On September 21st, Apple stores were filled with eager customers. The latest iPhone had hit the shelves. Over the last several months, rumors about what the next iPhone would be flew. Would it redefine the smartphone once again? Speculations ran from the outlandish to the mundane. Now that it is here, there are a few things you should know before you rush out and buy this shiny sleek glass and aluminum work of art for your pocket.
Apple changed the connector – meet Lightning! The standard connector found on almost every Apple device is now Apple’s new smaller Lightning connector on the iPhone 5. Now before you start throwing out all of your iHome speakers and other “i” compatible gadgets, Apple has for sale a Lightning to 30-pin adapter to help ease the transition for $29. While this change is not the end of the world it is, in my opinion, the most significant change to the phone that will affect consumers. The other change and more immediately noticeable one is the size. Our little iPhone had a growth spurt. It is almost 5 inches tall. To help you visualize the difference, this new size translates to the equivalent of one more row of apps on the home screen.
Other changes are the inclusion of support of faster 4G wireless service from AT&T and Verizon, as well as enhanced Wi-Fi. The camera’s both front and rear can now record in HD (the front recording in 720p and the rear in 1080p). The new A6 processor doubles speeds, while providing some improved battery life. Eight hours of talk time or eight hours browsing the Internet or a huge ten hours of video playback. The iPhone 5 even comes loaded with the latest IOS 6 installed, giving access to Siri enhancements and updates for many of the built- in apps, like turn-by-turn directions for Maps. The new iOS also has Facebook integration built in, much like the integration of Twitter in previous versions. You can now “like” anything, from anywhere on the phone (mostly).
While all of these new features and upgrades are great, they don’t redefine the market as we have come to expect from Apple in recent years. Unless there is a major breakthrough in the world of science, the time of redefining the smartphone market is over. Now you just have to pick the phone with the features you want.
My recommendation for the iPhone 5 is this: if your contract is up and you are an “Apple” already, get one. If not, just wait it out until your contract is up or until something you like better comes along. There just aren’t any “must-have” super features in this new device. As a matter of fact, now is a good time to test out the waters with a different device or get your first iPhone. I think it will be a while before Apple changes the adapter on these devices again, but the hassle of using an adapter for all of your accessories might just be the push you need to try a Windows Mobile or Android-based phone.