iPhone 5 Review..

The excitement of the rumour mill, the titillation of every leaked photo led to higher than ever levels of expectation over the iPhone 5 features, and while the announcement was greeted with some derision at the lack of perceived headline improvements, the record sales tell an entirely different story.
Given the underwhelming changes to the iPhone 4S, the iPhone 5 launch really needs to re-energise customers to prove Apple can repeat the game-changing trick it managed with the iPhone 4.
The iPhone 5 price is predictably high, so consumers will need to bear that in mind too when looking for their next smartphone.
So is the Apple iPhone 5 the greatest smartphone ever, and did it finally see Apple ascend to the top spot in our 20 best mobile phones chart? Or was it a case of too little, too late... and what about those darned Maps..

Design

We'll begin in the traditional manner: how the thing actually feels in the hand. With the iPhone 5 there will be many types of prospective buyer: the upgrader from the 4 (or more-money-than-sense iPhone 4S upgraders), those tired of their Android handset and those taking their first steps in the smartphone market and want to get one of them iThingies their friend/child has.

Well, all of those picking up the iPhone 5 will have the same reaction: this thing is amazingly light. You've probably heard the numbers by now (20 per cent lighter than the predecessor, as well as beating most of the opposition too at 112g.)
It's an odd sensation, but it actually detracts from the experience when you first pick it up. We've praised the weighty feel of the iPhone in the past, lending it a premium feel in the face of toy-like phones, and it's almost disappointing that Apple decided to join that clan.
However, through extended use this problem quickly disappears, as the overall effect of the phone is still a chassis designed for strength, it just sits more anonymously in the pocket.
You'll obviously see the change in height too – the iPhone 5 stands 123.8mm tall to allow for the larger 4-inch screen. In truth, those not familiar with the iPhone 4S probably wouldn't notice the difference, which is why it's a good move from Apple to include the larger screen if it's not going put people off that hate larger phones.

The decision to stick at 4-inches is Apple's admission that while it recognises people are all over the idea of having more screen real estate to play with it doesn't want to move away from the thumb-friendly nature of the device.
Through a mixture of moving the centre of gravity slightly as well as repositioning the screen within the bezel, it's still possible to scroll your thumb mostly around the whole display one-handed, which Apple is clearly keen to keep hold of.

However, we're not convinced of that argument any more, and the power button was still a little out of reach when using the phone normally, as was anything in the top left-hand corner of the screen.
This was no issue in reality, as scooting the phone down a touch in the palm is a natural action. But if that's the case, then why not offer a 4.3-inch screen at least?
There's more to a phone than a screen these days (although increasingly less and less) and the general construction of the iPhone 5 is excellent to say the least.

We've tested both the ceramic white version and the anodised black, and the two tone effect on the back of the phone is stunning, both visually and under the finger.
It doesn't beat the sheer beauty of the HTC One S, with its micro-arc oxidised back and rounded lines, but it's well-set in second place.

The two sections of pigmented glass at the top and the bottom of the phone add a pleasant effect, and the sapphire glass is meant to be thoroughly durable, to complement the Gorilla Glass on the front.
Apple knows consumers get furious when they drop and iPhone, and is clearly seeking to stop the smashes before they happen with a tougher exterior - although it seems the anodised black version is pretty prone to scratching, with a number of users mentioning chipping on the darker hue.
Phil Schiller, Apple's Senior Vice President of Marketing, reportedly replied to an email from a user pointing out that aluminium will scratch and chip in natural use - and we're also hearing that white iPhone 5 models are being returned through flaking as well.
We kept our black iPhone 5 in a soft pocket in a bag for much of its life, yet saw the following chip with minimal key / coin contact in under a fortnight:

For a device of this premium quality, users will expect it to survive the pocket test, and especially do so for the first two weeks of life. It's a big fail for Apple to expect users to accept that a product can be damaged so easily.
The same industrial band around the outside is in effect again as on the iPhone 4 and 4S, with small sections removed where the antenna joins.
Apple has gone for a more advanced form of antenna here, meaning the days of lost signal are gone, and generally increasing the power of your call connection and GPS lock on too.

