Apple Announces iPhone 5 with 4-Inch Display

[~Shard~]

Cool, quite happy with the update, this might finally be my first iPhone. Eagerly waiting to see what Apple has in store for the new iMacs as well.

 

[Loudest]

Apple's idiotic idea that you can only double (or quadruple) the pixel dimensions have really put them in a tough spot./QUOTE]

You know how Android apps kind of mostly suck outside of a few first party titles, some games and a few other things here and there? You know how the iOS version of Apps come out first or only? The reason for that is Apple makes it very easy on developers, we get methodical, consistent changes that require asset updating about every 2 years. Android is a mess of epic proportions that requires asset development in a sort of lowest common denominator. When I have to support Android I have to in a way that anticipates thousands upon thousand of screen sizes and resolutions. Android I have to make sweat pants with an elastic waste band, iOS I can create tailored suits.

I guarantee most users care about stunning apps on a 4" screen more than mediocre apps on a 4.3" or 5" screen.

Thousands of resolutions? Exaggerate much? And you don't need to change code for a larger screen if the resolution stays the same.

Anyway, a tiny addition of vertical pixels doesn't help me much. As a developer it's still another resolution and aspect ratio to handle. As a user, it's still not any easier to read tiny webpage text without zooming. For video, 1280x720 would have been way more sensible than 1136x640 and would let the iPhone actually display the 'HD' video minimum standard.

Disappointed that there was no iPad Mini, but that wasn't too much of a surprise. What was a huge surprise was that the lowest price for a new generation iPod touch was $299. In the past I was OK with spending $199 to give them as gifts to my kids and parents, but that was stretching it. Already bought a Nexus 7 for $199 (+ bonus $25 app store credit) and have to say it's amazing for the price. As far as the phone goes, I'll stick with my iPhone 4 until it breaks. After that I'll have a tough decision on whether to switch to the S3 or iPhone 5.

 

[etrinh]

Anyone know the full price for each of the iPh5 models? Lots of us will have to weigh the benefit of paying full price vs. Vz's penalty for early contract termination - not to mention loss of unlimited data.

$649 for 16gb

 

[chaosconan]

Taking quite a leap there. My Galaxy S3 lasts 20hrs with moderate usage. I swap my battery every night before bed and it is usually at 45% left. My wifes iphone 4s doesn't get nearly that. She is always running for the charger. She has one next to her bed, in her car, in the kitchen. I never plug mine in, just swap the battery every night before bed.

That's because women talk on the phone all day gossiping while men use it only occasionally for business. Give your S3 to your wife and let her use it all day, I bet you she wont get no more than 5 hours.

You expect us to believe your scientific measurement of battery life when you don't even understand the differences between the sexes when it comes to phone usage and all leading tech gadget websites reports that iPhone battery life is significantly better than all competitors.

 

[Rogifan]

Yes. It will be the same form factor only taller. I think reiphoned is the word being thrown around.

Because phones that get bigger and wider are surely the epitome of innovation. Except of course when we're talking tablets. Then smaller is the real innovation.

 

[pure3d2]

I'm upgrading from my black iPhone 4. This is enough of an update to go ahead and be under AT&T's thumb for two more years (not that I was leaving anyway). The big question for me is, will they let me keep my unlimited data plan?

AT&T just announced that you can get an iPhone 5 with the subsidized price (new 2 year contract) and still keep your grandfathered unlimited data plan. Verizon wants people to pay full price to keep their unlimited data plan.

 

[Rogifan]

Call the iPad mini an iPhone 6 when it comes out—problem solved!

I'm sure next years Android phones will be that big because apparently if you're not increasing the screen size on your phone you're not innovating. Yet if you're not reducing the size of your tablets you're not innovating either. I guess Android will now be going to one device - the phablet.

 

[thefourthpope]

This one, at 16x9, tells me they care only about video, the masses' opium.

It tells me that they're lining up all their displays so iOS and desktop apps are interchangeable. I think the laptops are still different, but this makes the iphone the same ratio as iMac and thunderbolt displays, right?

 

[The Robot Cow]

Care to explain?

I'm interested to know exactly what android does better as I've never used one apart from my brother's s2 for 30mins and I didn't particularly like it apart from the size of the screen and the weight.

Thanks.

In my experience i love the customization that android offers, its awesome. And when you get into tinkering with the phone aka rooting and flashing roms you can tap into some awesome potential. Not all android are created equal tho and that is a problem and that's why i will only get a nexus phone from now on.
I'll be picking up an ip5 as my first ios device and give it a shot. The ip5 has caught my attention and in a good way

Each platforms have their advantages and disadvantages.

