The wait is finally over. After nearly a month of giveaway tweets and hushed rumors, the iPhone 5 has arrived. With more than two million pre-orders within the first day they were offered and Apple shares jumping to over $700, the gadget has already caught the attention of critics and consumers alike.
Among its new features are an improved camera, a taller, thinner design resulting in a lighter phone and an aluminum exterior, reducing fingerprints on the back of the phone. Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology, providing faster web surfing and app downloads than 3G, will be available through Sprint, AT&T and Verizon.
Also generating excitement among technological wizards is what is inside the phone—a new, custom-made A6 processing chip that will increase speed, graphic display and power efficiency. With this new technology, Siri, the iPhone 4S helper, will be able to perform more tasks such as opening apps, finding more information on sporting events, movies and restaurants and even making posts to Twitter or Facebook. iCloud Tabs will allow tabs left open on an iPhone to be reopened on Safari.
These features combined with Apple’s newly released iOS6 operating system have Apple customers highly anticipating the phone’s arrival. One potential negative is the new maps app, as Apple will no longer be supported by Google maps and recently designed their own, which according to initial reviews is not as user-friendly.
Around KHS, there are both critics and proponents of the new phone. Claire Dobbs, junior, thinks the iPhone 5 is grossly overrated.
“None of the changes are significant enough to make me want to spend that kind of money,” Dobbs said. “They just don’t seem like that big of a deal.”
On the other hand, Will Yarborough, senior, argues that it is worth every penny. Yarborough even camped out at the AT&T store September 20 to ensure he received his treasured new companion this morning. Whether it is necessary or not, the iPhone 5 is unlikely to disappoint.
iPhone 5: worth the hype?
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