[Jaguarr40]

Sorry Swarlos, but we can't close a thread simply because opinions differ from one another. Per the Chief, we will just have to work together to make each thread here at iMore Awesome whether our opinions coincide with each other or not...

Thank you Rose. I just gave a personal opinion about this comment you made and the answer you gave is spot on.

[Jaguarr40]

I understand what you are saying. If people would stop replying (not directed at you) this thread will eventually stop coming up as a new post and fall to the bottom of the forum. I have no doubt the OP is having a good laugh with each reply, which is unfortunate.

....And even if it does not it is still CLEAN Conversation which is the purpose of ANY thread. Members Matter!!

[Jaguarr40]

For you.

We have a plethora of members who have tried several other phones comparable to the iPhone 5, and came back to the iPhone as the best choice for them...

If you all are still actively participating in this thread or simply reading the posts by others...Be mindful that the bolded wording I made to prove a point is all anyone in here including Sean is trying to get across. Please everyone if you remember this then really all else does not matter..... Once again, ​It is was works best for YOU!

[swarlos]

True or not on your statement and asking a Mod to close this thread is not the way to go.
There are 3 Mods watching over the thread and are quite capable in just their posts alone to swing it back to where it need to go. The purpose is communication and conversation as long as their is no profanity or calling people names or what Keith highlighted as to the rules and guidelines so even if the OP is not here others are and they are talking. If we took every single thread like this and closed it, There would be none or no topics to talk about.

If everyone who has participated and still continue to participate in this thread do so as i see it now in a civil way there is no reason to close it. Keep it civil, speak your peace and more important than anything, Don't get caught up with someone you disagree with instead move by their statement, Make your own comment w/o specific names and that's it.
Moderators know what and when to do with individuals as opposed to closing a thread with 5 going on 6 pages long.

Jag I agree this thread has been very civil my only qualm was it seems like there's been a plethora of these dumb threads lately but at least we haven't gotten crazy haha.

[Jaguarr40]

Jag I agree this thread has been very civil my only qualm was it seems like there's been a plethora of these dumb threads lately but at least we haven't gotten crazy haha.

The only advice I have for you is to not personally get caught up in something you don't believe in as much as the others have and twist things the wrong way. There are many of these "Threads" you are referring to and they are not going to be the last but that is why there are Moderators and they will assure the quality of the threads and do their job when needed.
If you feel it to be too much do the same thing we are told to do, get out, move on and don't get caught up. Go to another thread and be useful someplace else when you see a thread going nowhere or in the wrong direction and don't be part of it.

[mountainman]

The only advice I have for you is to not personally get caught up in something you don't believe in as much as the others have and twist things the wrong way. There are many of these "Threads" you are referring to and they are not going to be the last but that is why there are Moderators and they will assure the quality of the threads and do their job when needed.
If you feel it to be too much do the same thing we are told to do, get out, move on and don't get caught up. Go to another thread and be useful someplace else when you see a thread going nowhere or in the wrong direction and don't be part of it.

No. Just no. The point of the original thread was to cause a stir. And it has. It has been not so civil and it has been civil. But to say to "go to another thread and be useful someplace else" is not appropriate.

Here is the point. Apple has become predictable. And, is it really the greatest thing ever. Sure it is. Ask anyone who has tried Android, BB, etc.... And they come back. Because, it really is the best. Plain and simple. But, they are becoming predictable and the magic is gone. Hopefully it will come back.

[Eileen89]

No. Just no. The point of the original thread was to cause a stir. And it has. It has been not so civil and it has been civil. But to say to "go to another thread and be useful someplace else" is not appropriate.

Here is the point. Apple has become predictable. And, is it really the greatest thing ever. Sure it is. Ask anyone who has tried Android, BB, etc.... And they come back. Because, it really is the best. Plain and simple. But, they are becoming predictable and the magic is gone. Hopefully it will come back.

This thread is being monitored closely and is going well so far. As I mentioned before, a difference of opinion does not mean a thread is uncivil. I do believe some people will come back after trying a different OS for various reasons. However, I think there are also a large percentage of people who try other OS and don't return.

