Why the iPhone 5 is huge

Manila Standard Today, Lifestyle | December 7, 2012

Apple announced that the latest incarnation of the popular iPhone will be available via Philippine carriers next Friday, Dec. 14. The phone is released this month in around 50 countries, just in time for Christmas, three months after it was first unveiled in the United States and launched in other major markets. In September, the iPhone 5 sold over two million units on pre-order within 24 hours and delivered five million on launch weekend, selling out 20 times faster than the 4 and 4S models.

In its marketing materials, Apple said that the iPhone 5 is “the biggest thing to happen to iPhone since iPhone.” From a sales standpoint, they’ve probably proven themselves right.

But what about the specs? Main upgrades from the previous model include a design that’s 18 percent thinner and 20 percent lighter for an overall volume that’s 12 percent less, an aluminum composite frame (previously stainless steel), the A6 “system on chip” that is said to perform twice as fast as the A5 at 22 percent less size, and a re-engineered dock connector.

The most visibly noticeable feature is the screen, which is 4 inches diagonal and can support the 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio (previously 3.5 inches). Indeed, everything sounds good. But hardly revolutionary.

And it’s not like the device is perfect. Reports indicate that some users are complaining about purple “flares” or “haze” on pictures taken with the 8MB camera, possibly due to the sapphire glass that overlays it. Apple responded to this by advising users to avoid direct bright light sources when taking pictures. Design flaws extend to the coating on both the white and black versions, with some users reporting that the coating easily chips. The aluminum is also said to be prone to scratches. The white iPhone 5 is further reported to leak light behind the screen.

Still, Apple fans and online commentators believe that the phone will continue to be huge for a variety of reasons, even with price points on the high side. These are: (1) media hype; (2) a lot of old smartphone owners are currently in the market for an upgrade; (3) re-selling iPhones, regardless of model, is easy and can fetch you as much as 50 percent of the original price; (4) it is widely believed that any new Apple device is THE new device to have—also known as status symbol; and (5) if you go by the Huffington Post’s Neil Katz, “for no apparent reason.”

If you’ll be standing in line at either a Globe or Smart center with the rest of the soon-to-be iPhone 5 owners on the 14th, what’s your reason? (That is, if you haven’t already bought one in Greenhills.)