There are other big design changes here too: the headphone jack has moved to the bottom of the phone, and the iconic 30-pin connector has been retired in favour of the new Lightning port, giving a headache to all those that have invested in chargers, docks and other accessories over their iPhone lives.
You can buy an adaptor, but it's pricey at £25. And unless you want to keep it permanently attached to the bottom of the iPhone 5 you'll need to buy a few, which is far from ideal.
However, let's not harangue Apple too much for this: a smaller connector is not only easier to use (you can plug the smaller cable in either way round, and the connection feels more solid), but you're rewarded with a thinner and more compact phone to boot.

There's also a small chink of light on the top right hand side of the iPhone 5 - when the screen is illuminated, you can see it under the band if you really, really look for it. It's been seen by a number of users, but is hard to actually replicate unless you mask the screen and hold it at the right angle.
It's again a sign of slightly under-par machining from Apple, but in day to day use it's almost completely invisible.
The decision to move the 3.5mm headphone jack to the bottom is an odd one, as while it allows you to slip the phone into the pocket head-first when listening to music, which is a more natural action, it's a real pain in the posterior for some apps that will only work in landscape a certain way up.
Using it this way means your headphones experience will be one of having to jiggle the jack around two fingers.
It's not the most comfortable way to hold a phone, and even when using the phone in portrait mode, the jack gets in the way somewhat. Plus it's miles away from the volume keys, which makes it hard to change the audio level in the pocket if you don't use the dedicated headphones.
There are other smaller design changes to the iPhone 5 too, such as the iSight front-facing camera moving to the middle and the home button being noticeably more robust to help reduce instances of a broken portal to your home screen.

But enough about what the phone looks like - the killer question is how the thing feels in hand. And we'll sum it up by saying: smooth. It's a little slippery, and we were always worried we would drop the darned thing.
But that's the only negative thing about the design (apart from the low weight initially and scratching aluminium) as it sits in the palm nicely and allows you to do it all with one hand, including hitting the top-mounted power/lock button with ease.
That lock button is actually still loose, as it was on the iPhone 4S, meaning when you shake the phone around you can hear it clicking away, which undoes a lot of the premium feel Apple is going for.
Make no mistake, the iPhone 5 is one of the most beautifully crafted phones out there - but when you're paying £529 up front for the thing, we'd hope this would be the very minimum Apple would be doing.

And while it looks nice, from the front it doesn't really add much to the design of the iPhone - it's certainly not the same as the jaw-dropping design of the iPhone 4 compared to the 3GS... it's another evolution in the iLine. It's not bad, but for those that hoped the iPhone 5 would be another step change there's a good chance they'll be disappointed about the look... until they feel the lovely back on offer.
There was a real chance here for Apple: remove the bezel and give the front of the screen a look that's similar to the OLED TVs from the likes of Samsung or LG… but instead we're treated to the same lines as before.
You always get the feeling that Apple saves what it can for the next iteration of the iPhone, and while there's nothing wrong with the current construction we can see the edge-to-edge screen becoming something amazing on the iPhone 6 or iPhone 5S.

Display

The technology on offer from Apple with regards to the new 4-inch display is impressive – but only on a scale that matches that seen with the launch of the Retina Display in 2010.
There's such a temptation with new technology to bash it for not always innovating and pushing things further, especially when Apple's announcements are so full of hyperbole that it's often hard to tell what's actually exciting.
However when Steve Jobs took to the stage to announce the Retina Display, he said it was sharper than the human eye could discern – and he was right, as despite other far-reaching efforts to up the sharpness nothing has really made us squint at a display in awe than that first shown on the iPhone 4.

