Apple iPhone 5 Deals

Apple iPhone 5 Deals

 

Apple iPhone 5 Review

Apple makes itself an easy target. For all its bluster, its secrecy, its aloofness, its promises of magic and revolution; it's easy to fall into the trap of loving or loathing the company, what it stands for and, most importantly, its products. But when you strip back all the hype and hyperbole, the iPhone 5 is still a smartphone like any other, and we've tried to review it as such.

It's longer, but not wider. This decision was made, apparently, so that the iPhone could be used in a single hand. Apple succeeds at this, but misses an opportunity to add screen real estate to core elements of the phone. In particular, the onscreen keyboard in portrait mode is the same size as before, and for some, this is too small to be used comfortably. It is interesting that Apple has maintained this distinction between its phone and the other top-tier Android models, offering a real alternative to users who don't want a large screened device.

Apple's new A6 processor delivers a user experience as seamless as every processor in every iPhone before it. We've come to expect silky smooth performance when using an iPhone, and this is no exception. Comparatively, there is a performance boost over the iPhone 4S in tasks like launching applications, but the difference is barely worth measuring.

The iPhone has a few new photography tricks up its sleeve, too. For starters, you can now take a photo while shooting a video, even at 1080p resolution, which is a handy feature that we think loads of people will find a use for. You can also shoot panorama pics, which is easy to do and the results tend to be pretty sharp.

When it boils down to it, Apple vs. Android wars aside, the real reason to choose an iPhone over an Android phone, or not, is iOS. Apple's operating platform is fantastic for many dozens of small reasons, but it is its uniformity that makes it feel so accomplished. After reviewing nearly four-dozen Android phones and tablets this year, it is impossible to deny how nice it is to use a system where every app, regardless of its origin, has the same visual elements and the same polish.

You're probably not relying on the quality of Apple's headphones to help you decide to buy an iPhone, but the intriguing redesign is worth a side-note. The new design is unlike any headphones we've seen before, and "EarPods" are a perfect descriptor. Compared with other in-ear headphones, the EarPods are remarkably comfortable to wear. They don't suction into your ear the way most others with rubber tips do, and they are light enough to really forget about after long sessions of use.

If you're a fan of Apple's iPhone and iOS, we think you'll be pleased with the enhancements made to the iPhone design. The new aluminium and glass combination is lovely, the longer screen is a slight improvement and the new hardware delivers a seamless user experience, as always. As a smartphone, the iPhone 5 offers most of what you're looking for.