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Apple iPhone 5 (GSM)

8.8 Verge Score 8.7 User Score Write Review
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Verge Review

Ah, to review the iPhone 5; what a blessing, and what a curse. It's actually funny to think that there was a time not that long ago that the iPhone wasn't even a thing, let alone an iconic part of pop culture. A time when an Apple-made phone was just a fantasy; a blogger's fever-dream; a secret glimmer in the eye of Steve Jobs and his team of engineers and designers. But the iPhone has become very real. In fact, it's grown up, moved out, and taken over the world. Well, half the world anyhow....

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Basic Specs

Thickness 0.3 inches
Weight 0.25 pounds
Form factor Slab
Screen size (diagonal) 4 inches
Carriers AT&T
Operating system iOS
Launch OS version 6.0

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Tech Specs

Hardware

Height 4.87 inches
Width 2.31 inches
Thickness 0.3 inches
Weight 0.25 pounds
Form factor Slab
Color White / Silver, Black / Gray
Loudspeaker Mono
Noise cancellation Hardware (multi-mic)

Display

Screen size (diagonal) 4 inches
Technology IPS LCD
Pixel arrangement RGB
Resolution (Y) 1136 px
Resolution (X) 640 px
PPI 326
Touchscreen type Capacitive

Connectivity

Carriers AT&T
GSM Yes
GSM frequencies supported 1900, 900, 850
UMTS / HSPA Yes
UMTS frequencies supported 900, 2100, 1900, 850
LTE Yes
WWAN data standards supported UMTS, LTE, EDGE, HSPA+, HSUPA, HSDPA, GPRS, DC-HSDPA
Wi-Fi Yes
Wi-Fi support 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, 802.11a
802.11n frequencies 5GHz, 2.4GHz
GPS Yes
Bluetooth Yes
Bluetooth version Bluetooth 4.0
Tethering / mobile hotspot Yes
Media streaming AirPlay

Processor

Manufacturer Apple
Model A6
Clock speed 1 GHz
Number of cores 2

Memory

RAM size 1 GB

Storage

Internal size 64 GB, 32 GB, 16 GB
External No

Front Camera

Resolution 1.2 megapixels
Video resolution 720p

Rear Camera

Resolution 8 megapixels
Flash LED
Focus type Autofocus
Video resolution 1080p
Video framerate 30

Software

Operating system iOS
Launch OS version 6.0

Interface

Video out Yes
Headphone jack 3.5mm
Other ports Lightning

Sensors

Sensors Compass (Magnetometer), Proximity, Ambient light, Gyroscope, Accelerometer

Battery

Quoted use time 8 hr
Removable No

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  • 9.0
    Show all User reviews

    Reviewed by Oxygen (Currently owns)

    September 23, 2012 06:43 pm

    An overall incredible device but with some flaws that stop it from being perfect, for example, the mediocre maps app and the unfortunate removal of the YouTube app. I must say the new earpods are actually quite nice! :) The new dock connector is a bit of pain but the actual feel of it and how plugs in is very nice. I wish Apple would adopt this connector on the iPhone 4 and 4S they're currently selling to help it spread faster. But overall, an amazing - but not revolutionary - device!

    The Breakdown

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    • Design 9
    • Display 8
    • Camera(s) 9
    • Reception / call quality 7
    • Performance 10
    • Software 7
    • Battery life 7
    • Ecosystem 10
    Show the rest of this review and the breakdown
  • 9.0
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    Reviewed by aberaf (Currently owns)

    September 23, 2012 03:04 pm

    Solid device. Beautifully crafted and masterfully executed. iOS is solid, albeit lacking a little bit of the classic Apple finesse. The feel of the phone is impeccable. My only gripe is not having dynamic icons. Apple can pull this off. I'm not sure why they are not doing this. Could be the deal they have with Microsoft that they won't copy each other.

    The Breakdown

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    • Design 10
    • Display 10
    • Camera(s) 9
    • Reception / call quality 9
    • Performance 10
    • Software 8
    • Battery life 8
    • Ecosystem 10
    Show the rest of this review and the breakdown
  • 10.0
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    Reviewed by MuccaUgo (Currently owns)

    September 23, 2012 04:47 am

    Finally upgrading from 3Gs. It's light, solid, beautifully crafted.

    This is by far the most beautiful piece of technology I ever had.

    I love Siri, and maps are better than previous here in Milan, so I have nothing to complain.

    It's amazingly fast! And the photos are really beautiful. Panorama works really easily!

    Best phone in the planet. Until next iPhone obviously.