So we're not going to berate Apple for sticking with the same 326ppi resolution, nor 'only' extending the iPhone 5 display to 1136 x 640 pixels - it's the look that matters, and overall effect of the screen is very pleasing indeed.
There are black bars above and below when using older iPhone apps that haven't been optimised for the screen, but after the novelty of seeing them for the first time we barely noticed anything different after two or three days' use - and already we're seeing a number of optimised apps springing to life in the App Store after just a few weeks of life.
Apple has done away with layers of technology below the screen to bring the display as close to the glass as possible, something it says will bring increased brightness and sharpness to the user's eye.
In practice, it's quite different from the iPhone 4S in quality and brightness, although tilting the phone to extreme angles lacks the impressive look we've seen on phones like the HTC One X. However, just because you can't see the colours as accurately at acute angles isn't really something to criticise a phone for, unless you're in the habit of letting your friends watch films from two seats away from you.

But enough of the comparisons: how does the screen look to the new user? Well, the answer is crisp, clear and bright with no discernible over-saturation when watching movies or browsing the web. We noticed no obvious discolouration - some people say the iPhone 4S had a slight greenish tint to it - so it's clear this is the best Apple display yet.
It's a lot better than the iPhone 4S in side by side comparisons, with the new phone definitely looking brighter, crisper and more true to life than its predecessor.
However, for all the reality on offer, it's not got the snap and pop that still wows us on the Samsung Galaxy S3, with its Super AMOLED HD display with superb contrast ratios. If asked to choose which handset we'd like to watch movies on, browse the web or go navigating in the car with, we know we'd pick the Galaxy S3 every time.
Both displays have the same 'painted on' effect when looking at the home screen that makes you wonder if you're looking at a dummy model with a sticker on, but those that say 4.8-inches of screen is too big haven't played with the S3 very long - we predict at least half would be enamoured by the larger size within a day.

That's not to say the iPhone 5 display is too small, as for many it's the most they'd accept in screen evolution. It's just that if 3.5-inches was the perfect one-handed size, 4-inches is a little too big (try getting your thumb up to the top-left corner to head back through apps) so if that's the case, a little bit bigger wouldn't make much difference and would give an improved experience to the apps so crucial to a smartphone user today.
We can't say we really felt the extra screen space added much to the feel of the iPhone 5 - typing was still slightly cramped as there's no extra width on offer, and while having a taller screen allowed for more information to be present, it didn't have the feel of a massive step change from the iPhone 4S.

INTERFACE

When it comes to the interface on the new iPhone 5, well, there's not a lot new about it at all. You can read our full iOS 6 review to get a good flavour of the new treats on offer with Apple's latest platform evolution, but let's talk about how they work within the phone itself.
For the uninitiated, Apple's iOS is designed to be all about simplicity, which is why you're presented with a grid of apps that can be easily sorted into folders by long pressing on any one and dragging on top of another.
iPhone 5 review

This method will also uninstall apps too, making it a much simpler system than anything you'd find on Android, where you have to jump through a few more hoops generally to create folders and get rid of unwanted software.
However, the downside to this trick is the fact it's been there so long. If this is your first smartphone (or first iPhone) then you'll be impressed by the simplicity - but then again, you may wish you had a bit more power under your fingertips.
For instance, where Android is so strong is in its customisation - meaning if you want to have one home screen full of widgets and another full of icons and a third with a massive widget for your music player, that's as easy to do as just filling the whole thing with icons.
With iOS 6 you've only got weather and stock widgets in the notifications bar, which is accessed by pulling down from the top of the screen to give information on apps or message that have come through.
It's similar to that seen on Android phones, but with Jelly Bean (Android 4.1) we're offered the chance to see larger message previews and interact with important parts of apps without having to open them - impressive and a much more intuitive way of doing things.
Intuition is the thing iOS 6 now lacks. Where Apple wowed the world with the simple nature of the original iPhone, the current set up isn't really that far removed from that first iteration, at least visually.
Things like all settings being locked down to one place, meaning you have to jump in and out of the apps to simply do things like alter the amount of days to sync in Mail, is ridiculous. Contextual menus have been absent from the iPhone ecosystem for far too long.
iPhone 5 review

