iPhone 5: 10 Reasons Apple's Smartphone May Disappoint Fans

By Don Reisinger  |  Posted 2012-09-12 Email Print this article Print



Apple is undoubtedly a company that deserves all of the respect it gets. For years, it has found ways to innovate beyond anything the market has seen. And competitors have been left to only hope to catch up. It's a feat unlike anything we've seen to this point. And it speaks to the genius of the late Steve Jobs and his executive team.

But because of all of that success, Apple is held to a higher standard. Customers can view the company's nominal upgrades, while nice, as disappointments. And while any other company would be celebrated for launching new design updates each year, Apple can only get that courtesy when it totally changes a product's look.

Although the following might seem like more of the same, this time around, it's truly hard to not be down on Apple. The iPhone 5, as a standalone product, is nice and worth buying. But when considered in the context of its market and competitors, it looks awfully dull for a company that has spent so much of its time talking about how innovative it is.

1. The 4-inch screen is small Although everyone complained that the iPhone 4S' 3.5-inch screen was small compared to competitors, the same might soon happen with the iPhone 5. That device's display comes in at just 4 inches. Sure, it's better than its predecessor's screen, but what about the countless 4.3-inch devices on the market? What's worse, what's Apple's answer for the 4.8-inch Samsung Galaxy S III?

2. The design has hardly changed


3. Where's the NFC?

Apple made no mention of near-field communication in its presentation. It's unfortunate. Near-field communication delivers communication between products, would offer mobile payments and much more. It's available in countless Android-based devices. Why wouldn't Apple offer it on the iPhone 5?

4. The 8-megapixel camera isn't a major update


5. iOS 6 is nice, but not a major upgrade


6. The new Lightning is annoying

Apple tried to put a good face on its new Lightning port, which replaces the 30-pin connector found in its previous devices. However, it's a bit annoying. The port requires an accessory to connect the iPhone 5 to existing dock-ready devices, and will force customers to upgrade to new devices sooner than they might like. It's nice that it'll sync more quickly, but let's be honest â Apple is trying to get rid of that, anyway.

7. Quad-core processor? Yawn.

Apple has finally unveiled the A6 quad-core processor. It's a nice addition to the iPhone 5. But quad-core processors are by no means new. The chips have found their way to a host of Android-based devices, including those from Apple's biggest competitors. Apple needed to deliver something better, and it didn't.

8. More storage, please

Was anyone else disappointed that Apple didn't offer up more storage in the iPhone 5? With video viewing becoming far more popular around the world, it would only make sense for Apple to give users more storage to allow them to keep that content on their devices. Instead, it topped out the iPhone 5 at 64GB.

9. How long will it take developers to catch up?

With a new screen size comes new headaches for Apple's developer partners. The apps that were built for 3.5-inch screens won't fit on the 4-inch displays until developers make modifications. That becomes a problem when there are many more 3.5-inch screens out there. Look for apps to look awfully weird after the iPhone 5 launches.

10. Don't forget the hidden costs

Although the iPhone 5 comes in at the same prices as its predecessor, customers should be aware that there will be hidden costs. Chief among them? The aforementioned adapters for the Lightning port. Wondering how much that will cost? A whopping $29. Now, think of all of the products that need the 30-pin connector, and ask yourself if you want to carry that single adapter to all of them. Upset yet?

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