On the local HardwareZone forums, people are debating if the new iPhone 5 is worth buying. Main complain is the “small” 4″ screen size. Some background information; the general public in Singapore takes public transport are drama/variety shows lovers. During transit on public transport, a large number of users watch videos on their phone, hence screen size one of the top factors when it comes to choosing a new smartphone. I would hazard a guess that it’s the same trend in Asian countries like Japan and Korea as well.
To me, it boils down to two camps:
1) If you want a capable phone that does almost everything a phone should do well, backed by an impressive Appstore and robust operating system, allows you to type and navigate with one hand — get the iPhone 5.
2) If you want a phone to mainly to watch movies, get something else with a big screen.
I have had experience with quite a number of smartphones, from iPhone 3G, 3GS (current), Samsung SGS2, iPhone 4, Nokia Lumia 800(current) and HTC One X (current).
I have 2 local and 1 oversea mobile lines, so i kept 3 phones. You would have realized i kept one of each mobile OS: iOS 5 on 3GS, Windows Phone 7.5 on Lumia 800 and Android ICS on the One X.
I sold my 2 year old iPhone 4 in preparation for the iPhone 5. I skipped 4S because i didn’t think my iPhone 4 was slow and it didn’t warranty an upgrade.
The Lumia interface is extremely minimalistic, sleek and face. But it’s plagued by a non-existent Marketplace, and apps are probably a few generations back. I guess the lack of Windows Phone users doesn’t make application development team at Facebook and others make a priority on improving or even making an app for WP (for now). FYI, there is no Instagram, Flipboard on WP. The WhatsApp messenger hangs half the time.
The HTC One X is a brilliant phone. The 4.7″ screen is awesome, build quality is fantastic and it’s great for web browsing and videos. But when im trying to type with one hand, it’s quite uncomfortable, and you don’t get the secure grip that you would like to have. Android apps have come a long way, slowly matching up iOS apps. But, it’s not quite there yet. Just take Facebook and Instagram for example, the iOS application always gets first dips on the updated version.
Would i get an iPhone 5? Yes. Because i think the whole iOS + Appstore + iPhone combo works. Yes, the design didn’t really change much, and you hope for that bigger 4.5″ or 5″ screen. To me, if you are going to do heaps of web-surfing for information etc, even on a 7″ tablet it’s not exactly the most comfortable, less say a 5+” “phablet“. The phone does what it is supposed to do, and the advancement in iOS 6 + evolutionary improvements in iPhone 5 is enough to warrant a change. And let’s be fair, the build quality of iPhone 4 and 4s are excellent, and i expect even better in iPhone 5.
Apple always upgrades their OS to take full advantage of the phone’s new capabilities. I love my One X, and i will probably keep it for a long time, but Jellybean has been out for a couple of months, and i’m still stuck on ARHD custom 4.0.4 ICS ROM to get that “project butter” feel. Hardware is nothing if the software isn’t keeping up, and for now, the Android phone manufacturers really needs to buck up.