Another issue is the fact Apple isn't able to work out how to do live icons effectively. While some show new information, such as the Calendar, the likes of Weather still say the same 23 degrees with a sunny outlook.
We know you can do better than this Apple, and when you look at the awesome Live Tiles on offer from Windows Phone, it beggars belief that the Cupertino firm seems to think users wouldn't appreciate the chance to take a glance at the screen and know who that missed call was from, see what the temperature is outside or simply attach a contact as an icon for quick access.
It's also extremely frustrating to not at least have the option to have the icons auto-arrange still. When you delete an app all the others don't automatically line up to fill the space, which hurts the OCD nature in many of us.
We get that Apple knows some people want to keep icons in familiar places, but the auto-arrange option should be there.
But let's talk hardware here: the A6 chip on offer in the iPhone 5 may only be dual core, but it's certainly ridiculously snappy. It's meant to be much faster than the A5 chip powering the iPhone 4S, and in practice it really is, with GeekBench telling us than the clock speed is 1.1 to 1.3GHz on each core.
It manages to nab a score of around 1450 on GeekBench, which is over twice as fast as the iPhone 4S - impressive given they're both dual core phones.
And that's the beauty of Apple's iPhone strategy, and one that pays dividends for users: it doesn't play the numbers game, as it will only end in criticism. Sure, a quad core CPU would have been a good marketing tool, but at the expense of battery life and design Apple knows that consumers will get an equally great experience with just the two cores.
iPhone 5 review

We didn't notice anything approaching lag during our time with the iPhone 5, with everything snapping back and forth with the kind of speeds we'd hope to see. Holding down the home key to access Siri was instant every time, and double tapping to bring up the list of apps running was equally fast.
This may all sound obvious, but some smartphones will introduce some delay into oft-used tasks, where the iPhone was happy to keep chugging along with no problems.
There was one issue we encountered during an iCloud backup to bring all the apps and settings from our previous phone, and that was during the repopulation some apps wouldn't delete, and would sit there installing forever until the phone was forced into a restart.
This was irritating as it stopped other apps from downloading at the same time, meaning we had to keep turning the blasted thing on and off again just to actually get all the apps we wanted on it.
There are those that have criticised the 'multi-tasking' window in the iOS system, stating that it's not true multi-tasking... which is true.
But try keeping all those apps running at once and using the phone for more than half a day, and you'll realise that Apple's strategy of putting some apps in stasis or shutting them down (but still showing them as recently used for easy access) is a good move on the whole.
We do wish more apps were able to run in the background (Skype would be a great start, as would many social networks) but on the whole we're fans of battery life, and there's every chance Apple will refine the process in the future.
After a couple of weeks' use, we slipped easily back into the familiar iPhone routine with iOS 6 and the standard interface. It does feel irritating at times, especially when having to jump in and out of the settings menu, but the new visual touches permeating the device mean that you won't feel thoroughly short changed by iOS.
And of course there's the debate of not getting to have a clean slate when you get a new phone, with iCloud / iTunes backup meaning you've got exactly the same experience as before on your device. Of course, this is mega lazy as you can choose a fresh install and manually update your information, but for a lot of people a spring clean on a new phone is outweight by convenience.

Calling and Contacts

Calling and contacts

The new iPhone is here – but is Apple in danger of delivering too little with its latest upgrade?

By Gareth Beavis March 22nd 87 comments

Page 4 of 16Calling and contacts

There have been a few criticisms levelled at the iPhone over the years, and one of the main ones has been its slightly poor performance as an actual phone. Be it dropped signal, failing calls or general battery-sucking from the act of chatting wirelessly, Apple has had to deal with a lot.
However, after the iPhone 4 it appears to have got its act together, and the calling experience is an altogether improved experience again with the iPhone 5.

