Quickie Review of the New iPhone 5

So this has nothing to do with books, or any of the sexy stuff I talk about here, but I thought I’d get out my initial feelings on my iPhone 5 for those who are still on the fence.

I am an Apple fan girl. I have used apple products exclusively since 1987. I even had an Apple II as a little girl. So when apple comes out with something new, I am an early adopter. I had the iPhone 4 before. I didn’t upgrade to the 4s, because I was waiting on the 5. But I’m not one of those “Apple can do no wrong” girls.

I have a very close relationship with my phone. In other words, It is ALWAYS in my hand. I use it for phone calls, texting, news. Facebook, twitter, reading blogs and…..READING BOOKS! Yes, I read all of my books on my iPhone, 99% through the Kindle app. I would have to guess I have read about 350 books on my phone. I have never wanted a kindle. I have an iPad, but I don’t read on it. I like having ONE item. It’s always in my pocket, it’s lightweight, and has it’s own light. So when I read that the screen would be bigger, I squealed!!!! Yay! More words per page!

I happened to be up posting a review the night they went on sale. I logged in at 3:15 am, and got right in and ordered. No lines for me!

When I initially opened the phone, I was surprised by how thin and light the phone was. It felt fragile. But I really liked having the extra row of icons on my front screen. I have a little finish problem on mine. The screen feels a little loose in the bottom corner. Because I have smaller hands, I must say, I have trouble reaching the top left and right of the screen without changing my grip and feeling like I have lost my secure grip on the phone. But I have compared it to other brand’s phones, and it still feels way better in my hand. I immediately went out and bought an Agent 19 Slimsheild case. Cute, huh? It makes it feel a little more substantial in my hand.

On to the amazon app. Oooooh, how I love having more screen real estate! I see no reason at all to get a kindle now. There is a little too much of a margin on the bottom which I wish could be moved to the top, because when notifications come in they cover the top line of the page I am on.

Likes:

• It is so fast it’s CRAZY.
• All of my information is synced perfectly between my iPad, iPhone and Computer.
• It’s a beautiful piece of art.
• It so slim and light you don’t feel it in your hand or pocket.
• It is very comfortable to use.
• I love the extra screen real estate.
• Great sound for a little phone.
• Better photos and video.
• Taking a still photo while videoing.
• Maps are totally cool, but I haven’t used the turn-by-turn.
• The earpods are way better than the old ones, but still feel too big.
• Better battery life. I am on my phone ALL DAY, and it lasts.

Dislikes:

• It is a little too tall to reach the oft used top left and right buttons without altering your grip.
• I find myself making mistakes more when I text. It seems like the screen is not quite as sensitive as my 4.
• I can’t get facebook and facebook pages to get notifications in the notifications center. (I’m sure that will get fixed)
• The camera was not able to focus well in low lighting. The photos actually come out better than the screen looked.
• I prefer the the silver band instead of the black around the edge.
• So far, the little I have used Siri, sucks. It wants to find movies or restaurants for everything I say, and it takes forever to get an answer. Since I have not used Siri before, maybe I have no clue what the fuck I’m doing.

All in all, I like it, but I think the screen being too tall to use comfortably with one hand is a major negative. For me, because I read on the phone, it’s worth it for more screen real estate. I am still a purist though, and NOBODY can ever convince me that there are better options out there, especially because they all copied Apple. And especially for an all-mac family. The seamless integration between all the computers, iPads, appleTVs and phones is the best feature.

My husband needs a new phone but does not like the size and height. The problem is, he wants a 32 gig phone, and the 4s is only for sale in 16. My son thinks it is too big as well. But I gotta say, the convenience of having a few extra lines on my kindle pages is totally awesome, making it COMPLETELY worth it, for me.

What are your thoughts? Did you get one? Will you? If you’re one of those “apple sucks” people, don’t comment. I might not like you anymore. 😉