After a little more than a month with the iPhone 5, I personally think it was worth all the hype. Redesigned with an aluminum back and a slimmer feel, the biggest differences between the iPhone 5 and the iPhone 4S are the A6 chip, bigger screen, and the 4g LTE network.
The A6 chip is much better for playing games and loading apps because it is a faster processor than the previous A5, but also more battery efficient. The bigger screen is perfect for watching movies and reading text. The downside of the bigger screen is that most of the apps in the app store are still configured for the old screen size, so when the app is running there is a black gap on the top and bottom. When connected to the 4g LTE the internet is blazing fast, as if the phone was connected to wifi, but unfortunately there is little to no 4g LTE coverage in Palos Verdes. Bummer. But, when the phone does have 4g LTE, it enables the user to video chat with a computer, or other iPhone users.
The iPhone has also lost some weight, setting the record as the lightest iphone that Apple has made. There is a noticeable difference when it is held.
“I think its too light,” commented senior Alec Ruzic.
My least favorite feature about the iphone is the new “lighting connector” that replaced the standard 30 pin charger. Now, all of the old apple chargers and music devices you have are worthless. Apple is making adapters, but they are 30 dollars and do not work well. \
“I cant play my music in my car anymore,” stated senior Aaron Richland.
Apple also decided to break their ties with Google, removing Google Maps and Youtube from the standard preloaded apps on the phone. In place, Apple created their own maps application, which was a mistake. The Apple maps app is flawed with direction errors and misplaced locations. Apple also tried to add a 3D feature to the maps, but the resulting image often looks distorted.
But despite some drawbacks, the iPhone 5 is still the best phone I have owned. Hopefully, the flaws will be ironed out as the developers continue to improve the iPhone.