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Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Initial iPhone 5 reviews arrive: Critics praise new screen - CNET

The first crop of iPhone 5 reviews has hit the Web. Reviewers like the larger screen and faster wireless networking.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

Less than a week since its debut, some of the initial reviews for Apple's next iPhone have hit the Web.

The consensus is mostly positive, with reviewers praising the larger screen, faster LTE cellular networking and iOS 6 software features. Less hot, it seems, is Apple's new maps application and Lightning connector technology. Critics say the maps app is impressive, but not as full-featured as Google's, and that the new Lightning connector is nice, but a move that requires an investment in new cables and adapters.

CNET's own senior editor Scott Stein rated the iPhone 5 four out of five stars, awarding it the editor's choice.

"The bottom line is, we said last year that the two big missing parts of the iPhone were 4G LTE and a larger screen. The iPhone 5 has them, plus a new processor, plus a new design, plus iOS 6, plus a lot more. It's the best iPhone that's been made," Stein wrote.

You can read CNET's entire review right here.

Some of the highlights from the other reviews around the Web tonight:

David Pogue for The New York Times says:

If you have an iPhone 4S, getting an iPhone 5 would mean breaking your two-year carrier contract and paying a painful penalty; maybe not worth it for the 5's collection of nips and tucks. But if you've had the discipline to sit out a couple of iPhone generations -- wow, are you in for a treat.

Pogue adds that the one downside is the switch to Lightning, Apple's new connector technology, which replaces the 30-pin adapter.

Ed Baig for USA Today says:

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.

Walt Mossberg, writing for All Things Digital says:

Apple has taken an already great product and made it better, overall. Consumers who prefer huge screens or certain marginal features have plenty of other choices, but the iPhone 5 is an excellent choice.

Hands-on with the sharp, slim iPhone 5 (pictures)

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Tim Stevens writing for Engadget says:

The iPhone 5 is here -- or will be soon, anyway -- and it's every bit the device that people were asking for when the iPhone 4S came out. Its new design has less mass yet leaves room for a larger display and LTE wireless, all while increasing battery life. In nearly every respect, this is an upgrade over the 4S that came before, though it arrives almost a year later than many had hoped.

MG Siegler at TechCrunch says:

Those worried about the talk of "disappointment" surrounding the iPhone 5, I suggest you simply go to an Apple Store starting on Friday and try it for yourself. My guess is you'll immediately recognize just how ridiculous that bluster actually is. This is the smartphone nearly perfected.

Jim Dalrymple at The Loop says:

My experience with the iPhone 5, iOS and the EarPods has been great. 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.

Vincent Nguyen writing for Slashgear says:

Competition between mobile platforms keeps the industry moving and innovating. That can often present itself as a surfeit of innovation: feature upon feature, piled high in an all-singing, all-dancing device. Right now, the iPhone 5 has the best balance of everyday usability and performance, without the distraction of functionality that is clever but unintuitive. It's an area in which Apple excels, and it's the reason the iPhone 5 is one of the best smartphones on the market today.

Rich Jaroslovsky writing for Bloomberg says:

Arriving in Apple (AAPL) stores Sept. 21, the new model lacks any single gee-whiz breakthrough, like the Siri voice assistant introduced with the iPhone 4S. But the new version brings it up- to-date in a host of areas, particularly speed, without sacrificing the things that made it special in the first place.

The iPhone 5 goes on sale this Friday at 8 a.m. local time, an event that is preceded by the release of iOS 6 at some point tomorrow.

Updated at 6:33 p.m. PT with additional review snippets.

More to come...

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