It’s been a week since Apple announced the release of its latest game changer, the iPhone 5, to the general public. As a “junior” geek (just knows enough to be dangerous, not smart enough to know WHY I should have the latest gadgets), I was excited about all the possible innovations that would come with the latest edition of this smartphone.
So before I dropped serious coin to go from one iPhone (4) to another, I needed to do the research first. Mr. Serious rarely makes impulse purchases, and when he does, it’s usually low risk high reward items like Celine Dion’s Greatest Hits at the check out aisle at the grocery store. (“my Heart Will Go On” and “The Power of Love” on one disk?!? Come on!)
Here is a breakdown of what Apple is selling with the new iPhone:
A larger screen
The jump in size up 14% with the 5 (4.0″ vs. 3.5″) which is nice. Since the release of the first iPhone, screen size has been on the top of the user complaint list and they are finally addressing it. Wonderful, now the people sitting behind me on the city bus during my morning commute will enjoy a more crisp view of the Savage Garden Fan Club page I may or may not have bookmarked.
4G
Yes! Finally, an iPhone that runs on Verizon’s 4G network! Now those iPhone wielding assholes over at AT&T can shut their pie holes about “network speed.”
New earbuds, er, ear pods
As much as Apple hyped them up at the launch, I guess I will have to experience them to get excited. I don’t recall once saying, “Man, if they could just get their act together with the ear buds.”
See also: Top 5 Noise Canceling Earbuds in 2019.
IOS6
iPhone 5 will come with a new operating system that boasts new and improved features such as a redesign Maps ap, a deeper database for Siri, FaceTime over cellular and more of a streamlined interface for mail! Sign me up! Wait, I can download IOS6 for my current iPhone right now, for free? Hmmm.
A change that cannot have many long time customers happy is the redesign of the serial port. Translation: customers are going to have to buy all new accessories!
Although I may not have made a compelling case to upgrade, it should be noted that the Apple experience is always positive. Because they have been branded as the leader in technological innovation, if they don’t reinvent the wheel every time out, it somehow looks like a failure.
With that being said, you will probably find me standing in line waiting for my new toy September 21st.
Corey Chapman (@chapmanrunner) has been selling his whole life, nowadays he actually gets paid to do it. His long term goal is to retire young and spend his days watching old episodes of Saturday Night Live and tweeting about “the good old days”. He produces and edits all UnderScoopFIRE podcasts.
Read previous Mr. Serious Presents columns here!
Does the screen really touch the edges of the phone like that (2nd image down) or is that just a concept illustration? I know nothing about iPhone 5 and still proudly rock my Droid 2 R2D2 Star Wars phone.
that might be a concept pic. I tried to distinguish between conceptualizations and real images – I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt those are REAL ear buds.
Best iPhone since the first one, in my opinion. I’ve had the first, the 3G, and the 4. The taller display makes a huge difference, but I can still use the phone 1-handed without having to reposition at all, which is great. Also the LTE is so fast it’s mind boggling, puts my wi-fi to shame at times. Also, it’s noticeably lighter than the other iPhones I have and feels rock solid to boot. Love it so far.
Cool! Thank you for the feedback, and thanks for reading!