As expected Apple unveiled the new iPhone 5 today and while it's quite different to the 4S that it replaces the new model has already convinced even some die hard Apple fans that, with the passing of Steve Jobs, the company really did lose their source of inspiration.
If you're an Android user of phones such as Samsungs S3 then the answer to that is no, but for 4S users there are some big changes.
The phone is taller with a larger screen, it has a higher resolution which while not HD is pretty close at 1136 pixels by 640 which allows for an extra row of icons (yes that really is a selling point apparently) and although it still isn't quite a 16:9 format screen, and it isn't high definition, it is a significant step up for current iPhone users.
Data wise it will support pretty much any standard used by carriers around the world including LTE (and yes that does mean the UK version of 4G will work just fine) so in theory if you can get one unlocked you could potentially use it anywhere.
Apple claim the iPhone is the worlds thinnest smartphone at just 7.6 millimetres thick, and while fans of the company will undoubtedly spout this claim verbatim the thinnest smartphone is actually the Oppo Finder at just 6.65 millimetres thick, but it is slightly thinner than its main rival the Galaxy S3.
The camera is the same eight megapixel one as that of the 4S but with a few tweaks such as a new low light mode, sapphire crystal lens cover, faster photo capture, ability to recognise ten faces at once, better stabilisation and panorama software, there is a new much smaller dock connector which will render all previous iPhone accessories unusable with the iPhone 5 unless you use Apples adaptor which will set you back £18 ($30) and it has a new A6 processor which is claimed to be twice as quick as that used in the 4S.
No details on how many cores the A6 chip uses are available but based on battery life of ten hours video playback it is most likely to be a dual core Arm A15 design similar to Samsungs Exynos 5 which runs at up to 1.7 gigahertz although Apple would likely lower it to around 1.2 gigahertz.which would still make it much quicker than that of the previous iPhone, the 4S.
Software wise the phone runs iOS 6 which has turn by turn satellite navigation to help keep up with Android which has already had this feature for some time, Siri can now start apps and the iPhone has three microphones tucked away inside to help it better understand your voice and help with noise cancellation.
When endgadget got their hands on the new model the reader feedback was split with comments from Apple users ranging from:
"That is seriously the ugliest design "upgrade" apple has done. WTF were they thinking. Two-tone of non-contrasting colors looks HORRIBLE. looks like something is wrong with the back. I saw the leaks and refused to believe apple would come out with such an ugly design. Top that off with is narrow and long look, they've turned something beautiful in the 4s into something just UGLY. No upgrade for me."
"i have a 4s, its this phone minus a row of icons....not worth upgrading", "I have an iphone 4s....i think the old design looks nicer, the new cable will require all new (costly) accessories, and from all i can see the new phone is adding LTE and another row of icons"
"They're just playing catch-up, and Apple can't pretend like it has resisted changing the iPhone's design all those years because it was unquestionably the best and the others were erring in their quest for bigger screens and faster connection speeds.
The iPhone 5 is the final nail in the coffin of those who defended the designs of the iPhone 4 and 4S versus the crop of high-end Android phones. It's an admission by Apple that they were wrong to stick to the smaller 3.5-inch screen and to mock those who went with bigger screens, that it was wrong to ignore LTE connectivity. It's an admission that, in some important ways, the iPhone 4 and 4S were inferior to the competition."
to the more die hard comments which focussed more on having a dig at Android than defending the new iPhone, such as
"For the s3 people, how to you like the need of a backpack to carry a phone around? Are they subsidized by Samsung? I think the iPhone 5 is good looking phone, nothing surprisingly new, but it is quite nice".
Apples stock rose after the product launch, as expected, but the lack of anything special in the iPhone 5, and the fact that Apple have ignored Steve Jobs views to make a larger iPhone, has left some asking if Apple can continue to compete as strongly as it always has when it isn't offering anything that challenges the competition and is instead beginning to be seen as trying to play catchup with Android phones.
There is no doubt that it will sell, and sell well, but already doubts are being aired about Apples continued success in the smartphone market just hours after what could have been a ground breaking product launch but instead became more of a "meh" than a "wow".
Sales figures will tell the story better than forum comments, reports in the media or the guessings of industry analysts but one thing is clear, not everyone is happy with the change in direction of the iPhone 5. Apple will lose some customers, how many remains to be seen although it is doubtful that it will be many, but if Apple are unable to do more than play catch up to the competition then at some point more and more customers will inevitably notice and consider buying an alternative product that has more or better features.
This can be seen already with some apple fans expressing their disappointment before the product has gone on sale, and the recent spate of lawsuits against companies such as Samsung and HTC now more than ever look like an attempt to keep iPhone market share by limiting the choice of alternatives available to consumers.