[shanghaichica]

The iPhone is not even close to the greatest phone out. When you look at the camera compared to other devices ti fails. The UI and the smoothness of it trumps other devices. The small screen also makes it feel and appear dated as well. It is up there but definitely not the greatest.

But those other phones with better cameras came out this year and the iPhone came out last year. You need to compare the 5 to the s3, note 3, nexus 4, lumia 920, HTC one x.

You can compare the 5S to the s4 and HTC one.

[cardfan]

Jag I agree this thread has been very civil my only qualm was it seems like there's been a plethora of these dumb threads lately but at least we haven't gotten crazy haha.

Agreed. It would've been a nobrainer to just kill the thread and ban the obvious troll instead of having a discussion in forums etiquette 101.

Does it really take 20 mods to screw in a lightbulb?

[Just_Me_D]

Agreed. It would've been a nobrainer to just kill the thread and ban the obvious troll instead of having a discussion in forums etiquette 101.

Does it really take 20 mods to screw in a lightbulb?

Please read the post via the following link (which should direct you to post #69) to better understand our stance:
http://forums.imore.com/iphone-5/259...ml#post2062366

[Larry Pager]

I'm an on again, off again iPhone user- 3GS -> droid -> 4 -> S3

First off, I think the market for all smartphones is maturing- each new update or new phone that comes out doesn't have the groundbreaking upgrades that REALLY got people excited. I remember I was hyped for the 3GS and waited in line for one. It was an event- something amazing. 4? I strolled into Verizon and picked one up without any fuss. I used to upgrade every year, now... it's like why bother. I'm not going to go through all that hassle for a slight bump in specs.

I think all the different smartphones are all basically converging into the same device- iPhone, Android, Windows Mobile. So it's a lot harder to differentiate. Maps? Everybody has it. Internet browser? Check. Apps? Got that too. And so on. There are variations, sure, but it's not like one platform is horribly behind compared to everybody else- well the only area that a platform can really fall behind is in terms of 3rd party apps- i.e. windows mobile.

In terms of the iPhone- hardware design, iTunes, 3rd party apps, ease of connectivity to your computer, longevity (you know your phone won't be worthless in 3 months) are its greatest strengths.
Ease of use is up there, but Android is making some pretty big strides.
Android has iPhone beat in terms of stock apps- the Google apps really are amazing on an Android phone.

Historically, it's the greatest thing ever for smartphones. Now, it's a very strong contender but the competition now actually has products that people want.

[Eileen89]

Please read the post via the following link (which should direct you to post #69) to better understand our stance:
http://forums.imore.com/iphone-5/259...ml#post2062366

I wish I could sticky Rene's post some where as it offers the best explanation as to why we can not go around and close threads.

[Eileen89]

Does it really take 20 mods to screw in a lightbulb?

Absolutely! One Mod actually changes the bulb while the other 19 mods stand around and monitor that it is being done per the lightbulb changing guidelines.

[mulasien]

I wish I could sticky Rene's post some where as it offers the best explanation as to why we can not go around and close threads.

I saw Rene's response and agree with him for the most part. However in this thread's case, it was obvious that it was posted purely as flame bait by a serial flame baiting poster. It truly serves no purpose other than to get people riled up. When I first saw the post I was tempted for about a second to reply before I realized what its true purpose was.

[Jaguarr40]

I wish I could sticky Rene's post some where as it offers the best explanation as to why we can not go around and close threads.

I don't know if it has to go that far but I 100% agree with you. You could ask the opinions of your fellow Mods after you finish that light bulb....LOL and if agreed on make it a thread here and paste it giving credit to Rene and sticky it in here. Depends on how far you want to think it needs to be taken Irish!!

[Jaguarr40]

I saw Rene's response and agree with him for the most part. However in this thread's case, it was obvious that it was posted purely as flame bait by a serial flame baiting poster. It truly serves no purpose other than to get people riled up. When I first saw the post I was tempted for about a second to reply before I realized what its true purpose was.

I actually think that this for sure started out that way and while the OP has never been seen again although his intentions were wrong it got people having conversations that really never got too far off topic and for the most part except for a few people what was acomplished was conversation and that is why Rene said in his post that 'D referred to is why we don't close threads and then only when their are Mod discussions to get majority opinion on it. Of course if it is obvious and crosses the vulgar line that is different and other action would be taken against the OP of the thread.

