The iPhone 5 has finally come to the Apple family, lying on the shelf with iPhone 4S and iPhone 4. Here we are putting some of the new iPhone 5's key features up against its predecessor the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 in this review.
Free DownloadDimension & Appearance
The iPhone 5 is the first Apple iPhone that has changed the screen size since June 2007 when the original iPhone launched. I'm sure you will find out that the biggest different is that iPhone 5 has bigger screen than both iPhone 4S and iPhone 4. The new iPhone 5 has a taller screen that measures 4-inches. Previously the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 had a 3.5-inch screen.
As you can probably work out: a bigger screen means that the surface area of the iPhone 5 is also bigger than the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4. The iPhone 4S measures in at (HxWxD) 115.2 x 58.66 x 9.3mm, the new iPhone measures in at 123.6 x 58.6 x 7.6.
The iPhone 5 is longer and significantly thinner than its identical-looking forerunners. This means that it's more comfortable to hold, and it practically disappears in a pocket. This is only accentuated by its aluminum back: the backs of the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 are made of glass. And it now holds the title of the world's thinnest smartphone.
Camera
The camera in the iPhone 4S was a big leap ahead of the shooter in the iPhone 4. The difference between the iPhone 5 and the 4S is relatively small. Apple did improve a key area in the iPhone 5: low-light shooting, which in layman's terms means that it can work a lot better in low lights, two f-stops better to be precise. And iPhone 5 now takes photos 40% faster.
The front-facing (FaceTime) camera also got an upgrade in the iPhone 5. This was likely done to make video calls look better on the longer screen.
Storage
Apple has kept the internal storage of the iPhone 5 completely the same as the iPhone 4S. The iPhone 5's bottom model comes in at 16GB. Users can opt for an iPhone 5 with 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of storage, with the original £525 price tag of the 16GB iPhone 5 jumping up by £100 respectively for each storage option.
Though the older iPhones originally shipped in different storage models, the cheaper models sold at present are more limited. The $100 iPhone 4S offers 16GB, while the free iPhone 4 gives you 8GB.
While Apple has still shied away from offering its customers the option to use an expandable memory slot - a feature that is currently available to many Android smartphones - iOS 6 and its improved integration with the iCloud will offer some extra storage option for the iPhone 5. iPhone users could enjoy the 5GB space on iCloud for free, and the extra space will be paid annually.
Summary
In a word, iPhone 5 is a combination of lightness, thinness, performance, and beautiful design, and a significant upgrade.
The most notable upgrade that the iPhone 4S offered over the iPhone 4 was Siri. In addition to the faster speeds and improved camera, the virtual assistant is the top reason customers chose the 4S over its older sibling. iOS 6 adds to Siri's capabilities, letting it book dinner reservations, check movie listings, and get sports scores.
The only reason to choose the iPhone 4 over its successors is to save money. Considering that in September of 2011, you could have argued that the iPhone 4 was the best smartphone on the market, free in 2012 isn't a bad buy.