As with any Apple product release, the announcement of the latest version of the iPhone was very highly anticipated.  But some say that the reality was far from the expectation, with various media outlets calling the new smartphone “boring” and “disappointing.”  Were the expectations too high?  Personally, I like most of the changes but in full disclosure, I am an Apple fan.

Here’s some of what you get with the new iPhone5:

Speed:  There was no way a new iPhone, or any new smartphone for that matter, would be released without 4G LTE access.  This ensures that upload/download speeds are the fastest available, and are on par with other Apple competitors like the Samsung Galaxy SIII.  The iPhone5 also has a new, faster processor and graphics chip as well.  But even with the introduction of iOS6 (the newest version of the operating system), some folks were still disappointed about the omission of NFC.  NFC (Near Field Communications) technology would have basically turned your smartphone into an electronic wallet.

Appearance:  Apple is touting the new iPhone5 as the thinnest handset available on the market.  That change made it 20% lighter too.  It is also longer, with a Retina Display that expanded from 3.5 to 4 inches long.  The back of the phone is now made of aluminum instead of glass, which should (hopefully) cut down on the number of damaged phones when dropped.  But even with the larger screen improving movie viewing, gaming, and other functions, some folks were still wishing for a wider smartphone as well.

Dock Connector: This is one area where everyone can agree that Apple dropped the ball. The dock connector is the opening at the bottom of your iPhone where you plug in the charger.  On previous versions of the iPhone, the dock connector was 30 pins long, much longer that on any other smartphone and widely considered a poor design choice for Apple.  The new dock connector is smaller, but there are a couple of problems with the new size.  First, the new connector still does not fall in line with the size of a micro-USB connector, which is the accepted standard of most other smartphones and related devices and products (such as speakers).  Second, you will need to buy a $29 adapter to use the iPhone5 with any other Apple products you may already have that were compatible with earlier versions of iPhone.  So even though the smaller dock connector made it possible for the iPhone 5 to be thinner, lighter, and made room for other hardware features inside the phone, it’s not the ideal design choice for most users.

So what’s the verdict?  As with anything, there are pros and cons.  I can say that I will most likely upgrade when I am eligible.  In my opinion, the iPhone’s intuitiveness and design elegance are unparalleled, and now that the increased 4G speed is there it’s a no-brainer for me.  And the fact that pre-orders sold out on Apple.com in one hour show that others feel the same way.  But what do you think?  Will you be investing in the iPhone5?

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