Sunday, October 28, 2012

iPhone 5 (and iOS6) Review



Better late than never, but here is my iPhone 5 review.  I've spent approximately 3 weeks on the new iPhone 5 and it is one of the best mobile devices I've utilized. 

Here are the main features that have been of benefit to me:
  • The first thing I noticed in utilizing the device was the size and weight.  The device is much thinner and lighter than previous iPhones.  Because of this I really struggled in finding the right case for the device, as I didn't want to take away from sleek design.
  • The camera is high quality.  (I'm a bit biased on this as my previous iPhone had a scratched camera that forced me to use the reverse camera for all pics.)  I like the feature of taking a picture within a video.  That has come in handy already with my nephew.
  • Siri was a nice upgrade for me.  Since I had the original iPhone 4 and didn't move to the 4S, this was my first interaction with Siri.  I have found her to be mostly useful, when she fully understands what I am saying.  I mostly utilize this feature when in the car and trying to stay hands free.
  • Maps was not as big of a deal as people made it out to be.  I have yet to get lost or arrive late due to Apple's Maps taking me on a detour.  I enjoy the turn-by-turn navigation with audio.  This goes well with Siri.
  • I have found that the audio jack on the bottom just takes some getting used to.  I still can't figure out why Apple made this move. 
  • I'm not a fan of switching to the new Lightning cable.  I'm still adjusting to my additional Apple devices needing an adapter, but that adjustment will come over time. 
  • I did notice the battery drains quicker than it should when on wi-fi.  Because of this (and the nice addition of 4G/LTE) I don't turn on the wi-fi feature that often.  4G/LTE (at least to me) is just as fast as most wi-fi connections, thus I prefer my device to have more battery life than slightly faster internet access.
  • I haven't found a great use for passbook yet.  My only experience was using a United e boarding pass for a flight.  Still not sold on this feature just yet, but that is mostly because of my lack of usage.
Overall, as stated earlier, this is one of the fastest, smartest mobile devices I have used.  For me, it is a fully functioning device allowing me access to my personal and professional world in a quick and efficient manner.   Thanks Apple.

JDS