I must admit my first reaction when details of the iPhone 5 emerged was one of frustration: the iPhone 4S had been criticised for sticking too much to the design of its predecessor, but here was one that had gone to the other extreme, with changes that would require not only a new nano SIM, but a new case thanks to its slimmer longer design, while the connector that had worked so well across Apple devices was being replaced by a new “lightning” one too.
Features, usability and design aside, convenience has always been a thing I’ve liked about Apple phones and tablets. So when I finally got my hands on the latest iPhone 5, it’s fair to say I approached it with quite a bit of skepticism.
Picking it up, however, I was pleasantly surprised. For one thing, the weight change does make a difference. I’d never found my iPhone 4S particularly heavy, but in comparison to the 20 per cent lighter iPhone 5 (112 grams against 140 grams) the 4S feels like a piece of lead.
Keeping the width the same means that it is still possible to hold and handle the new iPhone with one hand (unlike some of Apple’s bulkier rivals), despite the slight increase in length (its 123.8 mm long against 115.2 mm). The lengthening has delivered another big improvement on the predecessor: I’d found the screen of the iPhone 4S a little on the small side for reading and browsing, and the keyboard was just a bit too fiddly for writing emails or taking notes. The iPhone 5’s bigger screen (4 inches rather than 3.5 inches on the diagonal) makes both reading and typing a lot more comfortable, and it’s handy to be able to have an extra row of apps on the same screen. One thing I would have liked, though, is the little switch on the top of the latest iPad, which allows you to lock the screen in position easily, without having to go to settings.
Visually it’s also more attractive: the black one has an elegant slate back, which you can keep visible if you use a cover with a see-through back. There have been some complaints about the phone developing chips quite quickly so I was careful to use a protective cover from the outset.
Another significant improvement that I noticed is on-screen navigability – the new phone is a lot more sensitive to touch. I tried the now infamous maps application on both phones. While it takes a bit of effort to move around the map on the iPhone 4S, with the iPhone 5 I glided effortlessly across London with a swoosh of my finger.
The improvement in resolution is also noticeable. Though the camera is the same as the iPhone 4S, (the rather impressive 8 megapixel iSight camera) photos do appear clearer, as do any other images you bring up on screen. While both the iPhone 4S and the iPhone 5 have facial recognition technology for still images, the iPhone 5 has added this feature for videos too. The rather fun-to-play-with Panorama feature comes with the i06 software update, and allows you to take effortless panoramic shots even while you are moving. The front-facing high definition FaceTime camera is also much improved. Thankfully, you can now use it on your 3G network and not only with the Wi-Fi as was the case with the iPhone 4.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to do a precise comparison of the speed of browsing, or downloading, as I used the two phones on different 3G networks, though it does seem to stack up favourably against its predecessor.
The battery holds up well with all the added features. After two days of medium amounts of use, the battery had run down only about half way. And the new charger seemed to charge the phone a bit more speedily than its predecessor. It’s also nice that the lightning to USB cable plugs into the phone both ways, so you won’t have to fiddle around with it the way you had to with the previous 30-pin one. You can get an adaptor for the new connector though it comes at a hefty price for what it is (about Rs 2,250).
I think if there were two faults I’d have to pick with the new iPhone 5, it’s the Maps app (also available with the new i06 software update) and Siri. I didn’t encounter any of the major problems with the maps app getting locations wrong that others have had, but there were changes that are frustrating for a regular user. Road names are harder to find and station names (underground stations or train stations) don’t pop up quite as easily. In addition I found it harder to edit the route along the way, when, for example, I wanted to switch from the ‘car’ to ‘pedestrian’ mode, or add another stop en route. However, the new voice feature, which can guide you along your route, should be very handy for anyone driving.
I was also less than impressed with the improvements to Siri. ‘He’ was able to deliver well on questions such as when the next Arsenal match was, or where the nearest cinema, bank or supermarket to my home was, but other simple questions seemed to stump him (the winner of the recent 20-20 World Cup, or the Mayor of London, for example).
There are nice little tweaks to other apps. The calendar has a new feature, which allows you to enter your appointments according to time zone, saving you some confusion if you are travelling abroad. Then there’s the new Do Not Disturb feature (also available through the i06 update), which you can tailor to your needs. For example you can silence the first call but not the second one coming from the same person, or set it so that certain people can call you even if the feature is on.
The frenzied anticipation with which Apple launches are treated has its ups and downsides for the company: on the one hand the iPhone 5 was a sell out as soon as it hit the market, on the other the company didn’t stand a chance of living up to the lofty expectations of the new phone. If you have an iPhone 4S it’s fair to say that you are unlikely to be completely bowled over by the new handset. Still it’s a step up on what was already a very good device, and it’s a fun and easy to use phone that is both attractive and useful – something that not many out there in the market can claim to be.