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iPhone 5 Review roundup


Apple unveiled the iPhone 5 last Wednesday and now that a few days has passed, plus the embargo has been lifted, the early reviews have hit the web. Clearly the public embraced the iPhone 5 as Apple declared they successfully sold 2 million within 24-hours – so it’ll be fascinating to hear ow high the number escalates to after its official release on Friday. Below are some notable quotes from various outlets:

Engadget:
“The iPhone 5 is a significant improvement over the iPhone 4S in nearly every regard, and in those areas that didn’t see an upgrade over its predecessor — camera, storage capacity — one could make a strong case that the iPhone 4S was already ahead of the curve. Every area, that is, except for the OS. If anything, it’s the operating system here that’s beginning to feel a bit dated and beginning to show its age. Still, the iPhone 5 absolutely shines.”

“The iPhone 5 uses a new 4-inch display that provides a half-inch of additional diagonal extent compared to those iPhones that have come before. Massive difference? Absolutely not, but it does give the phone enough surface area to stay competitive without sizing it beyond the thumb reach of your average consumer”

“On our standard battery rundown test, in which we loop a video with LTE and WiFi enabled and social accounts pinging at regular intervals, the iPhone 5 managed a hugely impressive 11 hours and 15 minutes.”

“Image quality is still among the best out there for a cameraphone, unimproved but quite impressive in varying conditions. What has improved, though, is the speed. Tap that big ol’ thumb as quick as you can and the iPhone 5 will keep up, whereas the iPhone 4S eventually fell behind. ”

The Loop:
“The most important point of Apple’s larger iPhone screen is that it’s not too large. I know that sounds strange, but bigger is not always better. If the screen is so big that you can’t comfortably operate the iPhone 5 with one hand, then Apple would have failed.”

CBC:
“The most noticeable change is its size and weight.”

“The iPhone 5 may not be terribly innovative, but it does deliver that package better than any previous Apple product, and better than just about any other smartphone.”

The Telegraph:
“The iPhone 5 is a marvellous piece of design, arguably the most beautiful object Apple has ever produced.”

“The iPhone 5 is a great smartphone made even better. It’s fast, lightweight and backed by the largest application store for any device. It’s also probably the most beautiful smartphone anyone has ever made.”

New York Times:
“The new phone, in all black or white, is beautiful. Especially the black one, whose gleaming, black-on-black, glass-and-aluminum body carries the design cues of a Stealth bomber.”

“This iPhone is so light, tall and flat, it’s well on its way to becoming a bookmark.”

“IPhones don’t offer as much choice or customization. But they’re more polished and consistently designed, with a heavily regulated but better stocked app catalog.”

“It’s just too bad about that connector change. Doesn’t Apple worry about losing customer loyalty and sales?”

SlashGear:
“Does the iPhone 5 feel better in the hand than the iPhone 4S? Is it faster, and smoother running; does it have a more capable camera; can it access data more rapidly while on the move? Does the combination of iPhone hardware and iOS software feel the most holistic and balanced of any Apple smartphone to-date? The answer to all those questions is yes. ”

AllThings:

“While this new model isn’t a radical redesign, it offers a much bigger change than the current iPhone 4S did when it was launched last year. The minute you pick the iPhone 5 up you notice it’s much lighter—20% lighter, in fact. It’s so much lighter that you wonder if it’s a demonstration mock-up, not the real thing. Yet unlike many competitors, this isn’t a plastic, insubstantial-feeling device.”

“The iPhone 5′s battery lasted between 9 and 12 hours every day, in mixed use. For most people, the phone would last the day without recharging.”

“The biggest drawback I found is the new Maps app. Apple has replaced Google Maps with a new maps app of its own. This app has one huge advantage over the iPhone version of Google Maps”

“Apple has taken an already great product and made it better, overall. Consumers who prefer huge screens or certain marginal features have plenty of other choices, but the iPhone 5 is an excellent choice.”

Pocket-Lint:
“It’s the same iPhone, but it’s completely different. That’s the main takeaway point for the iPhone 5’s design. It’s something you can’t really appreciate until you get up close and personal with the new phone, but when you do, wow, you’ll really notice that difference.”

USA Today:
“The move to 4 inches feels right for the iPhone, though it looks like a dwarf side-by-side with the 4.8-inch display on the Samsung Galaxy S III, arguably the best of the Android breed. I was able to display more than four extra paragraphs reading the same newspaper article on the Samsung as opposed to the iPhone 5. On the other hand, the iPhone screen appears sharper and brighter, and the phone is easier to carry.”

“the battery pooped out after an early start by about 4:20 in the afternoon. On subsequent days under normal mixed use with an “auto-brightness” setting turned on, I easily made it well past evening hours.”

“The new ones haven’t fallen out of my ears yet, and they do feel more comfortable.”

Cnet:
“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.”

“If you want better battery life, go with a Droid Razr Maxx.”

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