 

[gentleman00]

It astounds me the amount of people that visit these forums to troll or voice their disappointment in Apple’s releases, or simply state their preference for another brand. Good for you. Now off you go to your Android forums.

I’m an iPhone user – I have been since they arrived on our shores and I have never once in my life visited an Android forum to tote my opinion about how I prefer iOS for this reason or that.

Then we have the complainers who whine that they were expecting something more surprising. What did you want in the iPhone 5? A coffee machine? A laser pointing device? A direwolf? I think it’s a very nice upgrade.

Apple choose not to reinvent the wheel because they made a pretty damned good wheel to begin with. This phone is lighter, stronger, thinner, with a larger screen, two better cameras and will have all the added functionality of iOS6 to boot.

I figure there are two types of people in the world - those who have an iPhone, and those who are too proud to admit they want one.

I’ll be getting one, and I’ll be happy.

+1

Even if you put four wheels on an iphone with a jet engine attached to it, you will still find a few whiners on these forums who will complain that it is underpowered.

 

[chaosconan]

Next, we will start seeing new Android phones with taller screen because they found that consumers never really wanted wider phones. Next year magically Android phones starts losing weight getting skinner and gaining height.

Copy Cats are coming!!!

 

[pure3d2]

Can someone please help me tackle the SV-DO possibility with this new iPhone 5 on Verizon's 3G network? Talking about Verizon only, here.

For those who do not know, by SV-DO I am referring to simultaneous voice and data while on Verizon's 3G [CDMA[] network.

The Apple event stated: "Single chip [for voice and data], single radio, dynamic antenna."

QUESTIONS!

1) What does the single radio do?

2) The chip does voice and data. Can someone explain this? Does it do it when in either LTE or 3G (or sub-3G) areas?

3) Is the following scenario possible? Scenario: while in a Verizon 3G area -- the phone will use the radio for data and the LTE chip for voice?

Let's break this down, please! Trying to understand if Apple's implementation is actually an SVDO implementation without it really even being talked about. SVDO is never talked about or advertised.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong. From what I can recall, Verizon does voice over 3G and data over LTE (you get a SIM card for the data plan). If you're in an area that doesn't have LTE coverage, you'll lose your data connection if you receive or initiate a phone call.

 

[The Robot Cow]

Next, we will start seeing new Android phones with taller screen because they found that consumers never really wanted wider phones. Next year magically Android phones starts losing weight getting skinner and gaining height.

Copy Cats are coming!!!

Everyone copies from each other

 

[gentleman00]

As I followed the live feeds and watched the recording I couldn't help but feel rather disappointed by the iPhone 5 announcement.I couldn't really put my finger on why that was the case.

That sums it up best for the ' I am disappointed with the iphone 5' groupies who can't articulate their grievances and shortcomings about the phone because there are none.

----------

Next, we will start seeing new Android phones with taller screen because they found that consumers never really wanted wider phones. Next year magically Android phones starts losing weight getting skinner and gaining height.

Copy Cats are coming!!!

Yes, their screen size will increase with each new phone until they end up looking like an ipad.

 

[viewfly]

Because phones that get bigger and wider are surely the epitome of innovation. Except of course when we're talking tablets. Then smaller is the real innovation.

Very good! I guess Samsung is at the end of the innovation road map in terms of screen size and the S3

 

[thefourthpope]

To the rest of the complainers that inevitably were going to bombard this place after the announcement....what were you expecting? This isn't 10 years ago when there was huge untapped market and design space to fill. Smart phones are mainstream now. Android phones tend towards gigantic screens. Great. Apple chooses a more subtle design and smaller size that can be managed by most people with a single hand. What else exactly is there? Is a tapered back, different corners, colors, really going to revolutionize the phone industry? NO. Get used to it, this is the future of smart phones. They do almost everything we need them to do already....so the upgrades are going to continue to be refinements, whether its Apple Samsung Motorolla etc. This particular iPhone addresses areas of potential improvement across the board. There really isn't much else to be improved upon so at this point you are either on board with the Apple Ecosystem, or you aren't.

Sure, but as others point out, Apple made their huge leap by offering products that either addressed a need in a brand new but simplified way or filled a need people didn't know they had. And while I agree with you that it's unfair to expect this company to constantly and consistently do that, if you took your comment and posted it 10 years ago in a different forum, you end up defending something like motorola's tweaks to the Razr.

 

[reviewspin]

What exactly are you guys expecting that are disappointed in this update? Are you really expecting the gigantic leap that occurred with the initial iPhone and later Android phones relative to the existing, archaic Blackberry and Palm devices?

In case you haven't noticed, new phones are released every month that are not drastic departures from the models they replaced.

