News
The iPhone 5: What
Are Reviewers Saying?
By Swanni
Washington, D.C. (September 13, 2012)
--
The world came to a halt yesterday at 1 p.m. Pacific time when
Apple held a press conference to announce the launch of the new
iPhone 5.
Okay, the world didn't literally come to a halt, but anyone
reading Twitter or other social media could easily have thought
so. The Internet communities overflowed with comments from
reporters, analysts and just plain Apple enthusiasts as Apple
executives unveiled the device's latest features.
So what did everyone think about the iPhone 5, which will
officially go on sale on September 21?
Here's a sampling of opinion from some of the nation's top tech
writers:
CNET
"With
the iPhone 5, it seems like Apple is no longer treading on new
territory but rather fine-tuning its current strengths while
making incremental upgrades on the software side. Dare I say
they are just catching up with Android device manufacturers now?
With better materials, sleeker design, LTE, a larger screen,
speedier processor and software upgrades that sometimes overlaps
with apps already available in the App Store itself, the iPhone
is no doubt evolving into a better phone and
will no doubt continue to break and make new sales records. But
the iPhone 5 has not brought anything new to the spec wars, just
upgrades."
Barron's The new iPhone really does feel
markedly thinner and lighter than the 4S, more so than one would
realize from the slides during the presentation or the specs
described onstage. It's got a sleek feel to it that will set it
apart as a piece of industrial design. Having a taller screen
makes a difference when viewing notes and pictures and such,
while remaining comfortable to hold when typing, I found.
Whether it will prove enough in the battle with phones having
4.5-inch and 5-inch and higher screens, we'll just have to see."
New York Times
"The
new phone is the same width as the old one, but taller and
thinner, as though someone ran over the old iPhone with a
steamroller. When held horizontally, the four-inch screen has
16:9 proportions, a perfect fit for HDTV shows and a better fit
for movies. The added screen length gives the Home screen room
for a fifth row of icons....Overall, though, Apple seems to have
put its focus on the important things you want in an app phone:
size, shape, materials, sound quality, camera quality and speed
(both operational and Internet data), and that’s good."
ZDNet
"New features in Apple's iPhone 5 have strong
potential for enterprise usage but, overall, the device is a
disappointment because it merely matches up to its competitors
and showcases nothing revolutionary."
Wired
"The iPhone 5 is
the greatest phone in the world. It has top-notch hardware with
a zippy new A6 processor and amazing four-inch display. Its new
operating system, iOS 6, is slicker than slugs on ice. And its
ultra-slim body, an all-glass and aluminum enclosure, is a
triumph of industrial design. There is nothing not to like about
the phone. It’s aces. Just aces. And yet it is also so, so
cruelly boring."
Associated Press
"As I played around with
the iPhone 5 on Wednesday, I wondered what
the late Steve Jobs would have thought about
the latest twist on Apple's best-selling
device. It didn't take long to conclude Jobs
would have been delighted with the iPhone
5's blend of beauty, utility and
versatility."
