
iPhone 5 review - casschin
http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/18/apple-iphone-5-review/
======
w1ntermute
> But, [Maps] isn't nearly as comprehensive as Google's offerings on Android.
> The biggest drawback is the unfortunate lack of public transportation
> directions. If you haven't quite mastered New York City's subway system, you
> won't get any help from your iPhone 5. Curiously, the app offers to give you
> public transportation directions, but should you choose that option it pops
> you straight into the App Store with a search for "Routing Apps." Right now,
> there are zero results.

By itself, no public transportation directions in Maps should be a deal-
breaker for anyone living in a big city. How Apple could have allowed such a
huge feature regression from the 4S/iOS 5 to get into the final version of the
iPhone 5 is beyond me.

~~~
dakrisht
Going with Maps over Google Maps is one of the worst regressions I've seen in
an OS/Software in a long time. Google Map's is simply brilliant, the de-facto
standard, always being improved, flawless in a sense and these guys go with
their own mapping software. It really blows my mind. I'm thinking it's simple
arrogance on the iOS teams part (perhaps management as well). I've read many
stories of how big of an asshole Scott Forstall is and I believe them.

Apple is a great company and their really driving themselves into the ground
(well, maybe not yet) with all these frivolous patent troll lawsuits (claiming
shape patents, suing a grocery store in Eastern Europe), Sandboxing app,
rigorous Nazi-like App store tactics (they claim quality here, yeah my ass,
there are probably 300,000 of the 500,00 apps which are pure garbage). It's
got to end somewhere.

Anyway, back to Maps. It's a bad move, I've been playing with Maps on iOS6
since the first Beta, I don't know what they're thinking (or even if they're
thinking) and it shows the character of that company.

The lightning adaptor is also bullshit - since now everyone will have to spend
$100s on adaptors and new chargers. The 24-pin, while dated, worked and was
just fine. I haven't played with the new connector yet - but it looks to me
like it's easy to disconnect. I remember the older 24-pin connectors had
clamps so to speak on the side to lock them in place and the current ones do a
good job of staying put. This connector seems very fragile and flimsy and I
see it disconnecting all over the place. Again, can't make this call until I
play with the device.

It's the same logic with the "new" MagSafe 2 connector. Get outta here. The
Mag Safe was just fine. There was nothing wrong with (aside from maybe, the
ridiculous price tag). $30 for an adapter is obscene. These things cost $1.99
to produce in China (probably less) and Apple is simply milking the fanboys
and corporate "we don't care we'll buy anything Apple because it looks cool"
clients. I would know, I'm the one buying $100k of Apple products every year
for the company I used to work for. It's really something.

BTW, the iPhone 5 is the iPhone 4Stretched. Bigger screen and a A6 process.
Come on. The 4S has an A5X, I bet the performance benchmarks are negligible
between the two. Software and the placebo-effect will do a hell of a job
convincing the normal user that it "feels faster."

They could have done a lot more with this phone, they didn't because they
didn't have to. I don't blame them.

~~~
ceejayoz
> Again, can't make this call until I play with the device.

Stated right after you appear to have made the call. Ballsy.

> The 4S has an A5X, I bet the performance benchmarks are negligible between
> the two.

I'll take that bet. "The iPhone 5's A6 processor appears to be roughly twice
as fast as any chip in an existing iOS product, if results posted by Geekbench
prove to be accurate."
[http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57513867-37/iphone-5-bench...](http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57513867-37/iphone-5-benchmarks-
surface-performance-doubles/)

~~~
Steko
Just a minor nitpick out of his huge troll rant but the 4S does not have an
A5X. The A5X is only in the new iPad; the 4S has the A5.

------
Mythbusters
It's sad that every time the authors chose to compare the phone they compared
it with iPhone 4S instead of comparing it with any of the newer phones out
there in the market such as Lumia 920 or GSIII. That is like taking a page
from Apple's marketing book. Of course it is going to be better than the older
version released last year. How does it compare to the phones of this
generation?

That question is left unanswered. May be that is because the audience won't
like the answer...

~~~
bryanlarsen
Sure, comparisons with the 920 or GSIII are interesting to those who are
watching the market, but frankly only comparisons to previous iPhones are
useful.

Nowadays iPhones and flagship Androids have gotten good enough that the pain
of switching ecosystems far outweighs any benefit to be gained by switching
ecosystems.

~~~
josephcooney
I disagree. After using and enjoying my iPhone 4 for quite a while my next
phone is going to be android, to see how the other half lives. $10 in the play
store and a few hours making sure all my settings are synched should be
sufficient (and the synching I would have had to do anyway to go from iPhone 4
-> iPhone 5).

