Apple iPhone 5

Overview

Best Samrtphone

There is nothing about Apple’s new iPhone that you will not fall in love with. It is a super stylish and multidimensional phone that soon becomes an extension of you.

Apple iPhone 5 Design and Build Quality

Apple iPhone 5 is the epitome of design for a smartphone. The phone is very lightweight and you will hardly feel its weight in the pocket. iPhone is 123.8mm in height and comes with a 4 inch large screen, which sets it apart from other phones. The battery life of the phone is an impressive 8 hours, which means that you can play games, check, emails the whole day without have to worry about it. The phone has a very sturdy built and weighs only 112 grams.

User Interface and Comfort to Use Apple iPhone 5

The 4 inch screen on the device comes with an 1136x640 resolution that just makes everything appear clearer and neater. The aspect ratio of 16:9 gives the screen taller look. The phone is very comfortable to use and during the review period we did not notice any lag in swiping screens or using the app. The iOS 6 and a faster processor ensure that the phone does not hang or becomes over heated at any times. The phone comes in three different versions 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. We do miss the absence of contextual menus in the iPhone but still the phone has a very smooth interface.

Telephony and Phonebook

The call quality of the phone is enhanced with noise cancellation mics (three mic system) and a superb microphone. Even in extreme noisy areas, you can easily carry on a call. However, the contacts are not to smooth to handle. The contacts option is basic and Apple has enabled the integration of Facebook contacts in the contacts but there is no way to sort them out.

Messaging and Emails

Higher resolution and a brighter more crisp display make it a fun to type messages and even check your messages. You can use iMessage, messages, Facetime, Email, and push email options on the phone. Message threads are easy to maintain. Facetime on iPhone is much faster and clearer and can be used over 3G, Wi-Fi and 4G.

Gallery, Photo Viewer and Video Player

The iPhone is not small by any standards. The photos can be accessed using the photo app on the main screen. Basic editing options are included and you can download to make the photos look the way you want. Photostream is a treat to use and very easy to sync to your system. The video player play crisp HD videos and we enjoyed watching TV shows, movies and even home video on it.

Apple iPhone 5 Music Player and FM Radio

Since the basis of iPhone is the iPod therefore there we have no doubt about music quality of the phone. The ear buds that come with it are not exactly top quality but still good enough.

Apple iPhone 5 Camera and Image Quality

Apple iPhone 5 takes pictures 40% times faster than the previous models. The 8M camera has an improved flash and the panoramic photo ability gives it an added edge. The photos are clear, crisp and the focus works very well with the camera. Panoramic stitching is undetectable and you can take photos even in dark easily.

Video Camera and Video Quality

The new features are that you can take pictures while shooting a video. 30fps footage at 1080p with image stabilization makes your videos always appear pro.

Apple iPhone 5 Connectivity Options

The connectivity of the phone is what you would expect Apple to provide you with. Bluetooth, 4G, 3G, Wi-Fi connectivity option make sure that you have the internet at your fingertips. The connection hardly ever drops.

Organiser and Other Utility Tools

The phone comes with many preload app such as Facebook, twitter, calendar, alarm, clock, iTunes match, App store, reminders, and mail. The most talked about utility tool is the voice interaction system Siri. It requires a little practice to make Siri understand your commands but once you get a hang of it, Siri is very convenient in searching, asking questions, pulling up contacts and voice dictation.

Web Browser and Applications

Safari is the web browser on the phone. You can also install third party browsers such as Google Chrome. Safari is fast and you can easily use features like copy, paste, zoom in, zoom out, and bookmark on the browser. Multiple tabs can be used.

Maps and GPS

Apple has done away with the Google maps and introduced its own Apple maps. There maps offer a 3D view of select cities (none in India) in the world. The maps are not very interactive and the drop pin feature is not accurate at all. The maps still need a lot of work. However, the GPS technology on the phone is quite commendable. You can use Google maps as a third party app for getting directions.

Distinctive Features of Apple iPhone 5

Siri and iTunes match are the two distinctive features of the phone. Both allow the user to personalize the phone according to his or her style.

Value for Money

The phone is priced at around INR 58000 (approx., may vary) for the 64GB model. The price of the phone is justified by the features and life of the phone.

Verdict

Apple iPhone 5 gets 4.8 stars from us out of 5. It loses some points because of the poor maps and contact integration.