The reviews are flowing in for Apple's newest smartphone, the iPhone 5, and the positives are revolving the large display.
Quick specs for the iPhone 5 include a 4-inch screen with Retina Display, resolution of 1136x640 with 326 ppi, an eight-megapixel rear-facing camera, a two-megapixel front-facing camera, running on the latest operating system iOS 6, supports 4G LTE, battery capacity of 1140mAh, and with the new Lightning Adapter.
According to Fox News' Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson, the four-inch screen is not the first thing you'll notice, but the lightness of the device will.
"Pick up an iPhone 5 and you're likely to first notice its unlikely lightness. This handset is just under 4 ounces; so light you'll have to adjust your grip to keep hold of it," reviewed Dudley-Nicolson.
She does note that the larger screen - 18 percent bigger compared to the iPhone 4S - is "most obvious."
She added, "The long screen is surprisingly practical. Apart from allowing thumb-typing, widescreen movie and TV downloads can now be viewed without a letterbox border, making them more comfortable to watch."
CNET has also given positive reviews with four out of five stars.
"The good: The iPhone 5 adds everything we wanted in the iPhone 4S: 4G LTE, a longer, larger screen, and a faster A6 processor. Plus, its top-to-bottom redesign is sharp, slim, and feather-light."
CNET added that the iPhone 5 "completely rebuilds" the framework of the iPhone series and fixes the concerns made about previous iPhones.
They acknowledged the screen length as "subtle" but you'll have a hard time reverting to previous devices once you use the iPhone 5.
"The screen difference isn't always dramatic, especially compared with some ultra-expansive Android devices: the Samsung Galaxy S3 beats it both on overall screen size (4.8 inches) and pixel resolution (1,280x720)."
The bad, according to CNET, are that Sprint and Verizon's models won't be able to use data and voice simultaneously.
"The smaller connector renders current accessories unusable without an adapter. There's no NFC, and the screen size pales in comparison to jumbo Android models."
But overall, CNET stated, "It's absolutely the best iPhone to date, and it easily secures its place in the top tier of the smartphone universe."
For New York Times reporter David Pogue, the iPhone 5's camera is the "best ever" put into a phone.
Pogue noted, "Its lowlight shots blow away the same efforts from an iPhone 4S. Its shot-to-shot times have been improved by 40 percent. And you can take stills even while recording video (1080p hi-def, of course)."
Slash Gear's Vincent Nguyen refers to the new smartphone as a "beautiful piece of engineering and design."
"With the iPhone 5...it's been love at first swipe," said Nguyen. "The larger screen - still Retina resolution, at 326ppi, of course - is a great size compromise between the trend toward larger phones of the mobile industry overall, and Apple's own insistence on a resolutely pocketable device."
Nugyen asked the question if the device is faster, runs smoother, a capable camera, faster data access, and if the new iOS 6 software works well with the iPhone5. His answer to all those factors is yes.
For USA Today's Edward C. Baig, "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, such as the one on the big, bold and beautiful Samsung Galaxy S III, an Android rival for which I've had high praise."
The iPhone 5 is scheduled to be released in the US, UK, and Canada on Sept. 21, with prices going for $199 for 16GB. $299 for 32GB, $399 for 64GB when signing a contract with AT&T, Sprint, or Verizon. For T-Mobile, as with previous iPhones, it will not carry the iPhone 5.
Latinos Post has helped break down and define the iPhone 5's specs ahead of this Friday's release, click here to view.
For reviews on Apple's new EarPods, click here.
For details on the iPhone 5's iSight camera, click here.
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