iPhone 5 Review

It's been a long time coming. I've been wanting to write this review for so long but I just couldn't find the right time to do it, until now. I know, I know, the next iPhone's going to be announced next week, but if this phone doesn't get phased out, the iPhone 5 would be a bargain at a lower price point! For reviews from this point on, I'll focus on three things: Hardware, Software, and Ecosystem. Hardware would include Design, Specs, Battery Life, Call Quality, and etc. Software is self-explanatory. Ecosystem is where the media, apps, and cloud services are in consideration. Without further ado, here's the review:

Introduction

The iPhone's been here for a long while. Six years, in fact. A lot has changed since Apple launched their first foray into the mobile industry. I used to bash on Apple because I never believed that touch screen phones would be the next big thing in mobile. Turns out, it was more than just a touch screen phone. It had full internet browsing through Safari, the soul of an iPod, and applications that were built for touch. When the iPhone 3G came out, the App Store arrived. That's when the potential grew a hundredfold as developers could create anything they want the phone to do. Since then, it became a giant money-maker for Apple and led to the creation of another successful device which is the iPad. Like I said, times have changed. Android now dominates more than 2/3 of the smartphone market and Windows Phone is starting to gain some (some may sometimes be an exaggeration) traction. Has Apple maintained the gold standard with the iPhone 5?

Hardware

Apple has yet outdone itself at this department. The major change with the iPhone 5 is that it has a 4-inch screen as opposed to the 3.5-inch screen on the previous models. Despite the bigger screen, Apple managed to dramatically shave off weight from the phone. It weighs 112g, and is 7.6mm thin. When I first held the phone, it felt too light! I couldn't believe that it was this thin and light. I have to put on a case so that the weight would be okay. Another change they made is that the headphone jack is placed in the bottom of the phone. This could come in handy for pulling it out of my pocket and start using it in the right position.

Even though I put a case on the iPhone 5, I would be fine without one since they switched to an aluminum unibody with glass in the top and bottom portion of the back of the phone in order for cellular radios to go in easily. Speaking of that headphone jack earlier, beside it is the Lightning connector. That new connector caused a big debacle to owners of accessories with the 30-pin connector which was used for the previous generations. Good thing that accessory makers reacted as quick as they possibly can so by the time the new one comes out, this would be less of an issue. The good thing with the Lightning connector is that it's reversible so whenever it's dark, I don't need to worry about the position of the cable.

The iPhone's camera has always been praised for consistently taking great photos. This one's no exception and boosts the capability of the iPhone 4S's camera with "better" low-light. I did the quotes because I failed to see what's better because it's still quite dark but not as dark as the 4S's. The camera assembly is covered with Sapphire crystal. I dropped the phone a few times already and nothing really happened to it. Overall, the camera was really as great as they claim it to be. Call quality is really good with the iPhone 5, dropped calls are very rare. I was using a Globe Telecom iPhone 5, so results may vary if you're with another network.

Apple doesn't really compete in the specs department, but they don't fail to impress. Although it may be the "slowest" (in terms of raw performance) phone right now, it was the fastest by last year's standards. It sports a dual-core A6 processor clocked at 1GHz (although its maximum clock speed reaches 1.2-1.3GHz), has 1GB RAM, has 16, 32, and 64GB storage, finally has LTE (and DC-HSDPA for those in Europe) and has a 1442 mAh battery. This phone now requires a Nano-SIM instead of the micro-SIM which is also a hassle, but was done to manage space properly. Now with regards to battery life, it can last from about half a day (with heavy usage on LTE and/or gaming) to a day and a half (light web browsing through 3G, calls, texts, and music playback). It seems decent but I miss those days where phones can last 3-4 days before charging. I hope battery technology gets better because that's what Apple needs. That aside, the phone is blazing fast. Operations on iOS are simply faster, even against the 4S which was already fast enough. It's like the speed never faded when I tried using a Beta version of iOS 7! More about that in the next part.

Software

I'm gonna divide this part into two since I have experience using the iPhone 5 with two versions of the operating system, iOS 6 and a beta version of iOS 7. I won't do a comprehensive look at the iOS 7 part since it is still beta software and bugs are to be expected. I will get back to this review if there are any changes made between the beta and the final version.

iOS 6

Since iOS 6 is built-in to the iPhone 5, this version runs perfectly! All the operations that you do with this are very smooth and blazing fast despite it having a dual-core processor. The new stuff with iOS 6 like Facebook integration and Passbook are nice additions. Siri to me is nice for setting alarms and reminders, sending texts and opening apps when I tend to get lazy but after I got through all that, I got bored a bit. The most disappointing part of iOS 6 though is the new Maps app which Apple made. This was a very big fail in Apple's part since they launched a product that wasn't up to their standards. The software and user interface was good for first-generation software, but lacks a lot of points of interest. And with Google Maps containing a lot more data, it's really hard to surpass that. I never found the user interface to be really ugly, but sometimes I get bored of it because it looks like the OS when it just started. It's still functional, but it needs some change.

