When the iPhone 5 was unveiled this time last week, consumers knew that it was ticking the right boxes, yet plenty headed off to their social networks to complain about their bitter disappointment by the apparent lack of innovation or significant changes to the physical design of the device.
The new design of the iPhone 5 has less mass, yet leaves enough room to hold a larger display and 4G wireless. In nearly every respect, this is an upgrade to the iPhone 4S which was launched October 2011.
Hardware
Visually, much has stayed the same, but by picking up the iPhone 5, you can immediately tell the reduction in weight compared to the 4S. At 112g, the iPhone 5 is 20% lighter than the 4S.
The changes in dimension between the two iterations are difficult to detect, due to the iPhone 5 being exactly as wide as the 4 and 4S. The iPhone 5 measures 4.87 x 2.31 x 0.3 inches (124 x 59 x 7.6mm), making it a third of an inch (1cm) taller than before. The new height allows room for a new 4-inch display (1,136 x 640). The new increase in height results in a phone with more usable space and better presentation for its new retina (HD) content, with a 16:9 aspect ration (the same ratio used by most common widescreen televisions).
The back of the iPhone 5 now features a metal back. The front-facing FaceTime HD camera now sits centred directly above the earpiece. The Home button has moved a fraction of a mm down and the position of the headphone jack and speakers have now moved to the bottom of the device.
Lightning Connector
For almost 10 years, the 30-pin dock connector has been used in accessories, but ever since iPods have started to be produced thinner, everyone knew its days were numbers. The new 'Lightning' connector seems easier to connect and slots nicely regardless of the orientation. It also seems more durable than the alternative micro-USB alternatives used in many other smartphone devices.
However, it's not all good news. The Lightning connector is now incompatible with many of the iPhone and iPod accessories currently on the market, which can be easily rectified with a £25 adapter.
Display
The iPhone 5 uses a new 4-inch display. It gives the phone enough surface area to stay competitive with many Android smartphones. We believe the iPhone 4S has one of the best displays on the market, but the iPhone 5 is another considerable improvement, moving away from the green hue associated with the 4S and providing better visibility when using the device in direct sunlight.
Battery Life
The iPhone 5 sees a significant update to the battery life of the phone, with up to 8 hours talk time on 3G, up to 14 hours talk time on 2G, up to 6 hours data on 3G, up to 9 hours data on WiFi, up to 40 hours audio playback, up to 10 hours video playback and up to 200 hours on standby.
The iPhone 5 is available to pre-order today. Contact your local PC PAL Engineer today with any further questions or assistance with setting up your new device.
