Posts tagged iphone 5

When Apple announced the iPhone 5, I was hoping that they’d continue their bumper line of cases that they originally introduced for the iPhone 4 back in 2010. Unfortunately, since the iPhone 5 doesn’t share the same glass black construction as its predecessors, Apple decided not to refresh its hit cases. Now spoiled by bumper cases, I knew I had to find one for my iPhone 5. So far, the bumper from Case1449 is the closest one I’ve found to matching Apple’s quality. 

Upon purchasing my iPhone 5, I also picked up a cheap iPhone 5 bumper off of eBay. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed with the results. The case was warped, it was too thick, and the overall fit and finish left a lot to be desired. Thankfully, I was much more impressed with the bumper cases offered by Case1449. Let’s take a look. 

If you didn’t know any better, you’d probably mistake this bumper as an official Apple case without close inspection. For being less than 1/4 of the price of an official bumper at just $7, it’s very well made. I purchased the black model, and have been testing it out for the past week. It’s not quite up to par with an Apple bumper, but I wasn’t expecting it to be at such a low price. It fits excellently, and holds the phone snugly while still managing to be easier to remove than the official model for the iPhone 4/4S. The plastic is somewhat lower quality, and there’s a slight amount of plastic flashing present around the cutouts, but it’s nothing that’s really been a bother at all. In fact, when using the case, it feels no different than a standard Apple case. The only part of the construction that outwardly looks cheaper are the buttons, which instead of being metal are simply a metallic plastic. As you can see in the comparison, there’s a slight difference. 

Overall, even though it’s not perfect, the Case1449 bumper is currently my case of choice, and probably always will be, unless I find something just too good to pass up. The site offers a ton of different colors, including some awesome two-tone color schemes which look pretty unique. As a special bonus to all readers, Case1449 is offering a 15% discount on the purchase of your choice of any of the cases available on the site. Visit this link and use the coupon code “steeber” at checkout to get your discount. It’s a great case, and I’m extremely satisfied with it. 

Editor’s Note: This review is representative of every iPhone 5 review that will be published. Therefore, this is perhaps the only iPhone 5 review you’ll need to bother reading. It’s also a testament to the amount of leaks surrounding the new iPhone- I was able to write this having never seen the phone in person.

With the original iPhone, Apple set out to change the way we think about what a phone is supposed to be. They proved to the world that a phone can be not only a vital communication tool, but a full-fledged pocket computer as well. With the iPhone 5, Apple wants to take the iPhone in all new directions. Building on the rock solid foundation of iOS, Apple has set out to establish the iPhone as the de-facto standard of communication for the next decade. The question remains though, can the iPhone 5 live up to high bar of excellence Apple has set for itself? While only time will tell, I have a feeling that consumers will once again agree with me in saying that the folks down in Cupertino have created yet another hit product. Let’s take a closer look.

Design

Though you won’t hear it from Apple, the iPhone 5 represents a dramatic boost in specifications more than anything else. Little mention was given to the radically new internals of the iPhone 5 at Apple’s press event on September 12th, but it’s definitely worth mentioning. At a high level, much like the iPhone 4S, there’s nothing radically new about the iPhone 5. To use the tired cliche, it’s evolutionary, not revolutionary. Unlike the iPhone 4S though, which shared the same design of its predecessor, the iPhone 5 sports an all new look.

Upon first glance, you might think that that the iPhone 5 has retained the same iconic and oh-so-troublesome stainless steel band that encircled the iPhone 4 and 4S. If you look closer, though, you’ll immediately notice a difference. No longer does the iPhone sport the “sandwiched” metal and glass appearance of previous generations. Instead, Apple has taken some design cues from its ultra thin computers and given the iPhone an all new unibody design. Shedding the glass back not only makes the new iPhone much more durable than the 4S, it also makes it noticeably more svelte. Heading around to the back, you’ll find something unseen since the original iPhone: a two-tone back panel. While some have called it “un-Apple-like”, there’s good reason for the switch. If you’re familiar with the design of the iPad, you’ll know why. Since cell antennas can’t transmit a signal very well through metal, Apple has to have a “window” for them. This is exactly why if you own a 3G or 4G equipped iPad, you’ll find a similar black window at the top of the device.

Aside from the two black strips at the top and bottom of the device, the entire back is dominated by one large aluminum face. Heading around to the bottom, you’ll notice several changes. First and most obvious is Apple’s new 9-pin dock connector. I’ll talk about that a little later. You’ll also see a new speaker grill as well as the headphone jack. Since the beginning, the iPhone has sported a top-mounted headphone jack. This switch will likely be a hard adjustment for many veteran iPhone users, but I’m pretty sure that we’ll all adapt over time.

Of course, all of these changes pale in comparison to the iPhone 5’s headline feature, the stunning new 4” display. While a 3.5” screen seemed like plenty back in 2007, consumers were asking for more, and that’s what Apple delivered. Instead of expanding outwards like many popular Android phones, Apple took the display upwards, and made the physical shape of the iPhone longer, while still maintaining a healthy sized bezel. Due to its expanded screen, the new iPhone sports an all-new resolution of 1136x640, giving video lovers the widescreen goodness they’ve been waiting for. Of course, apps will have to be updated to fit the new iPhone’s screen resolution, but this is only a minor issue. Apple’s developer community is very responsive to changes, and for the most part, we shouldn’t have to wait for more than a few months to see most apps updated.