iOS 7 Beta

The change I mentioned earlier, is found in iOS 7. What shocked me when I first ran it is that it never lost the smoothness and speed. Despite beta bugs, iOS 7 on the iPhone 5 is still fast enough to operate although the next one would hopefully be faster. The UI has a much needed change and improvements like Control Center and AirDrop make this phone a bigger bargain than it was when it had iOS 6.

Ecosystem

iOS didn't really have a strong ecosystem at the beginning. Apple pushed for web apps the first time around. It did have iTunes early on, but the value proposition wasn't there yet. Then the App Store came and here comes the money for Apple. Thanks to that, it spurned a phenomenon where smartphones have apps that turn them into what they were designed for. If there's one thing that makes people stick to Apple, this is it.

I don't really have a lot to say here except that music, movies, TV shows, and apps are very well integrated that I have no complaints using it. iCloud is good but has flaws in document syncing. iCloud Backup is really a great backup solution for iOS devices and data for each app is retained once restored to a new iPhone. Transferring from one iPhone to another is seamless because of this feature. Photo Stream is another underrated but good feature. Pictures can be stored in the cloud these days but not everyone does that.

Conclusion

APPLE MADE A GREAT PIECE OF HARDWARE IN THIS PHONE. ALL IT NEEDS NOW IS BETTER SOFTWARE.

The iPhone 5 has been a pleasure to use, even for a technologically-inclined person like me. It's because of how well the hardware and software is integrated, and how the ecosystem has great support from developers and users alike. Apple keeps innovating in hardware which is amazing, but they are now lagging behind in software. Sure some parts of the hardware like the battery could use improvements, but the energy should be directed into doing great software because that's where Android is excelling at right now. I am hopeful that iOS 7 can change that, but I wish they could do more than just an overhaul of the user interface. There needs to be something that can wow us again and would really make us buy the next one.

For first-time smartphone owners, the iPhone 5 is a great choice although I would hold off a little longer since Apple's having an event next week and they're unveiling the next iPhone (possibly more than one?). After which, this phone will get cheaper if it stays in the lineup. If you're looking for a high-end smartphone but can't afford one, this would certainly catch your eye even more when the price drops.

Caseless iPhone 5 for a Week.

 

For more than a week that I've had the iPhone 5, it's been protected with a black case. Then I thought that one of the things I loved about this was the design and I really love the back. So I decided, why don't I try this phone without a case for one week? I mean, it's supposed to be designed so that it would be sturdier than the iPhone 4/4S design which was all glass. I really hope this works out.

UPDATE: I suddenly gave up and put the case back on. The reason? I couldn't hear as much from the speakers compared to when a case is there. :(

iPhone 5.

Don't mind the feet. Haha.

The reason why I named the post series "Path to Five" is basically because of this. I really wanted this phone since it was first announced back in September. Ever since, I'd always stare and drool over people who already have it. I'd always tell my parents that I really wanted this, and so my mom promised me that she'll get it for me as a graduation gift. It actually became additional motivation for me since as I said, I REALLY WANT THIS. Now fast forward to last Friday night, I finally got it. I was so happy because it's one of the two things that symbolize the affirmation of my efforts during my college years. I was super duper happy when I finally got my dream phone! Okay, enough with the drama for now. I wanna give you my first impressions of actually using the iPhone 5.

DESIGN & BUILD QUALITY

When I first got it out of the box, it's weight already impressed me. I couldn't really compare the weight of this because the demo units were always stuck with something to hold it in place. The design of the phone is amazing. Never before have I seen Apple do something that's of this level. The chamfers are really nice to look at. It really does look like jewelry. The feel of the phone seems a bit strange even though it looks familiar.

PERFORMANCE

Another thing I noticed after finishing setup is its speed. It was REALLY fast. Apps that seem to crawl when I had multiple apps open in the iPhone 4 open very quickly. Games like The Walking Dead run very smoothly. Not just in apps, website loading in Safari was really fast. Overall, it's insanely fast.

That's it for now. I only got it 2 nights ago! Let me tinker with it longer. This is the final Path to Five post. Thanks for reading through all of them. Click HERE to read them all in one place. :)

The Galaxy S4: Samsung's iPhone 4S.

