APPLE iPHONE 5 review

It’s not like Apple has reinvented the wheel with the new iPhone. The sophistication and elegance that embodies the device is every bit as evident as in the previous editions, but the overall finesse has been taken up a notch or two with the slightly new design.While the iPhone 5 is certainly slimmer (7.6mm) than the previous versions and longer, with a larger display at 4 inches (still Retina intact with a 640x1136 pixel resolution at 326 ppi and 800:1 contrast ratio), the overall design looks very similar to the 4 or 4S. The elongated shape does, however, make for better handling and the reduction in weight to 112g makes it
certainly more portable. Cutting down a SIM card to a nano SIM wasn’t really a problem, but we’d suggest getting a professional to do it for you.The iPhone 5 ships with iOS 6, which brings some much-needed features to the iPhone/iPad/iPod line-up.
The new A6 (1.2GHz dual core) chip ensures smoother functionality and better graphics (triplecore graphics). It also circulates the usage better than most others.The iPhone 5 did not impress us too much in the media department. Although the new layout of the Music Player app is very engaging, the audio quality, even with EQ tweaks, was average at best.Free multi-format video players are also
available, but you will still need to use iTunes to download them.With the addition of LTE support, the
iPhone 5 can support 4G speeds if and where you can find a network. Wi-Fi with the ability to create a hotspot is available, as is Bluetooth 4.0. Apple is still restricting Bluetooth file transfer and youcan’t send fi les to devices that are not made by Apple. Apple has also chosen to
leave out NFC. GPS with GLONASS and A-GPS could also have been a real asset had Apple’s Maps been more functional.3D maps for India and Turn-by-Turn
Navigation are yet to arrive.Built-in features like FaceTime (with HD support now), a voice recorder, Find my iPhone, News Stand and the all new
Passbook app are thrown in. Siri is still as talkative, and with her recent update via iOS6, she’s able to provide much more information than a simple to-the-point
answer. The piece de resistance of the iPhone 5 is its 8 megapixel iSight camera, which features a grid view, touch-focus, HDR and a fantastic Panorama option.
Images captured in low-light conditions with a flash proved to be decent, but were no better than most other high-end handsets. Images in daylight or well-lit
conditions, on the other hand, looked really good. Full HD videos came out well irrespective of the lighting conditions.The battery proved to be better than average, providing about 9.5 hours of non-stop usage when connected to 2G.The iPhone 5 is available in three
versions - 64GB for Rs 59,500, 32GB for Rs 52,500 and 16GB for Rs 45,500 (prices will vary depending on dealers, locations and special offers). No one can say it’s not a damn good handset, but is it worth Rs 60,000? That’s an answer only a fan can give. From where we stand, there are plenty of great smartphones out there that would do just as well for an easy Rs
10,000 or more cut off from the iPhone 5’s price tag.
FOR: Slim and lightweight; great camera; good battery.
AGAINST: Too expensive; new connector could be an issue initially.
SPECIFICATIONS
Rs 59,500
www.apple.com/in
Dimensions (WxHxD): 1 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm ; Weight:
112 g; CPU: Dual-core 1.2 GHz A6; RAM: 1 GB; Display:
4.8-inch LED Backlit Retina Display, 640x1136 pixels;
Camera: 8 MP with autofocus and LED flash; Storage:
16, 32, 64 GB; Video: 1080p @30 fps; OS: iOS6
CONTACT Apple India
PHONE 1800-425-0744
EMAIL indiasales@mac.com
VERDICT
THE iPHONE 5 IS A GREAT HANDSET
BUT TOO EXPENSIVE.