~~~
SoftwareMaven
I've been in the ecosystem since the original iPhone. Switching would involve
a significant time and money outlay as I figure out what apps I should replace
my current apps with and outlay the money to do so. It would easily wind up
costing me as much as the phone.

~~~
Mythbusters
It depends on how many applications you use very regularly. Games pretty much
get old as you complete them. When it comes to the rest of the apps, I doubt
an average person buys more than a few bucks worth of non-game apps.

smartphone costs a few thousand dollars to own over a couple of years. Cost of
apps is bust a small portion of that cost.

------
fingerprinter
I have zero desire to upgrade to iPhone 5. At this point, I can't see anything
that would compel me to plunk down any money for the device over what I have
now (iPhone 4).

That being said, if I had a free upgrade, I'd take it, but I wouldn't pay any
money for it.

I'd actually be more interested in a new iPad (please call it the iPad
4...'The New iPad' is a ridiciously stupid name) with a better processor for
playing Madden NFL type games.

BTW..the most curious thing I saw out of the Apple news the day the iPhone 5
was announced was the new Nano.
[http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_ipod/family/ipod_...](http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_ipod/family/ipod_nano)

I can't believe they are using those round icons. Does that strike anyone else
as odd? It doesn't fit with anything else they are releasing and, IMO, looks
pretty terrible.

~~~
dmishe
Developing with 4/4S everyday I just can't help but notice the difference in
performance between them. Now, 5 is 2+ times as fast as 4S it seems, so I
would argue that for 4 owners it's a pretty good upgrade. For 4S, well, maybe
it's not that exciting

------
hack_edu
The more I see that Lightning port, I can't help but wonder why they didn't
just do the obvious and go for micro USB. I'm wholly confident Apple could
design the highest of quality micro USB connector to satisfy even the biggest
of haters that claim its too flimsy while silencing the constant gripe of
obsolescence.

~~~
macrael
Another reason might be that they pipe analog audio out of it?

I don't know much about hardware, would it have been possible to use the
standard micro USB connector and still provide those features?

From the article:

> the adapter will provide the power and analog audio that the vast majority
> of docks and accessories (and cars) in the world need

~~~
wahnfrieden
They don't. They no longer pipe audio out through the dock connector, you have
to plug in a headphone cable, or the external device has to have its own DAC
(ala the giant adapter they have now).

------
IanDrake
I don't understand why the back isn't all glass or all aluminum. The two seams
on the back don't appear to be functional or visually appealing.

Can anyone explain what the deal is?

~~~
w1ntermute
Just a guess, but could it be to alleviate previous reception issues?

~~~
dakrisht
Interesting point.

I fully agree with the OP here, the back looks bad. I don't get it. The all-
glass back on the 4S was really nice. Had a certain allure and design sense to
it.

Apple this time around:

Tim Cook: "Hey Jony, let's make the back uglier by anodizing the steel and
let's see how many we can sell before we release the 5S next year."

Jony Ive: "Alright Tim, I bet we'll sell more than the 4S with an uglier case,
you're on"

------
Steko
Roundup of links to early reviews:

[http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57515524-37/initial-
iphone...](http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57515524-37/initial-
iphone-5-reviews-arrive-critics-praise-new-screen/)

I found David Pogue's early review hilarious if only because, reading between
the lines, it boils down to: _David Pogue has spent thousands of dollars on
third party Apple dock gadgets and does not appreciate compatibility being
broken._

------
greenmountin
I find it interesting that everyone is talking about the screen size instead
of the screen technology. The CNET review[1] and I'm sure others often show
them side by side with the iPhone 5 _brighter!_ , when of course it's like the
before/after pictures on TV and could very well just be the slider setting.

I'm also waiting to hear better estimates for battery life -- why is talktime
the best standard when no one I know talks for 8 hours on a bill, let alone a
charge? I love the data/cpu usage shackles Apple has put on apps, but iOS 6
better let me turn off LTE with less than 6 taps!!

[1] <http://www.cnet.com/iphone-5/>

~~~
SoftwareMaven
_iOS 6 better let me turn off LTE with less than 6 taps_

I wouldn't count on that. It wouldn't even surprise me if they didn't provide
a setting to do that at all, after all, there is no way to turn of 3G in the
settings.

You might have to jailbreak to get that capability.

~~~
__chrismc
> after all, there is no way to turn of 3G in the settings

There is on my 4S running iOS6 (and I'm sure it was there on my old 3GS...) :-

Settings > General > Mobile > Enable 3G (toggle switch)

------
vibrunazo
If you specifically don't like engadget's review. Here's gdgt's aggregated
reviews list:

<http://gdgt.com/apple/iphone/5/>

They'll add more to the list as they become available.

------
endlessvoid94
Interestingly, lightning was the previous name of Hyper Transport
(<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HyperTransport>), which was used in Powermac G5
machines.

------
endlessvoid94
I'm pretty surprised the lightning connector isn't thunderbolt. Didn't the
original iPod come with a firewire cable?

------
dakrisht
Pre-release iPhone 5 name: "iPhone 4Stretched."

Tim Cook: "Couldn't go with that one, they're stupid, but not that stupid."