I've been particularly known by my friends as an Apple fanboy (which I wholeheartedly admit) but that doesn't mean I ignore the rest of the products that are churning out of everyone else's factories. Samsung in particular has come from just another no-name phone manufacturer to the No. 1 phone maker in the world. From their low-end Galaxy Pocket to the Dual SIM Galaxy Grand to the flagship device last year that is the Galaxy S III, Samsung has proven to be synonymous to Android last year.

Riding on the success of the S III, Samsung has launched the Galaxy S4 a while ago (March 14 in the US). At a glance, it looks like the S III but it's actually larger, thinner, and lighter. It has a 5" Full HD Super AMOLED screen, which is what's a trend in recent Android phones like the Sony Xperia Z and the HTC Butterfly (Droid DNA in the US). Depending on where you live, it either has a Samsung Exynos 5 (which has 8 CORES!) or a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor. It has a 13-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front camera. It runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean but with Samsung's TouchWiz on top. Samsung has also put a lot of new features including Air View and Air Gesture, Dual Shot, Drama Shot, and S Health.

Specs aside, this marks a change in Samsung's strategy for their flagship device. Design looks the same while updating the specs? This sounds like what Apple would do! They would do something that the industry calls a "tick-tock" strategy in the annual refresh cycles of the phones. The major redesigns, such as the iPhone 3G, 4 and 5, are the ticks while the incremental updates, such as the 3GS and the 4S, are the tocks. It may sound like it wouldn't work but Apple was able to gain mindshare large enough that they could get away from sticking to one design for 2 years.

The S4 looking like the S III means that Samsung is adopting that same strategy. They are confident enough that sales won't be affected despite the same design. They want to prove to us that they're just as popular as Apple is. They have proven their worth in marketing, so they're here to prove that the strategy works for them. I personally think that since they copied Apple's strategy, I think it will work. Too bad I still hate the design and the specs wowed me but aren't gonna woo me over to them. Yep, still want the iPhone.

iPhone 5 is Officially HERE! First Impressions From A Current iPhone User

An iPhone 5 display unit in a Globe Store in Ayala Center Cebu.

Months after it was released in the US, the iPhone 5 will be available to customers in the Philippines, as well as more than 50 other countries on December 14. 

GLOBE and SMART are currently duking it out for the attention of the customers so that they would buy iPhone 5s from them. Tweets from news sites and telco representatives are reporting on their respective launch parties:

The stage is all set for the #GlobeiPhone5 launch event at new Glorietta. twitter.com/rapplerdotcom/…
— Rappler (@rapplerdotcom) December 13, 2012

At Dillingers with @smart_kimberly :-) Visit us here! We're really excited for the #SmartiPhone5 launch!! twitter.com/SMART_Tob/stat…
— SMART Tob (@SMART_Tob) December 13, 2012

Here in Cebu City, where I live, I managed to get first-hand experience with the iPhone 5 since it was on display at the Globe Store in Ayala Center Cebu today. I was so ecstatic that I had to try it as soon as I saw it! Remember, these are just first impressions. This means that I only had a few minutes with the phone since it was a display unit in the store. Here we go..

Thin and Light? CERTAINLY.

The first thing I noticed when trying out the iPhone 5 is that it is really lighter! According to Apple, it only weighs 112g. It really feels very light in the hand, that if it wasn't for the thing that holds it to the podium, I might have dropped it. Good thing they went for an aluminum back this time in order for it to be more durable than the 4 and 4S.

 

It is thinner as well, I tried comparing it to my iPhone 4 and there is a noticeable difference at 7.6 mm. I could easily clamp more of the iPhone 5's screen with my hand. The industrial design is simply unmatched by any other manufacturer out there. I was truly amazed by the weight and thinness of this phone.

The 4-Inch Screen

When I saw that the iPhone 5 had a larger screen, it was a mixed bag for me. Although it would be a good thing, I wasn't so sure how the apps that are not updated would work. Good thing Apple decided to put black bars on the sides so that apps would not look weird. On the black model, it isn't obvious as the black bars match very well with the phone so it seems that the phone got taller without the increase in screen size. 

Of course, the apps that take advantage of the new 4-inch screen look amazing. Watching video and listening to music while looking at full album art is nice. While reading articles from tech sites like The Verge, I could read a lot more than I could on the iPhone 4 I have now. It's amazing how even a half-inch screen bump matters. No wonder Android's been doing it ever since.

A6 Processor = (A5 Processor x 2) = (A4 Processor x 4)

It wouldn't be a new iPhone without a speed bump. The iPhone 5 now has a dual-core A6 processor that is clocked at 1GHz (although there are times that it would clock up to 1.3GHz). This equates to more power and better performance and I have to say, it's VERY NOTICEABLE, especially when using it against the iPhone 4. Despite the larger screen, apps web pages load quicker, and Siri responds faster.