[Alli]

I think I'm going to start offering Flame/Troll bait 101 webinars so people can learn how best to deal with these things. The best, of course, is to simply ignore them. Nobody ever questions what they are. For years now, you've heard me say "do not feed the trolls." Yet our trolls are getting fat.

Meanwhile, the flame throwers never come back to see what they've started. Just ignore them. The threads will quickly fall to page 9, and nobody will ever see them.

[Jaguarr40]

I think I'm going to start offering Flame/Troll bait 101 webinars so people can learn how best to deal with these things. The best, of course, is to simply ignore them. Nobody ever questions what they are. For years now, you've heard me say "do not feed the trolls." Yet our trolls are getting fat.

Meanwhile, the flame throwers never come back to see what they've started. Just ignore them. The threads will quickly fall to page 9, and nobody will ever see them.

Exactly the same advice someone on here and forgive me for not remembering who said it gave quite a few pages back. That is how it should go from here. Nothing else to really add to this thread. Thank you for the reminder Alli.

[Eileen89]

Exactly the same advice someone on here and forgive me for not remembering who said it gave quite a few pages back.

I said it in post #85 on page 4.

[Richard Nieves]

It never was the greatest thing and never will be. As a phone it just works though. I care squat about specs it's the user experience that counts and that is where iOS excels other systems even though it has inferior hardware. I've been with Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone and MeGoo. iOS is just the smoothest of the bunch with Windows Phone close second and guess what they haven't done the spec race either. It's all bout optimizing software against the hardware.

I agree completely. Specs only really mater if the phone OS is optimized for the hardware. Windows phone comes in second because it follows those same guidelines. Even though they use multiple carriers and manufacturers, Microsoft has still made sure all phones meet their quality standards and as far as updates go (at least when I had a windows phone), updates generally arrive around the same time frame for all windows phone users. To me the iPhone is the best because of the reliability I have with it, I know its going to work, I know Its going to get updates, It doesn't randomly reboot, rarely lags gets yearly updates, and hardware is generally very reliable. Windows phone comes in second. I only left windows phone because its App Store (and quality of apps) were no where near what I wanted and I am honestly not a huge fan off the metro interface. I will put windows phone and android in about equal second only because I do like androids interface, google now, and the general functionality of android, but I hate the unreliable hardware, iffy update cycle, laggy software if the hardware isn't higher end, and not as high quality apps as ios (even worse for tablets).

However something important to keep in mind when deciding "the best phone" is to remember that not only does everyone have a different preference of what is important, what they deem aesthetically pleasing, and how they use their phone; there is also the matter of phones not all functioning identical to one another. For instance, me and my girlfriend praise the iPhone 5 battery life, however my cousin HATES the battery life and says it rarely lasts him. My mom and best friend have Motorola photons and can last 2 days, yet, when I helped my friend pick it out, battery life was one of the main concerns. Me and my brother had an epic 4g touch (sprint gs2) and we hated them because the batteries degraded and, it was laggy and touchwiz sucked. However, it had great ratings (why we bought it) and many people loved them. I can go on and on and on, but not very phone works exactly like every other and because of all the factors that can contribute to a phones performance it's hard to truly say which phone is best. I hated apple everything before I got my iPhone 5 and I had used it before. I had an ipad 1 and everything always crashed!

I personally have no issues with my iPhone 5 and will likely get an iPhone 5s when my upgrade comes up next month! It's worked extremely well for me and I suspect the next iPhone will as well since its only a minor upgrade. I also really like the camera! I hope apple integrates some of the awesome stuff Nokia does! Since the iPhone 4 was released iPhone has been pretty well known for having one of the best cameras on the smartphone market so I hope that continues to hold true. The htc one and Nokia lumina 1020 have certainly given apple good competition and top apple in photo quality (specifically in low lighting.

[theKHMERboy]

All phones and platforms have their good and bad and for me right now I still like the iPhone 5 better then all other phones out there and not just cause I have one, is because I like the size of the phone, the clarity of the screen, the way it looks sleek and simple but yet luxury and how smooth the phone is.. I can't speak for everyone but for myself I can see myself using an iPhone for the next few years or so