iPhone 5 hands-on: Apple hits the sweet spot with new gadget
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The writer holding Apple iPhone 5 in his hand. -- ST PHOTO: TREVOR TAN
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The new EarPods (left) that come with iPhone 5 against the old Apple earphones. -- ST PHOTO: TREVOR TAN
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The new iPhone 5 is capable of 4G LTE in Singapore. -- ST PHOTO: TREVOR TAN
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The voice activated virtual assistant, Siri, now comes in more languages. -- ST PHOTO: TREVOR TAN
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The nano-SIM compares to the micro-SIM and iPhone 5. -- ST PHOTO: TREVOR TAN
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The nano-SIM (centre) is 40 per cent smaller than the micro-SIM (left). -- ST PHOTO: TREVOR TAN
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The Gear4 iPhone 5 case fits the review unit pretty well. -- ST PHOTO: TREVOR TAN
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Here, the writer puts a Gear4 iPhone 5 case on the review unit. -- ST PHOTO: TREVOR TAN
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A side-by-side comparison of the thickness of iPhone 4 and iPhone 5. -- ST PHOTO: TREVOR TAN
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Bye bye, the 30-pin connector (left)! Welcome, Lighting! -- ST PHOTO: TREVOR TAN
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The new 9-pin 8-signal Lightning connector for iPhone 5. -- ST PHOTO: TREVOR TAN
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A comparison of the thickness of Apple iPhone 4 (top), iPhone 5 (centre) and HTC One XL. -- ST PHOTO: TREVOR TAN TAN
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A side-by-side comparison of the display size of the different smartphones: The writer’s personal iPhone 4’s 3.5-inch display (left), iPhone 5’s 4-inch display (centre) and HTC One XL’s 4.7-inch display. -- ST PHOTO: TREVOR TAN
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The review unit iPhone 5 is the black and slate model and the writer prefers this version over the white and silver model. -- ST PHOTO: TREVOR TAN
The writer holding Apple iPhone 5 in his hand. -- ST PHOTO: TREVOR TAN
The new EarPods (left) that come with iPhone 5 against the old Apple earphones. -- ST PHOTO: TREVOR TAN
The new iPhone 5 is capable of 4G LTE in Singapore. -- ST PHOTO: TREVOR TAN
The voice activated virtual assistant, Siri, now comes in more languages. -- ST PHOTO: TREVOR TAN
The nano-SIM compares to the micro-SIM and iPhone 5. -- ST PHOTO: TREVOR TAN
The nano-SIM (centre) is 40 per cent smaller than the micro-SIM (left). -- ST PHOTO: TREVOR TAN
The Gear4 iPhone 5 case fits the review unit pretty well. -- ST PHOTO: TREVOR TAN
Here, the writer puts a Gear4 iPhone 5 case on the review unit. -- ST PHOTO: TREVOR TAN
A side-by-side comparison of the thickness of iPhone 4 and iPhone 5. -- ST PHOTO: TREVOR TAN
Bye bye, the 30-pin connector (left)! Welcome, Lighting! -- ST PHOTO: TREVOR TAN
The new 9-pin 8-signal Lightning connector for iPhone 5. -- ST PHOTO: TREVOR TAN
A comparison of the thickness of Apple iPhone 4 (top), iPhone 5 (centre) and HTC One XL. -- ST PHOTO: TREVOR TAN TAN
A side-by-side comparison of the display size of the different smartphones: The writer’s personal iPhone 4’s 3.5-inch display (left), iPhone 5’s 4-inch display (centre) and HTC One XL’s 4.7-inch display. -- ST PHOTO: TREVOR TAN
The review unit iPhone 5 is the black and slate model and the writer prefers this version over the white and silver model. -- ST PHOTO: TREVOR TAN
Everyone knows by now that the iPhone 5 is 18 per cent thinner and 20 per cent lighter than its predecessor, but you have to hold it to really feel the difference. The fine craftsmanship is evident from the beveled edge surrounding the iPhone 5 that Apple said was cut with diamonds for precision.
The iPhone 4/4S have a right-angle edge that is already pretty pleasing to the hand. But iPhone 5's beveled edge around the phone feels exceedingly smooth and the edge just seamlessly blends with the display and its aluminium back.
The review unit is the black and slate two-tone design. Having seen and touched both black and white iPhone 5 during the event, I think I will prefer stealthy demure of the black model.
Furthermore, I think the black model slate aluminium back is more resistant to scratches. After iPhone 5's close encounter with my bunch of keys, I wasn't able to see the scratch marks unless I hold the phone under close scrutiny. You can probably do without a case with iPhone 5, especially when it will be hiding its good looks.
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