Well, like a lot of other Apple aficionados (I’m sorry, I refuse to use the term “fan-boy” ) I looked forward to the debut of Apple’s iPhone 5 with great anticipation. Would it deliver and meet expectations? Well, I think the answer is an unequivical YES!. Most of the reviews from tech sites seem to be very positive and the pre-orders are coming in a record setting pace. This thing is going to be a huge home run for Apple. There is no doubt about that. I’ll be buying one for sure, but more on that later.
Has the praise for the iPhone 5 been universal? Not quite. Just go to the comments section of nearly any major tech blog and you can find critics of the new device, who claim that Apple still falls short in this area or that, that the latest Android models are still better in some ways (no NFC or wireless charging) and point to the fact that Android phones , sold by multiple manufacturers, now out sell the combined iPhone models and interpret that as a sign that Apple has peaked and is in decline.
I don’t think the iPhone 5 lacks any features that matter to 99% of current iPhone users.
Apple does not want to be the Toyota or General Motors of the mobile phone manufacturers. It is more like they want to be combination of BMW and Porsche. They could certainly sell more iPhones if the introduced stripped down low cost models. They don’t want to do that. Apple just doesn’t think that way. They want to control a large segment of the the middle and upper-end of the mobile phone market and they are doing that very well.
Once again, major kudos have to go to Jon Ive and the design team at Apple. At first glance, the iPhone 5 looks very similar to the iPhone 4S, but a variety of small design refinements make it more elegant than it’s predecessor. The most significant change of from the previous model is the display, which Apple lengthened to 4.0 inches from 3.5 inches. I think the iPhone 5 is the best looking mobile phone on the market. Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I can’t think of another company that combines form and function like Apple.
Is there another company that cares more about high quality industrial design than Apple? I don’t think so. BTW, I would encourage all who want to learn more about the design and features of the iPhone 5 to watch the 6 minute video on the Apple home page which explains the development of the device. The video features Apple Sr VP’s Ive, Bob Mansfield and Scott Forestall, who are all familiar faces to many Apple fans.
As I mentioned above, I plan on buying an iPhone 5 myself. I currently own an iPhone 3 GS, so I am due for an upgrade. I’ll probably wait until the initial demand surge subsides and buy one in a few months. I also want to see if any hardware/software issues crop up with this new product. I don’t think that will happen with the iPhone 5 because I think the antenna issue they had with the iPhone 4 is probably still fresh in the minds of Apple exec’s and I would think that Apple has gone to great lengths to ensure something like that doesn’t happen with this product, but you never know with new designs, so I’ll wait and see if any defects emerge over the course of the next couple of months.
gmf journal 