iPhone 5: Is it worth it?

Apple just released the iPhone 5 two days ago on September 21st. But what makes this the "Biggest thing to happen to iPhone since iPhone", as Apple claims on their website? Well, the biggest difference between this model and previous installations is the size of the Retina Display. The screen size on the iPhone 5 is 4 inches long. All the previous iPhones before the 5 had only 3.5 inch displays. This increase in size allows the iPhone to maintain a 16:9 aspect ratio, which allows users to watch videos in widescreen HD. Also, due to the increase of the screen size, the iPhone 5 is able to fit another row of apps, creating more space on the screen and lowering the amount of pages used due to the extra space.

            According to Apple, the iPhone 5’s camera is 8 megapixels. This was not upgraded from the iPhone 4s, since it also has this. The flash is, however, placed farther from the lens, which helps to reduce the amount of redeye that can show up in low light photos. Another feature carried over from the 4s is the “Intelligent Assistant” Siri. Siri will continue to provide useful tools such as being able to send text messages verbally, being able to look up information with a simple question, and having the ability to use the iPhone hands-free.

            Along with all these features is arguably the most important one: LTE. LTE is the data service that stands for Long Term Evolution. LTE is on the 4g network. According to the AT&T website, it is 10 times faster than 3g, and allows for superfast connections to the internet. LTE is available on every iPhone 5, regardless of the service carrier. The implication of LTE allows the iPhone 5 to connect to the internet faster than some ground connections can. LTE will allow the iPhone 5 to perform tasks such as streaming HD videos, downloading large files, and updating applications faster than ever before.

The iPhone 5 also has a new processor. The A6 chip inside the 5 is twice as fast as the iPhone 4s' A5 chip. Along with this powerful chip, the iPhone 5 also sports 1 gigabyte of RAM, which helps to improve multitasking. To put this in perspective, the iPhone 4s has only 512 megabytes of RAM. There is one cause for concern though: The typical 30-pin dock port that is usually found on the bottom of iPhone and iPods has been replaced by the much smaller, reversible lightning port. This change stops the use of iPhone 5's on older products such as iPod car chargers, docks, and other 30-pin devices. Apple has the solution for this though, as they are also selling a lightning-to-30-pin-connector adapter so that these devices could still be used. Overall, the pros of the iPhone 5 seem to outweigh the cons; whether or not one chooses to buy it is up to personal preference though. The cheapest model starts at $200 with a contract to either AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint and is available in white or black.

               ~George