Apple iPhone 5 (CDMA / global)
Phone Scoop Review
Sep 23, 2012 by Eric M. Zeman
The Apple iPhone 5 is without a doubt the best hardware to reach the market this year in terms of design, engineering, and manufacture. It is an incredible smartphone that pleases from nearly every angle. Even still, it's not perfect. read review ›
User Reviews
Average Ratings
Finally all grown up..LOL
I jumped on the Android bandwagon somewhat early with the original Droid from Verizon as I didn't want to be like everyone else with their iDevice. The original Droid flashed me some warning signs that I chose to ignore time and time again. Countless issues...as I quickly realized the software upgrades far surpassed the hardware's ability to keep up....
To make a very long story short I went from Droid to the Droid Charge to the Droid Bionic to the Galaxy SIII before I realized it didn't matter what Android device I had they were ALL garbage.
A child's toy as I believe one reviewer wrote of the Android persuasion..
Well I have to say I finally grew the f*ck up and realized what in fact I was missing out on.
With my adoption of the iPhone 5 I finally have a STABLE phone platform not a phone with version 2.0, 2.3, 4.0, 4.1, 4.2 or any of that other garbage with empty promises from manufacturers that the latest version of android is on it's way and arriving a month after my upgrade date.
Pro's - STABLE iOS - newest version pushed from APPLE not the carrier
-Stunning camera with panoramic
-LTE
-Extremely lightweight
-fast processor
-gorgeous design
-battery is WAY better than ANY android
-Service is NEVER an issue with Verizon
-no memory hog widgets to run in the background and clutter the desktop
-Have my Gmail & Enterprise mail, contacts and calendar
I could go on and on
Con's - No talk and surf with Verizon
For all those tired of all the different versions of Android that can do one thing but not another and have to wait over a year for the next software update...tired of having to restart your android once a day/week whatever...you may want to ditch the toy and buy a real communication device...the Rolls Royce(TM) of Smartphones...Buy an iPhone 5!!
My first iPhone is everything I hoped it would be...
I finally decided to get an iPhone, after wanting one for a year or two. I had toyed with the idea, but got lured in by high end Android devices and then got locked in a contract. I am by no means a huge Apple fan... and I've given Android a fair chance. One on Sprint and two on T-Mobile -- and I wasn't thrilled. So when I found out I got a sizeable Verizon discount from work, that my ETF got much cheaper right before the 5 came out, and that launch day was a payday... I knew it was time.
Pros
*SPEED! This phone is SO fast. When you're on LTE or WiFi, almost everything loads instantly. Web pages, Facebook app, games... fast.
*The design is GORGEOUS. Simple, refined, and sexy. And it's SO light... anyone who holds it immediately comments on how light it is.
*The display is great. High quality, great colors, smooth graphics. Brightness to spare. Visibility outside is much better than others phones, as is the auto brightness function.
*And of course: THE OS. That was the main draw for me. This phone does not lag and freeze, which was my #1 complaint with Android. The device delivers a very fluid user experience that comes from the well-designed OS.
Cons
*WiFi is hit or miss. Had to downgrade my router's firmware just to connect. There are several different WiFi-related issues with this phone, and some have seen timely fixes but not others.
*Time/date bug. AT&T and VZW customers, including myself, are seeing the time change by itself for no reason. Apple blaims the carriers, the carriers blame Apple. Be careful if you use it for an alarm.
*Maps is decent, but still it's not up to Apple's high standards. They should've kept Google Maps a little while longer.
Neutral on the battery... more than enough for me, but nothing groundbreaking.
Overall, I love the phone. It's everything I hoped it would be, and I'm extremely happy with my purchase. Verizon has great service and it complements the phone. Highly recommended!
hide detailed ratings
Simply amazing compared to other iPhones
When you look at the history of the iPhone, you will be happy to have the iPhone 5. It far exceeds the others, and holds its own in the smartphone world. But that's just against other iPhones. When it comes to other smartphones, there is work to be done. However, it will take care of you and keep ya into it.
Pros
Screen
Battery
Size
Powerful
Appearance/build (gorgeous)
Sprint network (when on LTE, super fast)
Call quality
Camera (front and rear, fantastic)
One hand use
...and many more...
Cons (total subjective)
Same old OS (outdated)
Needs larger screen to compete with others
Bigger battery would be almost perfect
Needs expandable memory or more free with iCloud
A little TOO light in the hand (odd but true)
Overall, I'd recommend this device to current iOS users, because its something android users have had since day one it appears. Is it worth the upgrade? Sure it is. Play with it at the local store, then you can decide.
Thanks
hide detailed ratings
My First iPhone
Carrier: Verizon
I pre-ordered the iPhone 5 from Verizon and received it the day it was released so I have had some time with it. This is my first iPhone but I had some familiarity with iOS from using an iPad. I came from an HTC Trophy (Windows Phone 7) and a BlackBerry before that. My wife had an iPhone 4S and kept raving about it, so I decided to go with the iPhone 5.
Pros:
- Verizon 4G LTE. I am impressed at the speed of the LTE. I have beeen averaging 15.7 Mbps down/14 Mbps up with an avg ping of 49.4 ms.
- Processor speed. The responsiveness is excellent. Coupled with Verizon's LTE, this makes for a very fast experience.
- Call quality. So far I am very pleased with how well calls sound on my end. I have not had any issues with dropped calls.
- Quality of the display. It really is a lovely screen. I have worn glasses since I was a kid and I have no issue with readability. I also have big hands and I have no trouble using the on-screen keyboard. Using it in sunlight is better than I expected.
