The iphone 5. Photocredit: Apple
The background
Apple launched its iPhone 5 today, amid much expectation. Apple has had a turbulent year, in which its founder, Steve Jobs, died after the announcement of the iPhone 4S; plus the company has been involved in a massive patent war with Samsung. Experts feared that without innovation, Apple would find it harder to reach consumers in an ever-crowded market. Reviewers so far say that the iPhone 5 is sleeker and better, but contains no real surprises.
Thinner, lighter
Shane Richmond on The Telegraph said it was 18 per cent thinner, and 20 per cent lighter than the iPhone 4S, and is twice as fast, thanks to a new processor; the camera also has new features, such as a panoramic mode. It can handle 4G, which will start in Britain in a couple of weeks.
Costly but integrated
Buying one is a big committment, said Charles Arthur on The Guardian, but two lots of people will want this – anyone with an old iPhone, or anyone who wants 4G. The maps are great, too. The cost is “daunting,” though. But it’s “the most integrated phone out there.”
Love at first touch
Michael Liedtke of the Associated Press said that Steve Jobs “would have been delighted” with the iPhone 5, which blends “beauty, utility and versatility.” He only had fifteen minutes with the machine, so couldn’t necessarily discover if it had any bugs; but it’s basically “love at first touch,” being “incredibly light” and “easier to hold” so you won’t drop it as much. Videos look “more lush” and there’s a better sound system. Siri, the phone’s assistant, is “supposed to be smarter and even more helpful,” though Liedtke “didn’t get a chance to challenge her in Apple’s noisy testing room.”
It will be a record breaker
Murad Ahmed of The Times said that there were “no revolutionary new features,” even no “interesting new design details,” nor even “an interesting gimmick.” But it won’t “stop the iPhone 5 being a record breaker.” People will still queue for it, because “it looks and feels different.” There will be faster chips, so no “more waiting, buffering, loading. Instant gratification will become commonplace with the iPhone.” And apparently “battery life on the device has improved.”