Contacts

We'll start in the usual place: how easy is it to keep an eye on all the people you talk to on a regular basis? Well, Apple has always been pretty poor in this area compared to the likes of Android and Windows Phone, thanks to the total lack of social networking integration on offer.
iPhone 5 review

Before we get into that, we'll mention the standard Contacts app view, and we call it standard because it's not changed much at all over time.
The layout is neat, if uninspiring, but at least it's easy to find the people you want thanks to the scrollable list of letters on the right-hand side, which is one of most fluid around.
However, with the addition of Facebook into the ecosystem, the options on offer have changed somewhat, allowing you to link your Facebook friends in with your contact list. It's very much a sub-par experience though, with the only positive thing we can say about it being that at least it's a step in the right direction.
For a start, it's not always clear how you even get your Facebook contacts in the list, with users needing to install the app and then activating the contacts in the settings menu.
Once that's done, you've got all your friends lumped into your Contacts list, with no filter on offer between those with phone numbers and those that are just people you've met on the street and decided to add as a friend.
You can switch it off in the groups, but then you can't join contacts together, meaning you have to put up with reams of names until you've gone through the highly laborious process of editing each contact to link them together.
iPhone 5 review

Compare this to the psychic ability to help you with this from Android and Windows Phone, and you can see why Apple falls so far short.
Each contact card doesn't add much more than a list of details you can tag to help contact people - that's all well and good, but things like message history or albums would be nice too.
However, given most other manufacturers are starting to eschew such functionality in favour of pointing you to the specific apps, we can't say it's a terrible system.
Adding contacts is easy enough - either open the app and tap the plus sign, or add a number directly from the dial pad. All easy, all very 2010, nothing to really complain about.

Calling

The call quality on offer is much better though, with the three microphone system Apple has put together (on on the bottom, one on the back and one invisible one near the top) making call quality for the person you're phoning amazing.
We spoke to a few people on windy day next to a busy road and were easily able to hold a conversation, thanks to Apple's sound processing algorithms. Users don't want to know how it works, they want to know that it just does, and for a company that's been criticised in this area before, it's a strong refinement.
iPhone 5 review

The call connection quality is excellent as well, with not one case of dropped calls being recorded during our trial (using a Vodafone SIM). In fairness, we rarely see this from any smartphone any more, let alone the premium models, but it's good to see there's no sign of history repeating itself for Apple.
And one other thing we feel duty-bound to mention, despite the fact it makes us look like little girls: the edge of the iPhone 5 is relatively sharp when pressed to the ear, so pushing it in harder to the head in noisy environments was quite unpleasant.
But while the calling experience is good (in audio terms), the actual method of finding the people to speak to isn't the greatest.
For instance, there's no smart dialling to call up people via their name on the keypad, which is a really useful feature on Android phones for instance.
And this is another area where the Samsung Galaxy S3 really takes the medal, as once you've finished a call or found there's no answer, the option to call again or send a message is quickly and easily offered up at the bottom of the call.
Essentially where it takes around 20 taps on an iPhone to call, get no answer and send a message, you can do the same thing on a Galaxy S3 in around a quarter of the time - and that's without the clever 'slide to call/text' method employed by the Korean brand.
We can see Apple making big gains in this unloved area in the future, but given the strength of the competition at the moment it's not something users should have to put up with right now.

FaceTime

FaceTime is predictably back on the iPhone 5, and it's better than ever. Whether it was Apple's insistence on the video calling functionality or the fact it's now available over 3G, 4G and Wi-Fi, which are all more prevalent these days.
iPhone 5 review

Now the UK finally has 4G, we were impressed with the ability to Facetime anywhere... although make sure you've got a data plan that can handle carrying HD video over the airwaves.
Yes, that's right - it's HD now, thanks to the improved front-facing iSight camera. In a side by side test with the iPhone 4S, the quality was noticeably smoother and clearer on the iPhone 5, and the speaker is enhanced too, making it very easy to hold a conversation with your family when holed up in a hotel room in Seoul or New York.
That's where FaceTime is making the biggest gains - talking to your loved ones. With the proliferation of latter-day iPhones, more people have access to the service, and there's also the option to switch to the rear camera and have a look at the world behind.
It's all very easy to do, doesn't cost anything (over Wi-Fi at least; a number of carriers are charging for the privilege over their cellular networks) and, colour us surprised, seems to be actually used these days.

