Apple’s iPhone 5 started shipping this past weekend — and already over five million people have bought the Jesus phone, despite shipping delays, Apple Maps problems, lack of NFC features, and now ‘purple flare’ camera issues. After all, it’s still an iPhone.
If you’re still on the fence about getting the new iPhone– maybe because you’ve been eyeing Samsung’s Galaxy S3, or HTC’s One X, or Nokia’s Lumia 900, and so on– we’ve got your back. Below we’ve rounded up the best iPhone 5 reviews– and for the less easily swayed– the best “iPhone 5 versus the competitors” comparisons.
iPhone 5 reviews:
BGR revew
“It’s about refining these…building blocks that make up a smartphone, and Apple has done that in spades — thinness, lightness, materials, durability, design, performance, speed and experience.”
CNET review
“Absolutely the best iPhone to date.” (4/5)
Engadget review
“The iPhone 5 is a significant improvement over the iPhone 4S in nearly every regard. …If anything, it’s the operating system here that’s beginning to feel a bit dated.”
Gizmodo review
“After…spending seven days with the iPhone 5, living with it, owning it, I can say confidently that it’s the best smartphone you can buy.”
IGN review
“Apple has made enormous strides by making safe and smart upgrades to a consistently stellar phone.” (9.3/10)
Macworld review
“Apple hasn’t reinvented the iPhone. All it’s done is make the best smartphone around even better.”
Pocket-Lint review
“While the hardware and design here is cutting edge, the software plays it safer than we would like.”
SlashGear review
“The iPhone 5 has the best balance of everyday usability and performance, without the distraction of functionality that is clever but unintuitive.”
T3 review
“It’s good, very good. But it’s no longer the best around.”
TechCrunch review
“This is the smartphone nearly perfected.”
The Verge review
“For the mass market, it’s the best smartphone…[but] there’s a lot more work to be done.” (8.8/10)
Wired review
“Everything just feels right… The only real things to complain about are the problems with iOS 6.”
iPhone 5 vs. the competition:
Android Authority:
Samsung Galaxy S3 vs iPhone 5: a video comparison
“Android is far more innovative and open than iOS.”
Android Authority:
iPhone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S3 drop test – Samsung fans, it’s not looking pretty
“The iPhone 5 did amazingly well in our drop test, while the Samsung Galaxy S3 came out in pretty bad shape.”
Android Central:
HTC One X vs. the iPhone 5
“The One X offers things that Apple just doesn’t, and [we] would recommend it to anyone.”
CNET:
iPhone 5 vs. Galaxy S3 vs. Lumia 920: by the numbers
“The iPhone 5 isn’t the most innovative, but it is a reliable, intuitive package that earns top points for software and hardware reliability.”
CNET:
Apple iPhone 5 vs. Samsung Galaxy S3 vs. HTC One X: the cameras
“When it came down to picture quality, the iPhone 5 regularly produced excellent photos regardless of lighting.”
CNET:
Galaxy S3 display outdoes iPhone 5’s
“A study from IHS…concluded that Samsung’s flagship phone had a screen that was both thinner and had a wider color gamut.”
CNET UK:
iPhone 5 vs Galaxy S3 vs HTC One X in interface-off
“If you need quick access to essential tools with no fuss, …the iPhone is the way to go. …If you love the idea of customising your mobile, Android is where you’ll be happiest.”
Computerworld:
Web pages load 9% faster over LTE on Galaxy S III than iPhone 5
“The Samsung Galaxy S III loads Web pages 9 percent faster over LTE wireless than Apple’s new iPhone 5, according to tests by Strangeloop Networks.”
Engadget:
iPhone 5 and Nokia Lumia 920 face off with image stabilization test (video, updated with Galaxy S III and HTC One X)
“The Nokia phone was able to capture far smoother video than what we snapped with the iPhone, with both devices secured side-by-side.”
Extreme Tech:
Samsung Galaxy S3 vs. iPhone 5 display shoot-out: Apple wins again
“The iPhone 5’s LCD display hardware wins natively on brightness and power efficiency.”
PhoneArena:
Apple iPhone 5 vs Nokia Lumia 900
“If you truly desire the more premium and overall better performer, the iPhone 5 is the way to go, despite its higher price point.”
PocketNow:
iPhone 5 vs. Galaxy S 3 (Video)
“Jellybean is…dare I say, iOS-like…it feels like it’s a put-together operating system. …[But] in terms of sheer speed, the iPhone 5 wins.”
PocketNow:
Display Comparison: iPhone 5 vs. HTC One X (Video)
“It does look like the One X’s display is slightly better than the iPhone 5.”
Now that you know the reviews, are you going for the iPhone 5, Galaxy S III, or something else? Let us know in the comments.
