I think the white iPhones would look great if the fronts were also silver/grey like the back. I guess it would no longer actually be 'white', then...hmmm. A silver option would be nice.
To be honest, I love the black 32gb one I got. No blemishes, scratches. Perfect condition. I've upgraded from a 3GS so this upgrade is amazing to me. Not having owned an iPhone 4/4s, I don't have a perspective on the upgrade from 4 to 5.
The phone, so far, has been rock solid, fast, and has delivered on all counts. Sure, if you are used to ios, seeing the same os seems a little boring, but the functionality and performance. By boring, I mean there are no extreme visual changes to hang on, but it is an improved experience.
LTE doesn't hurt, either. I consistently get speeds averaging around 43 MB/S, with speeds as high as 57 mbs download and 25 mbs upload speeds. That is more than double what I am getting from home broadband. So nice!
Also, a side note: I've heard of people who have complained about the back panel scratching easily. I'm sure that if rub or scrape a harder material against it, it will scratch, however, my impression of the back plate and its finish is that it seems fairly durable. One thing I do notice is that the finish is a flat finish not a smooth glossy finish. It is similar, though not nearly as rough as slate. And like slate or a chalkboard, softer materials that rub or scrape against it are like to leave the softer material on the surface, like chalk. I suspect many of the complaints of scuffs may actually be transfer from a softer material. just like scraping your car's finish against a painted object, where the softer paint gets rubbed off onto the surface of the car's paint, but not under or through it.
Last note. This thing is a beautiful piece of industrial design. It is solid. The frame/case is stiff and there is very little flex in it. When you squeeze it, it feels solid as if it was chiseled or carved out of a single piece of material. Like a single slab. I cannot remember any other phone with such nice design. At least not since Apple introduced the original iPhone. Before that, I thought Motorola had some great designs (pre-smartphone, full touchscreen). But, among modern smartphones, I don't see anyone else building them with this level engineering/machining. Especially not the iPhone's, mostly plastic competitors. The only external plastic piece on the iPhone is the home button. Everything else is aluminum and glass.
Another thing.

While a lot of people think IP5 looks like the 4/4s...I disagree. There are similarities, but there should be. You should be able to identify a product by its look. I mean, a 1980 BMW 528i is not the same design as a 2013 540i, but you don't need to see the brand badge to know you are looking at a BMW. Aside from the front panel and a metal band around the circumference of the phone, it is a unique design. The metal banding may reference the 4/4s design, but seeing it in black sort of accentuates the differences between the 4/4s and 5. Truthfully, if you applied the same logic that the IP5 is just a glorified IP4/4s...then doesn't that same logic say that the Galaxy SIII is just a glorified iPhone 3 evolution (in design)? (don't worry I'm not a an apple fan boy and I do own Android devices as well as OS/ iOS, and Windows devices...so plese don't put out an Android Fatwā on me

. Essentially, the GSIII is a plastic bodied smartphone with a chrome band around it...like the iPhone 3/3GS. (speaking specifically about the industrial design, not the tech within it).
Sorry...I know...too long (sitting through a two-hour conference call

)