Messaging

While the iPhone may not have been much use in the calling arena, when it comes to messaging Apple has turned the wick up once again with the iPhone 5.
Not only does the larger screen give you more room to fire out missives, it also allows more ways of letting people know what you're thinking.

Text messaging

The SMS is still the most popular way on the planet to keep in contact with people, and while it's limited in functionality, it's still a simple method to use.
iPhone 5 review

Apple's system is still the same as it always was here, with the messaging app giving you the option to send a simple text or chuck a picture across the airwaves to your friends. The interface is tidy, still works as expected and you've got the ability to see 2-3 more messages on the elongated screen.
Apple's iMessage functionality is embedded too, which is great for those people that are also using an iPhone. This means free communication between friends, and is Apple's continued efforts to entice teenagers on board.
We can't see it being much use at the iPhone 5 level, as it's basically a way to save money on text messaging (and see when people are typing) - and given the sky high cost of the flagship handset, this won't be something you can save up your pocket money for.
It's also good if you're the sort of person that likes to communicate across iPad, Mac and iPod touch, as all are included in the iMessage system... and it's free. Whoop.
However, there's a WORLD of confusion over iMessage - basically some users are finding that texts are defaulting to iMessage when they don't want them to, using an email address instead of a phone number - and not going through at times. The only way to stop it is to remove your email from iMessage and stop using the service, but it's causing confusion for a number of customers.

Email

Right from the outset Apple has had a strong focus on email, and that continues with the iPhone 5.
iPhone 5 review

Where the contacts menu is poor, the emailing system is only bested by a few options (the HTC Sense method and the Windows Phone mail apps spring to mind).
But there's something excellent about the simplicity Apple has employed for its system - there's an integrated inbox for all your accounts, and this has been joined by the VIP option, giving you the chance to select the people you really care about and have them easier to see when they message you.
The inbox itself is a simple and efficient affair, with none of the fancy options available on other larger phones, such as heading into landscape mode to see a list of messages and previews. This option is available on the iPad, but Apple has rightly seen that the 4-inch screen is too small for such a trick.
Everything from being able to bulk delete emails with a swift touch to swiping to get rid of single messages oozes quality, and for those that use the iPhone for business, the simple folder structure and server searching are godsends.
This is an area that doesn't need luxury, it needs presentable efficiency, and Apple has still got that in spades.
One cool addition we do like is the goo-like update icon that appears when you go to refresh emails - another example of Apple's attention to UI detail throughout the phone, and something we found ourselves playing with every time we entered our inbox, just for the fun of it.

Social networking

With the announcement of the tie-in with Facebook for iOS 6, we had high hopes for the integration of the service within the phone. And while there's the option to download FB Messenger as a standalone app, you can't see your friends' messages from your iPhone inbox, or on their contact page.
In fact, when it comes to this social networking integration there's very little full stop, apart from being able to post from Twitter or Facebook from the notification bar.

We're sure those services are happy to have a constant link to users through the Apple fan base, but it could be so much more with integrated inboxes and being able to link a Twitter account to the Contacts app as well.
We know you can more easily post pictures and videos to Facebook thanks to the new tie-in, but we hope to see more from this in the future.

Keyboard

With great size comes greater keyboard manipulation, but as Apple has only pushed the size of the screen up, rather than outwards, there's no more room on the portrait offering, so if you thought the iPhone 4S and back was cramped, you're not going to be that impressed with the iPhone 5.
It's not a bad keyboard; in fact, it's got a greater range of accuracy than many other phones of its size.
But if you're moving here from something like an HTC Desire or Samsung Galaxy S2, be prepared for a transition period where you wonder in the touchscreen is slightly broken and you can't tap out all the letters in your name easily.
The autocorrect is pretty good, but not in the same league as something like Swiftkey, which uses algorithms to predict your typing style and likely next word - we were still able to knock out messages up to 30% faster on the Galaxy S3 over the iPhone 5 thanks to the predictive option.
In landscape mode the iPhone 5 is better though, although the larger screen makes it slightly harder to reach the middle letters at times.

