**iPhone 5 Review: A Solid Upgrade with Top-Notch Hardware**

Hey guys, this is Austin and today I’m here with a review of the iPhone 5. With a larger screen, LTE, and some of the best hardware period, is the new iPhone for you?

To start with, we have to go over the design. In pictures it looks just like the iPhone 4 and 4S, but in person it’s a huge change. The first thing I noticed was just how light it is – even though it’s larger, it weighs 20% less.

**Design and Build Quality**

Build quality is also absolutely top-notch with incredibly fine tolerances and more importantly an excellent feel. Take the rear for example; it’s now mostly aluminum with glass on top and bottom, which works really nicely in the hand. I think Drew summed it up nicely as it really is slimmer, lighter, and sleeker in a major way.

On bottom you’ll see the new Lightning port, which is much smaller and reversible; however, if you’ve got 30-pin docks and cables, you’re going to need adapters. The headphone jack has also been moved to the bottom of the iPhone 5 – not a big deal to me but it’s something everyone isn’t a fan of.

**Display and iOS**

Up front, you’ll find a larger 4” display with a resolution of 1136x640, and immediately you’ll notice it makes a big difference. The added height gives you more screen real estate to work with, which is something the iPhone has been needing for quite a while. It’s not all perfect, however – Apps need to be updated to work with the iPhone 5’s larger screen; if not, they revert to a smaller size with letterboxing.

Something I found strange is that iOS really doesn’t take advantage of the larger screen. Notifications still cover up the top of what you’re doing and the experience feels like Apple just stretched iOS to fit rather than tailor it to really use the larger size. iOS 6 comes preinstalled on the iPhone 5, and honestly, my biggest letdown is that it’s not been updated since then.

**Performance and Camera**

Internally, you’ll find a new Apple A6 dual-core processor clocked at 1.2GHz paired with 1GB of RAM. I have to say I’m impressed – this is the fastest System on a Chip you’ll find in any phone or tablet out right now. With a GPU on par with the iPad 3, gaming is impressive, with enough horsepower to run even the most demanding games without breaking a sweat.

Once games like Real Racing 3 come out, you can expect near-console quality graphics on your phone. In day-to-day use, there’s definitely a difference although opinions vary on how much. Most people feel it’s not a massive improvement over the already fast iPhone 4S, although upgraders from the iPhone 4 tended to be more impressed.

**LTE and Battery Life**

One of the big additions is LTE, which unlike on the iPhone 4S, is true 4G. Speeds here are really impressive as they’re better than most home connections, and I can see LTE being worth the upgrade alone for a lot of people. With the bigger screen, more powerful specs, and LTE, battery life is actually quite a bit better – even with fairly heavy usage, including calls, shooting video, and gaming, I was easily able to get through a day.

**Camera and Conclusion**

The rear camera is mostly unchanged, with the same 8-megapixel camera with 1080p video recording. There have been some upgrades in the optics but for the most part, it’s the same quality from the iPhone 4S – one of the best smartphone cameras out there. However, probably not for long, as phones like the Nokia Lumia 920 are on the horizon.

Video is also still solid but nothing spectacular as it still doesn’t autofocus on its own. The iPhone 5 is a solid upgrade and easily the best one yet – with LTE, a bigger screen, improved battery life, and an outstanding design, I don’t have a problem recommending this at all. What it doesn’t do, however, is present a great case to switch from Android or Windows Phone.

While the hardware is top-notch, iOS is in serious need of an overhaul as it feels clunky and unintuitive much of the time. Put simply, the iPhone 5 is one of the best phones out there and an easy choice for a lot of people but it’s not the best phone for everyone. If you enjoyed this review, I’d really appreciate it if you could leave this video a thumbs up and if you’re interested in more videos like this be sure to subscribe!

WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enHey guys, this is Austin and today I’m herewith a review of the iPhone 5.With a larger screen, LTE and some of thebest hardware period is the newiPhone for you?To start with we have to go over the design.In pictures itlooks just like the iPhone 4 and 4S but inperson it’s a huge change.The firstthing I noticed was just how light it is,even though it’s larger it weighs 20%less.Build quality is also absolutely top notchwith incredibly fine tolerancesand more importantly an excellent feel.Take the rear for example.It’s nowmostly aluminum with glass on top and bottomwhich works really nicely inthe hand.I think Drew summed it up nicely as it reallyis slimmer, lighter andsleeker in a major way.On bottom you’ll see the new Lightning portwhich ismuch smaller and reversible however if you’vegot 30-pin docks and cablesyou’re going to need adapters.The headphone jack has also been moved tothe bottom of the iPhone 5, not a big dealto me but it’s something noteveryone is a fan of.Up front you’ll find a larger 4” displaywith a resolutionof 1136x640 and immediately you’ll noticeit makes a big difference.Theadded height give you more screen real estateto work with which issomething the iPhone has been needing forquite a while.It’s not all perfecthowever.Apps need to be updated to work with the iPhone5’s larger screen,if not they revert to a smaller size withletterboxing.Something I foundstrange is that iOS really doesn’t takeadvantage of the larger screen.Notifications still cover up the top of whateveryou’re doing and theexperience feels like Apple just stretchediOS to fit rather than tailor it toreally use the larger size.iOS 6 comes preinstalled on the iPhone 5 andishonestly my biggest letdown.Technically it’s faster than ever and therearenumerous bits of polish added but the improvementsare minor.Elkanna putsit best I think, the hardware is great butthe software lets it down.GoogleMaps and YouTube were removed in exchangefor Apple Maps.There are afew improvements like turn-by-turn directionsand a new 3D view but for themost part it doesn’t match up with GoogleMaps.Apps like Passbook aremeant to make it easy to use your iPhone forboarding passes, tickets andmore but without NFC it’s more of a novelty.iOS 6 isn’t broken but it’sabsolutely lacking innovation compared toWindows Phone and Android.Internally you’ll find a new Apple A6 dualcore processor clocked at 1.2GHzpaired with 1GB of RAM.Here I have to say I’m impressed, this isthe fastestSystem on a Chip you’ll find in any phoneor tablet out right now.With a GPUon par with the iPad 3 gaming is impressivewith enough horsepower to runeven the most demanding games without breakinga sweat.Once games likeReal Racing 3 come out you can expect nearconsole quality graphics on yourphone.In day to day use there’s definitely a differencealthough opinionsvary on how much.Most people feel it’s not a massive improvementover thealready fast iPhone 4S although upgradersfrom the iPhone 4 tended to bemuch more impressed.From the 3GS it’s really no contest.One of the bigadditions is LTE which unlike on the iPhone4S is true 4G.Speeds here arereally impressive as they’re better thanmost home connections and I can seeLTE being worth the upgrade alone for a lotof people.With the bigger screen,more powerful specs and LTE battery life isactually quite a bit better.Evenwith fairly heavy usage including calls, shootingvideo and gaming I was easilyable to get through a day and I don’t thinkit’s a stretch at all to get two daysout of a charge with more average use.The rear camera is mostly unchangedwith the same 8 megapixel camera with 1080pvideo recording.There havebeen some upgrades in the optics but for themost part it’s the same qualityfrom the iPhone 4S.It’s one of the best smartphone camerasout there butprobably not for long with phones like theNokia Lumia 920 on the horizon.Video is also still solid but nothing spectacularas it still doesn’t autofocus onit’s own unless you tap to focus.One nice improvement is that you can takepictures while recording video and the camerawill take pictures about as fastas you can hit the shutter button.Panorama mode is also included althoughit’s hardly a groundbreaking feature.The bigger change is with the frontfacing camera which has been upgraded to 1.2megapixels and shoots in 720p.It’s nothing on the rear camera but forvideo chatting or recording a quick clipit’s really not bad.Like Tim said I think it will make a niceimprovement forvloggers.The iPhone 5 is a solid upgrade and easilythe best one yet.WithLTE, a bigger screen, improved battery lifeand an outstanding design I don’thave a problem recommending this at all.What it doesn’t do is present agreat case to switch from Android or WindowsPhone.While the hardware istop notch iOS is in serious need of an overhaulas it feels clunky andunintuitive much of the time.Put simply the iPhone 5 is one of the bestphones out there and an easy choice for alot of people but it’s not the bestphone for everyone.If you enjoyed I’d really appreciate itif you could leavethis video a thumbs up and if you’re interestedin more videos like this besure to subscribe!