Robin Glynn – General Assignment Reporter –
With all the talk and hype surrounding Apple’s new iPhone 5, which was released on Sept. 21, people like Maria Thibodeau say they’ll get their hands on one.
“A lot of people want it because it is the iPhone,” says Thibodeau an education major who owns an iPhone 4S.
Yet there are some who are not buying into the hype. People like Jim Zarifis like the feeling of the buttons when they are dialing and texting, a feature the iPhone doesn’t offer.
“I like actually feeling the QWERTY keys,” said Zarfis, a sports management major who owns a Verizon Droid. “I have no interest in owning an iPhone.”
Some of the obvious changes featured with the iPhone 5 include a 4.87 inch screen, compared to the 4.5 inch screen of the iPhone 4 and 4S, as well as a new two-tone back. The new iPhones come in black and slate and white and silver. The new phone is also a little slimmer than previous versions.
“It is the same like the iPhone 4S, but it’s upgraded,” said Thibodeau.
One thing people will notice when they take the iPhone out of the box is Apple changed the design of their classic earbuds. Now, according to Apple’s website, they are calling them earpods. Also, Apple changed the USB cable.
Instead of the 30-pin connector that attaches to almost any Apple product, the new iPhone has a lightning to USB cable; also the piece that plugs into the phone is smaller.
Other changes include more battery life for the iPhone 5 which can last up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi. There is also face detection, the ability to take still photos while you are recording, and a new nano-sim card that is not compatible with older iPhones. The new iPhone weighs about one ounce less than the iPhone 4S. The display is better as well with a 1136-by-640 resolution compared to a 960-by-640 resolution with previous iPhones.
The new iPhone does come with Apple’s new operating system, the IOS 6. With this operating system, there are more features that people might like. But would have to get use to. Apple has added Passbook, which is a place to add time and location for flights passes, concert and movie tickets, and more. With the new IOS 6, the music, weather, iTunes and App Store apps have a new, polished look.
“I always wanted it, but it was too expensive when it came out,” said Emily Dadario, an education major who owns a Blackberry . “My step-mom ordered it for me and I am excited.”
Dadario said while it is not a big deal, it is a whole new experience.
I do not own an iPhone, but I do have an LG Rumor 2. However, I have been wanting an iPhone for a while. I do like my Rumor 2; it slides open and I have a QWERTY keyboard at my finger tips, even though a few buttons do not work sometimes. I also have an iPod Touch that does a lot of things the iPhone does. While it is easier to use that, there is something about actually hitting and feeling the buttons I prefer, just like the physical ability to touch and flip through a book instead of reading one on a Kindle.
All the changes sound great. But I recently updated my iPod Touch with the new operating system, and the YouTube app that came on the Touch was no longer there. So if you do use YouTube app on your iPhone, be aware that you might have to download it from the app store. While I want an iPhone, I am not rushing out, especially when it is just released, to get it.