Reprinted from TidBITS by permission; reuse governed by Creative Commons license BY-NC-ND 3.0. TidBITS has offered years of thoughtful commentary on Apple and Internet topics. For free email subscriptions and access to the entire TidBITS archive, visit http://www.tidbits.com/ iPhone 5 Reviews Appear TidBITS Staff The early reviews of the iPhone 5 are out from technology outlets whose reviewers received pre-release models. For a phone that some called 'boring' before seeing, reviewers seem rather ecstatic about it. Reviewers found the taller screen immediately useful while keeping the phone usable with a single hand. Some critiqued the 'small' screen size by the standard of large Android mobile phones, something we don't see as a problem. Others noted the omission of NFC (Near Field Communication), found in many new Android phones, but which as of yet has little real-world utility. (Harry McCracken noted, 'Judging from the week I spent using an NFC-equipped phone to pay for stuff, there's no particular reason to get excited about NFC's tap-to-pay capability just yet.') A legitimate critique leveled several times (including before reviews appeared) is the inability to talk and use mobile broadband at the same time with the CDMA activation of the iPhone 5, even though other LTE-capable phones on the market can do so. Apple chose a radio design that allows only a single cellular connection at once. Reviewers also pointed out the new eight-pin dock connecting renders obsolete lots of existing dock devices, and requires a $30 adapter to use with equipment into which an adapter could fit. (Some audio docks don't have the angle or space, for instance.) iOS 6, the version that comes with the phone, came in for a few knocks about the Maps app, awkwardness, and signs of age that will be true for any device running the upgrade. A summary of reviews (Macworld didn't receive a review unit this time around): * [1]Jim Dalrymple of The Loop: 'The iPhone is everything Apple said it would be and with iOS 6 built-in, it's clear to me that Apple has another winner on its hands. I can't think of any good reason why anyone wouldn't upgrade or purchase the iPhone 5.' * [2]John Gruber at Daring Fireball: 'The iPhone 5 is really nice.' Also: 'The iPhone 5 is all new technically, but it's the exact same thing as an idea. Apple is simply improving upon that idea year after year in infinitely finer detail, like a fractal. It's nice.' * [3]Harry McCracken at Time Magazine: '...[T]he iPhone 5 is the most artful, pleasing expression of its priorities yet.' * [4]Tim Stevens at Engadget on the display: 'How does it look? Fantastic, frankly. The iPhone 4S already has one of the best displays on the market with regard to things like pixel density, brightness and contrast, and the iPhone 5 brings that up another notch.' And: 'This is without a doubt the best iPhone yet. This is a hallmark of design. This is the one you've been waiting for.' * [5]Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal: 'I found the new iPhone screen much easier to hold and manipulate than its larger rivals and preferred it.' And: '...[U]nlike on some early LTE models, the blazing cellular technology doesn't decimate the battery life on this phone.' Finally: 'Apple has taken an already great product and made it better, overall.' * [6]Ed Baig at USA Today: 'The iPhone 5 is a winner that should keep Apple at the front of the smartphone pack. But choosing iPhone 5 vs. a top-of-the-line Android alternative isn't a cut-and-dried decision, especially if you're partial to a jumbo display...' But: 'People have always had lofty expectations for the iPhone 5, especially as the competition stiffens. In delivering a fast, attractive, LTE-capable and larger-screen handset, Apple has met those expectations with a gem.' * [7]Scott Stein of CNET: 'If you're looking for a show-off gadget, something with gee-whiz bells and whistles, then go somewhere else...except for the fact that people will inevitably want to see the iPhone 5 and grab it out of your hand. But, if you're looking for an excellent, well-conceived phone...well, here it is.' * A somewhat dissenting view from [8]T3 in the UK: '...[W]e reckon the smart money won't all be going on a new iPhone this year, even if the mass market can't get enough of it. It's good, very good. But it's no longer the best around.' References 1. http://www.loopinsight.com/2012/09/18/review-iphone-5/ 2. http://daringfireball.net/2012/09/iphone_5 3. http://techland.time.com/2012/09/18/apple-iphone-5-review-its-all-about-refinement/ 4. http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/18/apple-iphone-5-review/ 5. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444450004578004370248427736.html 6. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/edwardbaig/story/2012-09-18/iphone-5-review/57803932/1 7. http://www.cnet.com/iphone-5/ 8. http://www.t3.com/reviews/iphone-5-review .