It's not bad at all, and with a degree of practice those that love talking with both hands will appreciate the more spaced-out letters.
With the launch of Apple's iOS 6.0.1, an issue which saw some users getting some horizontal banding popping up over the keyboard at times - this has since been removed. We heard of a few users that compain about this ruining Apple's sheen, so it's good to see it's removed quickly.

INTERNET

Safari, the default internet browser on offer with the iPhone 5, has long been held up as one of the leaders in the mobile internet browsing game. It's slick, fast and makes it simple to check out web pages on the go.
The competition has caught up in recent years, and some might say surpassed it, but for those that are jacked into the Apple ecosystem it's an excellent option, and with the iPhone 5 it's been improved again.

The first thing you'll notice is the speed - it's much faster that the iPhone 4S without doubt. In side by side tests TechRadar loaded at least 0.5s faster over every connection, with the full page displaying in a very impressive amount of loading time.
We compared it to the 1GB of RAM, quad-cored Samsung Galaxy S3 and while the larger phone was a touch quicker at bringing up the words, the iPhone 5 was the quickest to finish loading.
In short, both of these phones can pretty much display the bits of information as soon as your internet connection can pour them in, and that's as much as we can ask from these handsets.
We've also checked out the iPhone 5 running at 4G speeds as well now - and it doesn't really change page loading times, as the phone is already goshdarn nimble at throwing out the 3G signal.
It's worth noting that just because you've got the iPhone 5 doesn't mean you'll be able to connect to the 4G networks being deployed over the next 12 months by all the major networks, as they'll run on slightly different frequencies... so check with your helpful shop assistant before purchase.
You can see our more detailed section on the 4G capabilities of the iPhone 5 later in the review too.
The Retina Display, with the extra space on offer from the larger screen, is an excellent way to browse the internet and now gives more information than ever before.
iPhone 5 review

It's not got the sheer expanse of the HTC One X, Samsung Galaxy S3 and Nokia Lumia 920, but it doesn't feel cramped and text is sharp enough to be legible zoomed out, although you'll need to have good eyesight.
The iPhone 5's zoom system works in two ways: double tap to make the text fit the screen or manually pinch the display to choose the level of enlargement.
This is also improved, speed-wise, with the addition of Apple's new A6 chip, and brings the flagship iPhone up to the mark set by the current quad-core brigade.
So as you can tell, generally navigating around the web with the iPhone is a very pleasant experience indeed, being slick, fast and legible most of the time.
And we'll have to once again tip our hat to Apple when it comes to online video: the company refused to bow to Flash video when the world (us included) berated it for not going down the route. Now Flash on the mobile is virtually dead, and the HTML5 format championed by Apple is becoming widespread, and is creating a better online video watching experience.
And for those that are still all about the words on the net, there's the Reader mode from the Safari browser in full effect, allowing you to scrap the ads and unwanted pictures in favour of just the words, which makes longer articles (like this one) more palatable on the go.
New to the iPhone 5 (through iOS 6) is the addition of the Read Later functionality - simply tag any page and you can get your hands on it offline once it's been saved, and you can even see it in Reader mode too.
However, it takes a jolly long time to actually stream some pages down, which is surprising given they're already loaded when you tag them for offline use.
Another new feature is iCloud Tabs, which allows you to see web pages you've browsed on your desktop or iPad through the Safari browser.
It's similar to the functionality offered by Chrome from Google, and works equally as well, especially in terms of the URL bar guessing which website you want to view.
If we had a criticism (well, we have a couple) it's the fact that the URL and search bars remain too small, making it hard to activate them when you want to search or enter a new web address.
And the lack of text-reflow - where you can set the size of the letters you're reading, prevalent through many Android phones - is still not here. You can enter reading mode and change the size of the letters there, but that's not the same thing at all.

