I've owned the IP5 for just a few weeks now. It's my first "smart" phone and I chose it because of it's great sale price and also for it's purported ease of use. I'd been very reluctant to buy an iphone in the past because of it's smallish screen and also because I didn't want to be saddled with a data plan. Increasingly however, internet access on the go is no longer a luxury but a necessity. And the great sale price at walton mart pushed me, finally, to buy. 4"? Not so great, but it was a noticeable, if not dramatic, improvement over a 3.5" screen.
Right out of the box, I was dazzled at first by the IP5's capabilities and ease of use. I'll ignore the deplorable arrogance and it's impact on "customer service" at apple retail stores for now, but my no. 1 concern otherwise with the iphone is screen size. It's simply too small to function as a web browser. Obviously, it CAN be used as a browser, but not optimally so. Reading any page typically involves flipping the phone and lots and lots of swiping, both vertically and horizontally and a good deal of pinching (outwards) as well. Minor inconveniences to be sure considering the fact that I didn't have web access at all previously with my phone, but still a minor inconvenience nonetheless.
The screen is also too small to enjoy gaming to it's fullest. There is a TON of information there with that retina display but it's hard to appreciate when the details are nearly microscopic.
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Of course I know quite a few people with the note 2 and s3, and those big, bright screens will cause any IP5 user to "take note" (pun intended) and likely give pause as well.
Viewing the note 2 and IP5 screens side by side is extremely sobering. Esp. if you've just committed to a 2 year contract with the IP5, and find yourself just outside the return period. :/
The note 2 screen is very sharp, the blacks are fantastic, and color saturation is top notch. It is a gorgeous screen. And the pre-release specs for the note 3 and s4 look absolutely amazing. 13 megapixel cameras and a 6" screen, full 1080p HD, and that's just for starters.
Meanwhile the 5s is due to add a slightly improved camera. There is simply no conceivable way that apple will NOT lose market share to samsung/android this summer.
I am pleased that I own a very nice phone with full internet access. But this is a holdover phone until I get a look-see at the note 3 due for release this summer/early fall. I think that will indeed be the phone I will truly be proud of owning. It will be the first "smart" phone that is not hobbled in any way with any significant compromises.
IP5, you brought us this far, but the S4 and Note 3 are about to leapfrog the 5/S by a gangnam mile....
edit: I know this is a long debate, but one issue which has already started to annoy me is that the phone feels hamstrung by itunes. There is no way to drag and drop and copy individual files. Itunes syncs everything or wipes your phone clean. There's no in between.
I don't know why iphone users aren't up in arms about the lack of flexibility with the itunes approach. It is terribly outdated, and no sane person believes this is the best way of syncing devices.
Right out of the box, I was dazzled at first by the IP5's capabilities and ease of use. I'll ignore the deplorable arrogance and it's impact on "customer service" at apple retail stores for now, but my no. 1 concern otherwise with the iphone is screen size. It's simply too small to function as a web browser. Obviously, it CAN be used as a browser, but not optimally so. Reading any page typically involves flipping the phone and lots and lots of swiping, both vertically and horizontally and a good deal of pinching (outwards) as well. Minor inconveniences to be sure considering the fact that I didn't have web access at all previously with my phone, but still a minor inconvenience nonetheless.
The screen is also too small to enjoy gaming to it's fullest. There is a TON of information there with that retina display but it's hard to appreciate when the details are nearly microscopic.
---
Of course I know quite a few people with the note 2 and s3, and those big, bright screens will cause any IP5 user to "take note" (pun intended) and likely give pause as well.
Viewing the note 2 and IP5 screens side by side is extremely sobering. Esp. if you've just committed to a 2 year contract with the IP5, and find yourself just outside the return period. :/
The note 2 screen is very sharp, the blacks are fantastic, and color saturation is top notch. It is a gorgeous screen. And the pre-release specs for the note 3 and s4 look absolutely amazing. 13 megapixel cameras and a 6" screen, full 1080p HD, and that's just for starters.
Meanwhile the 5s is due to add a slightly improved camera. There is simply no conceivable way that apple will NOT lose market share to samsung/android this summer.
I am pleased that I own a very nice phone with full internet access. But this is a holdover phone until I get a look-see at the note 3 due for release this summer/early fall. I think that will indeed be the phone I will truly be proud of owning. It will be the first "smart" phone that is not hobbled in any way with any significant compromises.
IP5, you brought us this far, but the S4 and Note 3 are about to leapfrog the 5/S by a gangnam mile....
edit: I know this is a long debate, but one issue which has already started to annoy me is that the phone feels hamstrung by itunes. There is no way to drag and drop and copy individual files. Itunes syncs everything or wipes your phone clean. There's no in between.
I don't know why iphone users aren't up in arms about the lack of flexibility with the itunes approach. It is terribly outdated, and no sane person believes this is the best way of syncing devices.
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