My Thoughts on the iPhone 5

HELLOOOOOOOO! (Seinfeld reference)

I want to start my first actual post with my thoughts on the

I was one of "the few, the proud, the people who stayed up until 3am on September 14th to pre-order the iPhone and then waited all day on the 21st for it to be delivered."

Here is my reaction as I opened the box containing this incredible smartphone.

But in all seriousness, the iPhone 5 is a significant upgrade from any previous iPhone.  Even if you have an iPhone 4s, you should seriously consider this. Here's why:

1. The physical design
• Somehow, Apple continues to make each new device thinner and more powerful (the new iPad is an exception to the 'thinner' category, but I'll get to that in another post).    Holding the iPhone 5 feels more comfortable than holding a 4s due to a combination of the longer 4 inch screen, the angled cut along the sides of the device and the weight.  This article from cnet.com breaks down the specifics, but what is impressive to me is that the weight was reduced from 4.9 ounces to 3.95 ounces. This is a BIG difference when holding the device in your hand.
2. 4G LTE
• I did not originally consider 4G LTE to be a big factor in my decision to purchase the iPhone 5, but it should have been. Everyone on the web is praising the lighting fast speed of 4G LTE and I completely agree. 3G was not slow by any means, but it looks VERY slow now. Here is a few quick demonstrations of the speed.
 
3. A6 Processor
• Speed over cellular is certainly important but so is the hardware inside. I am thoroughly impressed by the A6 processor chip. I first witnessed its power when I looked on my iPhone for usage statistics. The results usually took a good ten seconds on my iPhone 4, but it was only 2-3 seconds for the stats to show on the iPhone 5. Now I notice the power and speed boost when I open every application, from the camera, to Pages, to MLB At Bat.
4. Grandfathered in to UNLIMITED DATA
• This is something not everyone is aware of, but if you have an unlimited data plan with AT&T you can keep it with the iPhone 5 when you renew your contract! Verizon will not allow this, but AT&T will not allow FaceTime over cellular without a Family Data Plan. That's definitely a bummer for me, except that I currently only have one other friend to FaceTime on an iPhone 5.
• I am not totally against the AT&T policy.  Sure, its a way to promote their new data packages and make more money, but it also could be a issue how much data is being downloaded these days. I believe that most cell phone companies were finding they just didn't have the processing power to deliver unlimited data to everyone who was willing to pay for it. In any case, I still have unlimited data and I intend to keep it as long as possible. 

All in all, this is an amazing device that I have absolutely no regrets in purchasing.  If you're on the fence, don't be! You'll love it as much as I have for one whole week.

Feel free to comment with any thoughts about this post. I LOVE talking technology!


Future posts will include my favorite iPhone apps, the possibility of ditching your laptop for an iPad, and what the Mets have to do this off-season for me to remain a fan.