LTE is nonexistent (YET)

Unfortunately, the LTE component of the iPhone 5 is inactive here. This is a bit disappointing even though Apple has to test the LTE networks of both Globe and Smart here in the Philippines before activating this. Besides, they haven't launched their LTE networks for smartphones so it doesn't make sense to promote this with LTE unless Globe or Smart surprises us.


Those are my first impressions on the iPhone 5. As an iPhone 4 user, I REALLY WANT THIS PHONE because it makes the one I have really slow. HAHA. This phone is really worth the time and money that it is spent on being made. 

Comment below for suggestions on what I should do with an iPhone 5 OR maybe find me a sponsor for one? :) Just comment below for your opinions. Til then, guys!

Dear Philippines: Do Not Buy an iPhone 4S (Yet)!

Source: technobuffalo.com

As you may have heard and seen now, the iPhone 5 has been released in the US and 30 more countries, with 22 of them just released today. This means that the 2 previous generations of the iPhone has their prices cut off, with the 4S now costs $99 and the 4 is now FREE (based on US prices, on a 2-year contract with a wireless carrier).

It also means that the price of the 4S that the local telcos are pretty inconsistent with the ones in the US. There are even tech-savvy Filipinos who realize this and either shell out tons of cash to get the latest right away or wait for it to arrive here.

It has come to my attention that the telcos are still pushing to sell the 4S at the same price as it was before the iPhone 5 came out and there are people who actually buy it. Sure there are promos to lower that price but not everyone can avail such.

From a fellow Filipino, I advise you to NOT get the 4S until the telcos announce the iPhone 5. If you feel that there isn't much difference, you can just get the 4S at a cheaper price (depends if the telco will still offer it). I sincerely don't want anyone to regret their purchase.

The iPhone 5 is Still A Great Smartphone

apple.com

After months and months of speculation, Apple finally launches the iPhone 5. The thing is, bloggers have been putting out rumors about this product so much that by the time that it was announced, some people were underwhelmed. I can't blame them because all the rumors that pointed to this were true. To be honest, I was really hoping that Tim Cook and Co. would surprise me but unfortunately everything was predictable.

But this doesn't mean that it isn't a great smartphone. It still has iOS, the EASIEST-to-use mobile operating system ever despite the competition heating up with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and Windows Phone 8. And with iOS 6, new features were still introduced like the new Maps application and the Panorama mode. I gotta say though, Apple has to step up in the user interface if it wants the iPhone to last for generations.

Also, two of the biggest features that the iPhone really needed are now here in the iPhone 5, and they're both fours. One is 4G LTE, the fastest cellular network available. This means that you can surf the web, download apps, and stream HD movies with blazing-fast speeds! With the iPhone 5, LTE could go mainstream AND HOPEFULLY, will not slow everyone else's data connection down. The other one is the 4-inch screen, which is a big change in itself since the iPhone has been carrying a 3.5-inch screen since its inception in 2007. Apple obviously understands about the comfort of holding a phone with one hand and just made the phone taller and not wider so that no one will be alienated with holding it.

Apple just wants to make sure that average people would enjoy the iPhone 5 even though there were changes to be made. This phone may not please everyone, but it will be one of the reasons why the smartphone market will continue to grow. 

Apology + New Rules for FIVE-TRIPLE-ZERO

UPDATE: iPhone 5 post is now up!

As you may have noticed, nothing really happened to the FIVE-TRIPLE-ZERO contest. I am DEEPLY SORRY for that. It's not that I don't wanna give stuff away, it's just that I've been busy for the past few months as I was doing my research project with my partner and I didn't want too much distraction. I'm actually lucky to even post this to say my apologies.

That said, I am gonna make it up to you guys by posting the new rules for the said contest:

1) Read the iPhone 5 post - Yes, it's that time again. Instead of posting my impressions on it, I am going to rant about why the iPhone 5 is still a great smartphone despite the underwhelming reactions of 57% of Americans. I'm hoping this will be a good read for you guys.

2) Comment on that post - Not just any random comment, I want a reaction to my post. I don't mind if it's negative to the point that you think I'm just an Apple fanboy or positive in a sense that  it does make sense and they're gonna sell millions of them anyways. I just wanna hear true sentiments guys.

Still deciding on the prize though. If you wanna get a clue to what it may be, go to my Twitter to find out. The deadline would be the end of October.

Sorry for not informing you guys anything. I really hope you understand my situation and will be back to post more once this busy-ness fades away.