Some of the features are excellent. That said Apple missed an opportunity to keep their phone up to date with a 4" display. It's the new standard set by HTC, Samsung, Motorola & others. If Apple would have designed 4" model it would have made the others look plain by comparison. Its a shame Apple missed the boat.
The reason they stayed with the small screen is Apple likes to boast about their products. A smaller display draws less power, so they can brag about battery life.
It's rather odd that a design decision to keep a mobile phone small with good battery life is now derided as an advertising ploy. I am not sure how HTC and the like designing larger phones creates a new "standard." Different specs for people with different preferences - some prefer bigger screen space, others prefer something you can still fit in your pocket.