Apple iPhone 5

“There are many sides to the Apple iPhone 5's story. You can, for example, look at the progress it makes and compare it to the last major Apple release, the iPhone 4. That one was truly revolutionary - or, as the saying went back then, resolutionary. It had the most impressive screen on the market, a camera that few could beat, an incredibly attractive design, and processing power that equaled the most impressive droids at the time. In comparison, the iPhone 5 brings a modest screen update, which is nowhere near as impressive as a four-fold increase in resolution brought by the iPhone 4. The performance of the camera is basically identical to the one on the 4S, and while the phone looks nothing short of stunning, the finish threatens to deteriorate quite quickly if not looked after. Not to mention that it just lacks the wow factor of the iPhone 4.”

“There's been a lot of ink spilled over the idea that the iPhone 5 somehow isn't revolutionary or radical. It isn't. It's familiar, but better. That familiarity is one of the iPhone's strengths, not a weakness.Yes, the Samsung Galaxy S III has a bigger screen, and the Motorola Droid Razr Maxx has a better battery. The iPhone's poorly kept secret is that the hardware is just the tip of the iceberg. It's a fine phone, a competitive phone. But it's also Genius Bars and the App Store, Siri and iTunes music exclusives, and lots of great games.iPhone buyers are getting a phone whose interface doesn't vary from unit to unit, making it easier to share tips, tricks, and experiences between iPhone owners, creating a sense of cameraderie and making everything easier.Android users (like myself) like to brag about how the platform has more options: more ways to set up your home screen, more app stores, more form factors. But part of the charm of the iPhone is that fewer options can be much easier if the option offered is a good one. And, yes, the option is very good.Would I want the iPhone to be the world's only phone? Don't be ridiculous. It's right for many people, but not for everyone. The iPhone is better for having competition, and the competition is better for having the iPhone.Last year, I withheld the Editors' Choice award from the Verizon Wireless iPhone 4S because without LTE, it was fatally stuck in the slow lane. This year's iPhone keeps pace with the competition, suffering a blow here, landing a punch there. Compared with the Galaxy S III it connects calls better, but doesn't cancel noise as well. It has a better selection of games, but maps that need serious work. It's built of better materials, but you can't bring an extra battery. The screen is designed for different hands. No matter how you slice it, both are top-notch phones for different people, so they both earn our Editors' Choice for top smartphones on Verizon.”

“Taller, thinner, faster, lighter, brighter, the iPhone 5 represents nothing more nor less than the latest, relentless iteration on the Platonic ideal Apple has been striving towards for almost a decade. Redesigned in every way but shape, compromised but true to its purpose, the iPhone 5 is once again the best iPhone Apple has ever made, and one of the best phones ever made. Period.”

“Every time Apple releases a new iPhone, I hear the question: Should someone who has last year’s model upgrade? In general, the answer is a qualified no. Apple knows full well that most U.S. iPhone users (and indeed, many overseas as well) buy their phones subsidized by their carrier in exchange for a two-year contract extension. The iPhone 5 is a great upgrade, but should an iPhone 4S user pay a massive penalty to upgrade? Probably not. And that’s not the point, anyway. The iPhone 5 is a nice upgrade from the 4S, but it’s a massive improvement over the iPhone 4 and 3GS, the models from which most upgraders will be coming.Does the iPhone 5 live up to expectations? Unless you expected something impossible and miraculous, I think the answer has to be yes. It’s by far the fastest iOS device ever in terms of processor and graphics, and its support for LTE networking makes it the fastest iPhone in terms of cellular data transfer speed too. It’s so thin and light that it almost (but not quite) taunts the laws of physics. And the black-and-slate model is breathtakingly gorgeous.Once again, Apple hasn’t reinvented the iPhone. All it’s done is make the best smartphone around even better.”