I cannot say this update will make me order the iPhone 5 since my contract is up for renewal, but I am really trying to figure out what you guys were expecting. I'd love the S3 but I am concerned about its Exchange functionality/reliability, so I will likely just stay with the iPhone 4.

The iPhone has always had that wow factor. Everything was special. And every release brought that one special feature. IPhone 3G ... Its 3G. Iphone 3GS ... Faster (and wasn't redesigned too?). Iphone 4 ... Retina display. Iphone 4S ... Siri and duel core. Iphone 5 ... Bigger screen? None of that was really unseen. We knew what this phone was before today. No surprises.

Maybe we shouldn't expect Apple to lead the industry, but that's what I expected. It should of at least had HD ... Come on.

My Lumia 920 will look mighty fine come this November.

 

[Charcoalwerks]

The black iPhone5 looks badass! The specs look nasty too!
Now come on people! I wanna see those cherry 4S's on ebay in a few weeks so I can upgrade from my 4! I might go contract when the 5S comes out.

 

[The Robot Cow]

The thing that i do envy the most of the iphone that i wished android had was the amount of 3rd party accessories that are out there. Just the amount of cases that are available is just stupid crazy.

 

[Obi-Wan Kubrick]

I don't know what you guys are complaining about. They could of released an iPhone that gave you a blowjob and you would still gripe over tiny little things.

 

[reviewspin]

Can't wait to get my hands on this baby!

Anyone catch how much RAM were getting?

Considering the rumors were all true ... 1GB probably.

And let me be clear, this is a good phone and an amazing update. I just expect Apple to be leaders, and they weren't today (or yesturday now).

 

[MH01]

iPhone 5L - litigation model.

When your busy litigating and preventing others from innovating with patents around shape, this is what innovation looks like!

Enjoy year 3 of the iPhone 4 design. (and probably year 5 with the s model).

Even rolled my eyes when I saw the new nano which looks like a lumina 900.


The 5 is just a slightly longer 4 with today's tech in it, that not innovating, that waiting for the parts to improve from 3rd party distributors

 

[Yendog]

Thank GOD they didn't make the phone bigger and actually made it SMALLER. Truthfully that is the biggest selling point to me... I was not going to upgrade if they made the phone bigger.. I have friends that have these huge android phones and I am completely appalled by them...

I have my phone in my pocket all day, I want it as small, and light, as possible so I don't feel it at all.. Personally for me watching a movie on my phone screen sounds like a nightmare.

I like the fact that the screen is slightly bigger but in the same form factor. SELLING POINT for me for sure.

I LOVE the update. for the things I use the phone for it is a huge update. Camera, audio, and its SMALLER!!! killer!!!

 

[Anaxarxes]

what customers want

I honestly do not understand people being unhappy about the iPhone 5.

It has one of the most innovative and clear cameras on any phone. The only phone that excites me camera wise is the Lumia 920. And they both seem to be bloody close. (Though I want to see the low light performance of the iPhone 5 first)

It has the A15 core. This is a HUGE update. The first of the next generation processor architecture is inside the iPhone.

It's screen is the first embedded touch control screen on the market.

It's thinner, has a larger screen, yet has the same amount of battery time, if not more, than the previous gen iPhones.

So what were people waiting for as they are not happy about it?

128GB storage? octa-core cpu? 5 day battery life? 6 inch display? what exactly?

 

[k995]

1. Screen is still bigger. Get a note of you want a huge screen

3.5" 2/3 to 4" 16/9 is barely an increase, I have a 4" 16/9 now and I find it too small. 4.3 or even 4.7/4.8 is going to be my next phone.

2. Have you compared it?

Apple buys of the shelve its not some spectacular new tech.
Its screen is simular as that in the htc one x : super lcd 2 Wich puts it at the same levels of the latest Super Amoled screens (rgb ones)

3. Have you seen any comparison shots?

If it would have been any better apple would have singled it out, anyway I dont see it beating the pureview 808

4. What do you mean who cares? Thinner will not only make it look better, but the obsession for thinness means that battery tech advances and components become cooler.

BS, thinner means they HAVE to advance to remain at the same level of before.
And no I dont sit around admiring how thin my phone is. Weight matters thinness doesnt if its 9 8 or 7 mm thin I(and no doubt most users) dont care

5. Aluminium is very durable

Lets see if its scratch resistant he?

6. What do competitors have that is better?

Thats it its just the same, so the iphone isnt better in that area.

So how is it underwhelming? What did you want?

A lot longer battery (droid razor max style), bigger screen, NFC , wireless charging,better camera,...

But no once more this no doubt had tio be postponed because they wanted a mm thinner.