iPhone 5 = iPhone 4SS

[DanielMyst777]

What more do you want? What major feature is missing?

I'm fine with what they announced. My biggest worry was they were going to make the phone so big I wouldn't be able to use it with 1 hand.

Only Apple is allowed to get away with this half hearted "redesign."

If any other manufacturer did this, iFans would bash it to no end, shouting "no innovation or inspiration" from the rooftops.

A "redesign" in Apple's terms is a very sad excuse to push their yearly iPhone refresh. In my eyes, the 3G(S) was innovative, the IP4 was revolutionary, but I held off on getting the IP4(S) due to its stale "update". Turns out the IP5 is just the same mixture of updates minus the longer screen and "LTE" (we'll see how quickly carriers can get their crap together for this).

I waited 2 years with my IP4 for the IP5 to be truly innovative with the "...and one more thing" feature like dual CDMA/GSM antennas or wireless charging.

Guess it's just part of the lifestyle of these toys. We might be hitting the middle ages here for a bit but with a slim chance unless the spice get's hotter again.

 

[JoeMoomin]

What does it matter?

Were getting a new phone so deal with it.

Apple couldn't care less if you didn't buy it when there will be 3 million people buying it the first day.

Fixed that for you.

 

[Oppressed]

People seem to be asking what the new phone could have had. Well ok, here is a small list I came up with.

NFC - a lot of people say "we don't need this". Need I remind you that the same was said about a bigger screen? Apple adds tech to their phones and it explodes. Adding NFC to the iPhone is what will make NFC a staple form of payment everywhere you go. You know how you all know someone with an Apple charger? Yeah... that's what Apple COULD do to NFC.

Wireless Charging - This is an overlooked feature. Yes you still need cables to charge in this fashion. The convenience of setting your phone down at your desk, letting it charge, and picking it up when you walk away is nice. Going to bed? Set your phone down on your nightstand and you are good to go. Yes, it is a CONVENIENCE thing. Must like passbook is convenience. We could have an app for everything that passbook holds (and we actually do!) but it is more convenient to have the passbook feature.

EVEN BETTER Camera - Take a look at the Lumia 920 for an idea on what I am talking about here. I am not a camera guy, so I can't spout out specs, but the camera undoubtedly takes better pics than the 5. I just don't feel the camera was much of an upgrade this go around. It could have been better.

Home Button - Trash it. You heard me. This is probably the number one complaint Apple gets in terms of faulty hardware. You use the home button to wake the phone, exit an app, multitask, etc. I don't even want to think about how many times a day that thing gets pressed. Either get rid of it, or redesign it in a way that this issue isn't nearly as prevalent (they may have done this, to be fair, however there was no mention).

Widgets? - This is going to upset a few iOS die-hards, which is also why you see the lovely "?" there. I think the extra screen real estate could have been more aptly used than slapping a simple extra row of icons (in springboard view obviously). Widgets is just one example. Don't like widgets? Ok, maybe live info on icons (perhaps make icon slightly larger)? I don't know. Just feel like an injustice was done by simply adding an extra row of icons and calling it a day.

32GB BASE Model - At this point, Apple could clearly give us a 32GB base model phone. How do I know? Well, for starters, plenty of others are doing it. They have managed to keep the 16GB 4S and drop its price to $100 on contract. At this point it is milking profits. To be fair, I don't blame them. It is their job to milk profits. I am simply saying it would be nice if it wasn't this way. (I felt that needed to be said before people inevitably jump down my throat).

NFC: I see your point about retailers pushing for this as a payment method if Apple would have adopted it, but it isn't a broken system yet. It is still a nifty toy at the moment with only a handful of stores supporting it, and the potential security issues surrounding it.

Wireless charging: Still more of a nifty feature and not a required feature. There is not as much quality of life issue at stake when you still have to plug the wireless base station into the wall anyway.

Camera: It is a better camera, but just because the MP are the same doesn't mean it's the same camera. Better low light processing and color accuracy. Plus the sapphire lens protects it better. Also keep in mind that they still improved upon the size of the camera internals. It is a very understated improvement, but think about what people would have said if Apple went the Motorola route and have the camera jet out the back of the device like that on the RAZR?

Home Button: I agree lose it, but not a deal breaker for me.

Widgets: This has to do with the iOS and not the iPhone itself, but I wouldn't expect widgets on your homescreens for a long time. The iOS is a spring board to the apps. People spend the majority of time in apps, and not the homescreen. I do however think they will add setting toggles in the notification drawer in the next iOS update to "make use of the extra screen space".

32 GB Base mode: I'm sure many would rather have the cheaper entry price point. This is the first opinion I've read that actually calls for Apple to limit people's options on their phone.

I have to question if these features are really worth some of the words describing the new iPhone? Because the new iPhone is lacking these features does it mean it's trash or a complete disappointment? No, but what people should asks themselves is why can't the other flagship phone (S3 and Lumia) have all the features of the iPhone 5? They all had to make comprimies that people seem to be ignoring.

 

[fizzwinkus]

I would say the iPhone 5 is really just the iPhone 2gsssss. You might even call it the fifth revision of the original iPhone...

 

[lordofthereef]

NFC: I see your point about retailers pushing for this as a payment method if Apple would have adopted it, but it isn't a broken system yet. It is still a nifty toy at the moment with only a handful of stores supporting it, and the potential security issues surrounding it.

Snipped for brevity...

To be frank, none of the features the new iPhone got were necessary features, they were all "nifty" as you put it. Thing is, all of the features I mentioned are convenience features. That's what a smartphone is for a whole lot (maybe most?) of users... convenience. Obviously nothing I said was necessary. People asked what would have been great to see, and I answered. As the phone is now, I don't see a point in spending my hard earned cash on it.

Also, and a slightly different point, NFC is not only useful in terms of payments, but the security "issue" is far overplayed, as are many of the "issues" people complain about here "plaguing" those other operating systems. Japan has been using NFC for over a decade (and in many cases so have we, in the US, people just don't quite know it! Think "wave pass" credit cards).

In terms of widgets, I knew this would be the response, which is why I clearly stated that I was using the term "widgets" as a term describing a better way to use the added screen real-estate. Slapping an extra 4 icons on the home screen just feels so... cheap.

Just the opinions of one guy, though I bet it jives with how many others are feeling right now.