Review // iPhone 5

I've been using the iPhone 5 for a little over a week and here are my thoughts on AAPL's newest phone. 

I won't bore you with specs, if you need it here is a link to the specs http://www.apple.com/iphone/specs.html

Got these images off Apple's website so they own the images blah blah blah. It comes in Black & Slate or White & Silver. I like to alternate colors on my iPhone so this time I got Black & Slate, I got a 32Gb model from Singapore (thanks Rad) because when I had an iPhone 4S 64Gb I could not fill it up. Decided to get a smaller capacity device and save some moohlah. 

First impressions. When I took the device out of the box the first thing I did was slap a screen protector on it and then put a GelaSkin on it. After I applied the skins I noticed that the device already had a scratch near the screws (bottom) I suspect this small scratch came out of the box. So yes the finish is gorgeous, yes the finish is very nice to the touch BUT it is so easily scratched. I will keep my skin and case on to prevent any more scratches.

The iPhone 5 is very thin and light and very sexy. It is also taller, this is the first iPhone with a bigger (longer) screen than 3.75inch. The 4inch (diagonal) retina display is really nice and I have no issues with it. Text and images are crisp and clear. The multi-touch screen is responsive.

Aside from this the designers have decided to move the earphone jack to the bottom and also change the connector to a lightning connector. So say goodbye to your old cables and accessories (oh, Apple says you can spend 1,490PhP on a lightning to 30 pin adapter) I think that they should have included one of these for free in the box but like all companies Apple is greedy.  I like the lightning connector, it was time to retire the 30pin connector.

Earpods - I haven't used these, since I prefer my BOSE iE2 (thanks Marc) earphones are relative anyway. However I did notice that the mic assembly is bigger compared to the older earphones included with past iPhones.

The iPhone 5 has LTE unfortunately our local telcos have not yet completed their LTE upgrade and have no plans ready yet. So we are stuck with our crappy throttled 3G network. WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, Compass and Sensor are also included of course. 

Let's talk about the SIM card for a bit. The crew in Cupertino has decided to change the SIM card once again! This time they are using a nanoSIM. It serves a two fold purpose, #1 allows for a bigger battery (this is apple's propaganda) and #2 makes it harder for you to switch out and use another device (I suspect this is the ulterior motive)

miniSIM, microSIM, nanoSIM

Here is a template for cutting your SIM, microSIM into a nanoSIM (I've tried this and it works, YMMV) 

It goes without saying that iOS6 is a mature mobile OS and that Apple's AppStore has a lead over Android, WindowsPhone or BlackBerry.

Pros:

1. Thin, Light, Sexy device
2. Bigger screen
3. Faster processor
4. Faster Mobile Data (depends on telco)
5. Better Camera

Cons:

1. Expensive
2. Easily scratched and scuffed
3. New lightning connector needs an adapter for use with old cables and accessories

Verdict: 

Apple continues their obsession with making thinner and lighter devices. They have tweaked all the things that needed tweaking and have come up with a very desirable device. If you own an iPhone (any model) and you are looking to upgrade this device is for you. 

Globe and SMART will start selling iPhone 5 on 14-Dec-2012.

1. http://www.globe.com.ph/iphone5
2. http://www1.smart.com.ph/Postpaid/iphone5/plans

Here are some more photos (these are mine and not Apple's)

It's really thin and sexy

For those curious here is a link to the gela skin I am using: http://www.gelaskins.com/gallery/Jason_Freeny/Gingerbread_Man_Dissected