Unless you live a very sheltered life I’m sure you are well aware of the fact that the iPhone 5 was released last month. Sales have remained swift and many people are still waiting weeks for their phone to arrive after an order is placed. I’m the proud owner of a white 16 GB launch day iPhone 5. Is it radically different from previous models? No, however it’s an improvement on the formula that set the bar for all smartphones.

I’m what you would call dedicated (fangirl?) as I won’t even consider another brand and the only smartphones I’ve owned have all been iPhones. Even though I’m a very tech savvy person I appreciate the iPhone’s user friendliness. I’m pretty sure if my cat had thumbs even she could use one.

iPhone 5 is lighter in weight and slightly longer to make up for the larger 4 inch retina display. However aside from a few cosmetic changes like the Aluminum and glass body which is available in white/silver and black/slate not much is different in the look of the iPhone 5. Personally I’m ok with that since I find the iPhone just the right size for a smartphone since it is just that, a phone. I don’t want to feel as if I’m carrying around a tablet, sometimes bigger isn’t better.

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My biggest disappointment in iPhone 5 comes from the new thinner charger/connector. Perhaps this was a necessary change but through the years of having iPhones, iPods and an iPad I have acquired many chargers and some accessories that no longer work with iPhone 5′s new “lightning” connector. I’m so used to always having a charger with me since I have so many, imagine my disappointment when I left my new “lightning” charger somewhere I couldn’t immediately retrieve and the battery in my shiny new phone on the edge of death.

The other not great feature of iPhone 5 is the much talked about Maps by Apple. Google maps had been included with all Apple devices until they decided they could do it better and as of the iOS 6 update all iDevices now boast Apple Maps. This made Apple look like a bully but making the situation worse is the fact Apple Maps is broken and seemingly couldn’t provide proper directions to anywhere. Apple assures their customers that this issue is being worked on and a fix will be issued soon.

iPhone 5 is the first of Apple’s smartphone to have LTE data speeds which combined with its dual core A6 CPU the iPhone 5 is built for speed. The iPhone 5 also supports wi-fi 802.11 a/b/g/n on both 2.4 and 5 GHz frequencies. I unfortunately am not in an area where AT&T has LTE so I can’t say how fast the iPhone 5 is on a LTE network. Having upgraded from iPhone 4, I am enjoying 4G as it wasn’t available on my previous model.

The cameras on the iPhone 5 consist of the main one which is an 8 megapixel iSight camera with 1080p HD video recording. The secondary or FaceTime camera is a 1.2 megapixel capable of recording video in 720p HD.

I’m also loving the newly designed earpods. I’ve always found that most in ear types tend to get uncomfortable after a while but these guys are a unique shape that feel great even after long periods of use. Even if you don’t have an iPhone or iPod I highly recommend getting a pair which are also sold separately.

Battery life is decent although since I’m almost constantly using my phone I still have to charge it frequently however it does seem to last slightly longer than my last iPhone.

Naysayers were quick to point out that not much has changed with the new iPhone but I say why change perfection. This Apple fan is completely content with the iPhone 5, it’s truly an amazing gadget. When it comes to smartphones you are either Apple or Android much like that age-old battle of Coke vs Pepsi. Is one better than the other? Who can say because what it really boils down to is personal preference.

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