    The Breakdown

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    • Design 10
    • Display 10
    • Camera(s) 9
    • Reception / call quality 10
    • Performance 10
    • Software 9
    • Battery life 9
    • Ecosystem 10
    Show the rest of this review and the breakdown
  • 9.0
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    Reviewed by numberoneoppa (Currently owns)

    September 22, 2012 08:00 pm

    Let's face it, it isn't a revolutionary phone. However, nobody really expected it to be. Now I'm mostly done with the iPhone (I'm a proud GNex users on a regular basis), but I have to hand it to Apple here, they've made *probably* the closest thing to a perfect phone that's existed so far. Sans NFC, if you like iOS, then there's nothing really missing here. Good battery life, screen, hardware finish, camera, performance, app selection.

    Well done, Apple.

    The Breakdown

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    • Design 8
    • Display 9
    • Camera(s) 10
    • Reception / call quality 8
    • Performance 10
    • Software 7
    • Battery life 9
    • Ecosystem 10
    Show the rest of this review and the breakdown
  • 7.0
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    Reviewed by Rhonin (Currently owns)

    September 22, 2012 07:40 pm

    A good update to the iphone 4 and marginal for the 4S. If you are locked into the iOS world, a good phone and looks solid. If you are an Android or Win user, save your money.

    Overall after a full day, no real surprises in the hardware department. It is a nice improvement to my i4 but nothing really earthshaking. As my work phone it will be getting use and travel, but at this point I don't see the i5 becoming my go to device.

    The Breakdown

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    • Design 7
    • Display 7
    • Camera(s) 8
    • Reception / call quality 7
    • Performance 9
    • Software 4
    • Battery life 7
    • Ecosystem 7
    Show the rest of this review and the breakdown
  • 9.0
    Show all User reviews

    Reviewed by jackmclintock (Currently owns)

    September 22, 2012 06:59 pm

    Physically, this is a massive step up over the 4/4S. Having owned every iPhone since the 3G, the 5 blows away all past models when it comes to construction and build quality. The aluminium unibody construction feels solid and resilient, something which couldn't be said of the 4/4s. The new display is brilliant, and even though it is just 0.5 inches larger, it feels far bigger, and it is next to impossible to go back to any prior iPhone, with all previous iPhones feeling cramped compared to the 5. The new cameras are a solid upgrade, and while the low light performance wasn't as great as I was expecting, it is still superior to any other smartphone camera I have used. The performance of iPhone 5 is just insane. Lag and stutter is a thing of the past, with everything reacting instantly. When it comes to 3G performance, I am routinely getting 3G speeds of around 9 Mb/s. This is 3x the speed I was getting on a 4S, and it is mind-boggling to think that this isn't even LTE. iOS is, unfortunately, starting to lag in new features and updates when compared to things like Jellybean and Windows Phone 8. iOS 6 is a solid update, but things like Maps are a big step back. Apple really needs to up their software game next year. Overall, this is a great phone, unquestionably the best iPhone to date, if not the best smartphone period. While iOS 6 is a bit of a letdown, it is more than made up for by the incredible design and quality of iPhone 5.

    The Breakdown

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    • Design 10
    • Display 10
    • Camera(s) 9
    • Reception / call quality 9
    • Performance 10
    • Software 7
    • Battery life 9
    • Ecosystem 9
    Show the rest of this review and the breakdown
  • 8.0
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    Reviewed by sahil123 (Currently owns)

    September 22, 2012 11:51 am

    Its a beautiful phone, but it lacks a lot of functions. Multi-tasking is a pain in the a**. Its the best camera I've ever used on a smartphone. Software is pulling it back. Not a huge upgrade from the 4S, definitely a must buy for iPhone 4 or older users (unless you haven't invested heavily on apps, in which case you should consider Android ecosystem). Overall, its the best iPhone but the SGS3 would have been a better choice.

    The Breakdown

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    • Design 9
    • Display 8
    • Camera(s) 9
    • Reception / call quality 8
    • Performance 8
    • Software 5
    • Battery life 8
    • Ecosystem 9
    Show the rest of this review and the breakdown
  • 10.0
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    Reviewed by Feltzem (Currently owns)

    September 21, 2012 06:38 pm

    Great phone, every aspect of it except for some areas of the software is well done and refined. If iOS had made a larger leap ahead this year, it would be near perfect. The design of the phone is beautiful and well crafted. Super fast, never lags. Camera is great, especially the HD front camera. Coming from the VGA one on the new iPad, which looks ridiculous at 640x480 on the 2048x1536 display, having more detail when using Facetime is a welcome improvement. Battery life seems pretty good so far, lasted all of yesterday with about 20% left, with heavy use. I'm giving it a 1o based on the phone itself, not iOS.

    The Breakdown

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    • Design 10
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    • Camera(s) 9
    • Reception / call quality 9
    • Performance 10
    • Software 8
    • Battery life 9
    • Ecosystem 10
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