
Now just waiting for September 21. :)
Sindalf wrote...
Now explain to me what features this has over previous Iphones that would make it worth purchasing? Higher specs that were not being fully utilized the first time and poorly compressed 1080p video is not a selling point.
First of all, you have an iPhone 4S, I don't really think there's any need to buy this handset. Even 1080p video recording @ 30fps was already available on the previous iPhone, albeit the aperture being a tad worse at f/2.6. They both have 5 elements though, so it's barely noticeable unless you shoot in low light conditions. Also, iOS is known for being efficient. It will run without any lag on the iPhone 4, let alone iPhone 4S. There's no reason to switch if you're one of those people.
However, if you're switching over from Android or Windows Phone, or haven't bought a new iPhone for a while (and is now off-contract), the iPhone 5 is a good choice. It's a very good smartphone. You mentioned that the specs aren't being utilised for the first time. I've always said that Apple isn't about the specs, but I also want to point out that this is the first phone that uses its own ARMv7 standard rather than the existing Cortex-A9. Right now all the flagship phones are opting for more cores with the Cortex-A9 architecture, mostly evident in the Galaxy S III and the Galaxy Note II. Quad-Core is great, but battery performance does take a hit. By reverting back to Dual-Core and utilising its new architecture, performance shouldn't take any noticeable hit while battery life will be vastly improved. We will need to wait for AnAndTech to come out with full benchmarks, but this is definitely the right step to take.
In the United States the iPhone 5 doesn't cost much more on-contract than its main competitors, namely the Galaxy S III and the One X, so that really isn't much of a problem when people are considering what to buy. When you buy off contract like I do, the iPhone 5 is incredibly expensive. I do think the iPhone is horrendously overpriced. It kills me a bit inside every time I realise that in order to buy this phone, you have to shell out pretty much almost double a SGS3's cost (also off contract). However, if one chooses the Apple ecosystem which has many unique and polished apps unavailable anywhere else, that is the price you have to pay. Of course there's also the design thing, weight, thinness, and most importantly, battery life. Whether those things are worth double the price...well, that's up to the consumer in question to decide.
Even putting aside the performance boost, more importantly that is why we have an improved battery (giving us 10 hours of Wi-Fi productivity and 8 hours of LTE), a thinner and lighter chassis (112g, lighter than SGS3). In addition, it has a rRGB display which is amazing and the first of its kind. If anyone's used an iPhone or iPad before, they should know about the battery life. Just that alone is reason enough for a lot of people to want an iPhone. With the improved battery that is even more enticing.
Basically the question is: does the iPhone 5 offer a compelling choice for people contemplating buying an iPhone in 2012? With the new display, thinner and lighter chassis, improved performance and battery life, and iOS6...the answer is - yes it does. Especially if it doesn't cost any more than its competitors on contract. As for off-contract, as I said, it will be up to the consumer to decide whether he wants to pay double the price for access to Apple's ecosystem.