Internals

Apple has never been the industry leader when it comes to phone specifications, but it doesn’t have to be. From day one, iOS has run smoothly on even the most limited iPhone hardware, thanks to the tight integration between Apple’s hardware and software products. It should come as no surprise that the iPhone 5 is even faster than its predecessor. While it’s nothing game-changing, the iPhone 5 sports some hardware improvements that will be appreciated by all, most notably starting with LTE.

After Apple released the third-generation iPad earlier this year with LTE, it seemed like only a matter of time before the iPhone would gain the same functionality. Like clockwork, Apple has finally brought 4G speeds to the iPhone. LTE, or Long Term Evolution as it’s less commonly called, represents a major turning point in mobile data speeds. No longer will you be stuck with long download times or painfully slow internet browsing while on the go. Apple promises that you’ll be able to get up to 42Mbps speeds, although it’s fairly unlikely that you’ll actually achieve those results in normal use.

Traditionally, phones with LTE have suffered from painfully poor battery life, due to the power-hungry nature of the chipsets required to provide such a data service. With the iPhone 5 however, Apple has made some dramatic leaps in battery technology, as well as power consumption while using LTE. This, combined with the fact that the new iPhone has a slightly larger 5.45 watt-hour battery (up from the 5.3 watt-hour battery found in the 4S) means that you should see similar battery life as was found on the 4S, even with the larger screen and LTE. While the 4S was never the best in terms of battery, it sure wasn’t the worst either. It shouldn’t be hard to get an entire day out of a charge, something many Android phones can’t claim.

Aside from LTE, Apple has also thrown in some other goodies into the iPhone 5. As with each new generation of product, Apple has given the CPU a bump. While the exact clock speeds haven’t been disclosed, the new iPhone definitely feels faster. This is also due to the inclusion of 1GB of RAM, up from the paltry 512MB found in the 4S. You’ll also find the typical assortment of wireless capabilities in the iPhone 5, such as 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0. Rounding out the spec list is the usual accelerometer, gyroscope, digital compass, GPS, and the usual proximity and ambient light sensors. On a more disappointing note, Apple chose to leave NFC technology out of the new iPhone, a decision that some will be bummed about. NFC, along with Apple’s new Passbook application, demoed at the September 12th press event, would have been a killer combo.

With all these new features and additions present in the iPhone 5, Apple has once again managed to keep its rock-solid entry price of just $199 for the 16GB black or white model. Going up the lineup, we see the 32GB model running at $299, and topping out the lineup, the 64GB model at $399.

Software

Let’s face it: iOS is still the most sophisticated mobile operating system, even over 5 years after its introduction. Its level of polished is unmatched by any competitor. iOS 6 continues this tradition of excellence even farther on the iPhone 5. While iOS 6 doesn’t contain any groundbreaking new features, it cleans up many of the annoying inconsistencies found in previous releases and fills in some of the feature gaps customers have been asking for. You can think of iOS 6 as more of a tune-up than anything. While iOS 5 brought some major features to the table such as iMessage, iCloud, and Notification Center, iOS 6 does its best to refine and polish the OS, tightening up the system and integrating the hardware and software more than ever before.

Of course, the entire operating system has been optimized for the iPhone 5’s larger display. Look at the home screen for example. Apple has added a 5th row of icons in order to maximize the available screen space. You’ll find that throughout the operating system, everything just has more room to breathe. You can see more of a webpage at a time. More items can be displayed in a list. You can view videos with even more clarity than before. One of the places the increased screen resolution really shines is in Apple’s new Maps application. The Maps app has been re-written from the ground up, without Google in mind. Unlike previous versions of Apple’s mapping software which relied on Google Maps for data, Apple has built their own solution, and it looks great. 3D Maps are a breath of fresh air, and provide a unique new way to browse cities. Unfortunately, that’s about all you’ll be able to browse, as only a few cities are available in 3D at this time.

Moving on, iOS 6 also includes Passbook, Apple’s take at managing tickets, passes and more. Basically, Passbook will hold all of your virtual “cards” for you, keeping them all in one place. Using geolocation, Passbook will also display your passes right on your lock screen when you arrive at the correct place.

While Maps and Passbook are clearly iOS 6’s headline features, they aren’t the only new additions. Facebook integration has also been implemented, and works in a manner similar to Twitter, offering a variety of share sheets. There are also minor improvements to Siri, FaceTime, and the Phone app.

Conclusion

Without a doubt, the iPhone 5 is the best iPhone yet. Combine the great new design, LTE, and iOS 6, and you have a winner. If you’re still on an iPhone 4, this is definitely the time to upgrade. You won’t be disappointed. In fact, I would even encourage iPhone 4S owners to think about an upgrade- it’s that great. Could the iPhone 5 be the best phone of all time? That’s a tough call. One thing’s certain, though. There’s never been a better time to get into the Apple ecosystem.