/user, the iPhone 5 display is more than adequate for playing heavy graphics games or watching HD movies on Netflix and YouTube.  Although they have elongated the screen size, so many apps are yet to be updated to take advantage of the extra screen size.

On big advantage to the screen size if the ability to see more emails, iMessages and see more images on one display meaning less scrolling up and down just to see the rest of your message.  One thing I wish they added is extra number row on the keyboard, since there is space for it, having to press the shift key can be annoying.

iPhone  5: Performance and battery 

Apple iPhone 5 performance is a lot more noticeable if you have previously owned any other smart phones other than the Galaxy S3 or Galaxy Note 2 ( there are other smart phones also); however the first thing you will notice when using the iPhone 5 is how snappy it is, from scrolling through the pages, browsing the internet with less lag and less checkered screen, you also notice when playing games it is very smooth; all a sign of good processor performance and management.

Big difference we also noticed was how quick opening apps has become compared to the iPhone 4 and 4S; it was very noticeable when taking pictures, you can tap very quickly and take pictures rapidly which is how well the processor works.  The benchmark scores also showed that it performed very well even against devices of higher specs.  A short test performed against the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 which is a beast of a handset when it comes to specs proofs this, watch the video below:

Video was a collaboration with Jailbreak Nation

Battery life has also improved compared to the iPhone 4 and the 4S but still lacking for anyone who will be using it like us; it lasted a whole day with playing games, taking pictures/recording videos, social networking, making/receiving phone calls; what was also strange is how the new charger did not make any difference with how quick it charges which also raises a few eye brows as to why that was changed with a lot of users already with the current 30 pin charger.  With the new lightening port, it also means you will have to spend a little extra for the 30 pin adapter or a spare USB charger to use in the car.   Overall a big improvement in battery life.

iPhone 5: Camera 

With the new thin profile of the iPhone 5, the iSight camera  has been redesigned to fit, the surface of the lens is now made of sapphire crystal which means tough and durable surface.  The camera quality was excellent, from taking macro photo to taking photos in low light; Apple also added the Panoramic feature to the iPhone 5 camera which is a brilliant feature and pictures taking in panorama mode makes a lot of difference especially if you see a lovely view on holiday; the colours are vibrant and every detail handled very well.  The front facing camera now records at 720p which is very handy for FaceTime calls.

You can now also use the face detection added to the iPhone 5 camera and auto-focus, you can also take still images whilst recording videos.

How the iPhone 5 compares to the Galaxy Note 2 1080p Recording

iPhone 5: iOS6

iOS 6 is the latest iteration of the iOS and comes with some new features, top features been:

• Flyover,
• turn-by-turn navigation,
• Passbook,
• PhotoStream sharing,
• FaceTime over cellular,
• VIP Mailboxes,
• Facebook integration,
• Do Not Disturb,
• improved Siri,
• Pre-determined text replies to phone calls
• Twitter integration

iPhone 5: issues, issues and more issues

After using it for so long, you will notice some of the iPhone 5 issues; some of those issues will improve over time whilst some are just not acceptable.  The problems includes:

• Purple flare when taking pictures with direct/bright lighting

• Maps not accurate at times with some issue with 3D mode
• Flickering Screen when downloading applications form the App Store

• WiFi issues with lack of connectivity or connection with no data transfer
• Body easily scratched

Verdict

iPhone is the thinnest iPhone yet, great display quality and better camera.  The light build is one of the reasons why some buyers will be buying while some say it feels cheap but this day and age, it is about time we get thin and light smart phones.  The issues with the iPhone 5 are there but they can be rectified but for the price you are paying, you would hope those issues were thoroughly tested, making it seem/feels rushed for release.  With Apple’s ecosystem, it is very difficult to switch but if you do decide or have the freedom to switch, there are other alternatives out there for less or the same price.  If you have always been and iPhone user then we recommend the iPhone 5 especially if you have anything from iPhone 4 and downwards otherwise the Samsung Galaxy S3 or Note 2 is a big contender/alternative.

iPhone 5 price: From £529 and you can pick it up from Vodafone from £33 monthly with £149 upfront on a 24 months agreement

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About the Author

Tomi

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I love gadgets and technology, so i write about them. +Tomi Adebayo

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