We're generally fans of the Safari browser, but it's not the best out there, as the Android stock browser is far more feature rich now it's moved to Ice Cream Sandwich.
Simple things like having a contextual menu and the ability to switch to Desktop view are really useful when you don't want to mess around with mobile optimised sites, and we'd hoped Apple would have offered the same thing.
However, there are other browsers such as Chrome and Firefox on the App Store now which add even greater functionality to proceedings, and we urge you to try them out too as you might find a few features you hadn't seen before.

CAMERA

The iPhone 5 camera might not look materially different to that found on the iPhone 4S, and in truth it is very similar.
But then again, when you're winning plaudits across the board for your smartphone photography, stepping things up in terms of specs isn't really a priority for Apple.
You may have read a few bits and pieces about a 'purple haze' issue, but we noticed nothing in our tests. We've sent the iPhone 5 to our camera labs for a more in depth test at the moment, so if anything pops up there, we'll let you know... but there's a strong chance it could just be a batch issue due to the sapphire crystal used on the backplate.
Just because the specs are the same, doesn't mean there aren't new features. The two biggest differences are the fact the iPhone 5 can take photos 40% faster than its predecessor and the new dynamic low-light mode reduces the pixel count but improves darker images dramatically.
On top of that we've got new elements like a sapphire crystal lens to allow in more light and an improved filter to increase the natural colours.

What we don't have is a whole load of effects and settings to play with, and this is both the strength and weakness of the iPhone 5. While some will see the lack of burst mode, lighting levels and sharpness alteration as a weakness, others will look at the options to add a grid or turn on HDR and see all they need from a camera phone.
And in truth, it's the latter camp that makes the most sense, as the iPhone 5 will offer great quality snaps on auto mode time and again. The low light mode works very well, and while the pictures can look a little grainy the general effect is very impressive.
Some may question whether the cool features seen on the HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy S3 should have made it onto the iPhone – namely burst mode to capture shots in quick succession. They probably should have, given the speeds on offer from the camera, and given the processing power would have looked pretty good too.
The flash is very bright too for a single LED, although it is rather cold in tone. There was also an issue with the camera flash not firing on occasion with the original iOS, although many users would have been unaware that it was a problem... instead thinking they'd made a mistake. Well, if you never noticed it, GOOD NEWS! It's been fixed. Press flash, get flash. Good good.
And there's also a new feature in the shape of Panorama mode – this is one of those times where Apple brings out a new feature and some fans laud it as the greatest invention yet when in truth it's been on other phones for years and years.
And yet, Apple has somehow worked out the kinks in the system. For one, you take the panoramas in portrait mode which leads to a taller (if less expansive) end image, which is stitched together with such accuracy we're not sure that the dark arts aren't involved.
It's a 28MP image that comes out at the end and the iPhone 5 stitches it all together as you go, which is incredibly effective and speedy, so you're ready to snap as soon as the photography is done.
Add to that the fact the on-screen shutter button is larger, and you can see that the ease of use has increased on this already simple interface. And don't forget you can use the volume down key to take photos… although in practice this did sometimes lead to camera jiggle with the force required to take the photo if the phone is held the wrong way up.
If you're in a hurry you can activate the camera from the lock screen too, which is one of the fastest ways on any smartphone to go from locked to snap, as long as you know the motions needed to fire up the camera (a quick swipe up on the camera icon, if you're wondering).
There are other features involved that help maintain photo quality too, as was seen on the iPhone 4S: long pressing the screen will lock the exposure, so while the iPhone 5 will usually change the exposure levels depending on the scene, if you want it to stay at a certain level this will achieve it.
It's also excellent at face tracking too, so should you want to focus in on gurning friends then it'll pick them all up with no issue.