First iPhone 5 Reviews Tout it as ‘Surprising’, ‘Noticeably Faster’

Reviews for Apple’s latest iPhone have begun to trickle in, and the general consensus is that it’s a bit more impressive than the launch specs and stage presentation alluded to. CNET says that “everything changed just a bit“, and while one or two upgrades might not be that noticeable, when the entire device is finer-tuned, it is. Unless you absolutely need LTE support, there still doesn’t seem to be a major reason to shell out for the latest, but for those who own a 4 or earlier, significant improvements can be seen.

While Apple has remained pretty quiet about its new A6 CPU, it appears that the company’s promise of much-improved performance has proven to be true. A common example of where the performance differences can be seen with Maps, where some claim that even greater than a 2x gain in performance can be exhibited, and in some cases, it’s smoother than using Google Earth on a computer. As Apple now has far greater control and more engineering going into these CPUs, things seem to be shaping up nicely – something that just might concern Intel a little bit.

Something that does seem to bother some reviewers is that the Lightning connector seems largely unnecessary. While it is nicer to have a smaller connection, the fact that speeds haven’t improved at all is simply insulting to some – especially with the popularity of USB 3.0 and Apple’s much-touted Thunderbolt. Instead of offering a simple and easily-obtainable micro-USB connector, Apple has decided to instead go the proprietary route. If that in itself isn’t bad enough, the fact you’ll need a $30 adapter for your iPhone docks and other accessories finish off the punch to the gut.

Aside from that mood-dampener, many seem to appreciate the larger screen on the iPhone 5, and it’s of little surprise. The taller screen allows an additional row of icons to be used, and won’t affect the scaling of any of your apps. The latest display is said to feature different mechanics for the sake of accuracy and to keep the phone on its ever-thinner path, but it’s something I haven’t really seen discussed too much – though some do claim it to be more responsive.

Overall, the iPhone 5 seemed to be rather lackluster when it was announced, and while it’s not a major upgrade from a 4S, it is for those with older iPhones. I’m just glad to finally see Apple boost the display to 4″… something that was long overdue.

Some other solid iPhone 5 reviews can be seen at Engadget and New York Times.