- The Apple iOS ecosystem. Everywhere an app was offered, it seemed as if the iPhone version was the first one developed and out of the gate. Android apps seemed to come second and you were lucky if you saw the same app on Windows Phone 7. This was a big factor in my choosing the iPhone. Also, seeing my wife use the FaceTime app with her 72-year old dad who was thousands of miles away was impressive.
Cons:
- Lack of case options. I know this is a new phone and given Apple's secrecy surrounding their product launches, case options were very limited at launch. I am a klutz and need a protective case just to protect the phone from me. The plastic holster-style case that Verizon sold did not fit right.
- Price of lightning cable. Thankfully I do not have money invested in Apple 30-pin cables. I think they are charging way too much for an additional lightning cable for the newly-designed port.
Not much different than 4s but still the best (sprint version)
I received the iPhone 5 32gb from sprint so it may be a little different with the Verizon version since they have LTE everywhere and sprint doesn't have it yet.
The larger screen is good and bad. The 4s had a great size screen to fit in your hand , but the iPhone 5 obviously has more screen to play with.
Pros
Snappy processor
Excellent camera
Beautiful display resolution
iOS6 is smooth and reliable
Great call quality
Wifi is super fast
iCloud is awesome
Thinner and lighter than most smartphones
Good battery life
New charger is very fast
Speaker quality is great
Bluetooth works well
Very stylish
Cons
Sprints 3G network (doesn't really have to do with iPhone)
Camera Photos are not full screen due to larger screen
No matter what all the Apple haters may say the iPhone 5 and 4s are still the best phones on the market. The reliability of apple products and their operating system iOS are unmatched and the hardware on these devices ( materials used to build ) are way ahead of all of the competition.
The "Rolex" of ALL smartphones breaks out again!
GET ONE GET ONE GET ONE ! ! !
I pre-ordered my iPhone 5 and got it on Friday. Fit and finish are the best of any mobile device anywhere - quality is apparent everywhere!
This totally redesigned iPhone 5 is the best phone I have ever owned by miles! Ultra sharp screen, terrific camera, faster than necessary but nice to have. Apple's A6 chip is doing the job! The ATT LTE network is good and at times amazing but it's the only part of this outstanding device that is unchangeable and mediocre.
PROS:
Speed of the overall IOS (operating system)
Quality of the new IOS - best ever!
Speed of the LTE network
Screen is gorgeous-vivid colors everywhere!
Build quality and esthetic's are perfect
Perfect audio quality on calls-vastly improved
Maps app is terrific (I know what you have heard)
Perfect audio quality with these B&W designed earplugs-wow!
Browser (Safari) still the best and better now
Camera is truly outstanding and fast!
I can see the screen well during the day outside
My white 32 gig is a work of art
This is a perfect phone, iPod and web device I have ever owned or used.
CONS:
AT&T's up and down overall service
It took Apple a little longer than many would have liked to come out with this gem. Now that it's here, please do not embarrass "real quality" folks with Korean models because Apple makes the operating system and has total control over this device.
In every area they have improved and reworked the iPhone 5 to create simply the best (bar none) iPhone and smartphone ever made. Enjoy this creation from the good American's from Apple!
Finally you are also buying from an American company and that's a real plus and we can be proud that it's also the best!
My First iPhone from Verizon
I just upgrade from the HTC Thunderbolt to the iPhone 5. I must say, it's amazing!
Pros:
Screen is colorful
Battery Life is good
LTE Speed is fast
Call quality is great
Camera front and back is great.
Cons...None so far.
So far this was my best upgrade yet with Verizon. I ighly recommend this phone.
Best phone yet!!!
No phone can compare to the iPhone 5. It is a modest upgrade but still one that is very welcome.
PRO: Screen fantastic; apps fantastic; battery life improved; slimmer form; LTE on Verizon is lightning fast (no carrier in the US can compare); improved SIRI (hard to tell but there is some improvement)
CON: Google maps not present; new cables needed (minor).
The only reason that this phone doesn't get a 5 rating is because of the maps. Apples maps is sorely lacking. Google's is much better. I hope apple improves quickly on this.
This is without a doubt the best device I have ever used, I keep it with me constantly. The only phone I need.
GREAT PHONE!!!
This phone is simply amazing!! Super user friendly, fast, great camera, awesome screen, great battery life for a smart phone and of course icloud!!! Ive had all the iphones and apple just gets better and better.. I finally got my wife to give up her android and try the iphone and she wishes that she would have switched years ago.. As far as I'm concerned i will never use any other..
hide detailed ratings
Verizon iPhone 5 review and comparison to iPhone 4S
Carrier: Verizon
The Verizon iPhone 5 has been engineered with the highest quality design, superior hardware and unequaled end user experience. I was hesitant to upgrade from my 4S to the iphone 5 until performing extensive testing with the following results:
iPhone 5 improvements over iPhone 4S both running IOS 6.0
- Faster processor A6 - extremely snappy and smooth
- Double the physical memory with 1GM RAM
- Larger 4.0 screen with higher resolution, improved graphics and brighter
- Improved audio system. Music, Video, Navigation and any operation using the speaker phone is louder and clearer
- With a third microphone, noise cancellation and a louder earpiece, the calling experience on both ends of the conversation is improved from both a clarity and volume perspective
- 4G LTE is lightning fast
- Camera improvements include speed and other minor changes
CONS
- CDMA with LTE does not support simultaneous voice and data on the iPhone 5 although other Verizon phones such as HTC Thunderbolt does support it.
- iPhone 5 requires a good solid case as the phone is a bit fragile
Vibrate could be stronger
