iPhone 5 - Page 120

I think it was a good improvement over the 4s on a lot of levels, but the display falls short and that's really the most important part of the phone. Aside from that the design is quite nice and the internals are great. People expecting much more than they got were deluding themselves.

But the size of the display is disappointing and I played with apple maps today and it sucks. I mean really sucks. I searched for a store in Toronto and all sorts of unrelated hits came up on the map. 16 hits came up with all sorts of variations of the spelling I actually entered, all completely unrelated to what I was looking for except the 1 in 15 that was correct, but that I couldn't find except by clicking each pin individually. This is aside from the rendering issues, misplacement of entire cities, bad directions, etc.

The thing is, I use my phone less in its capacity as a phone and more for just about everything else in which the bigger the screen, the better, within reason (the Galaxy note is too big). I think most people are the same and that's why large displays have become so popular. They're better for gaming, better for reading, better for browsing, better for email, and better for navigation. They might not feel quite as nice as an iphone 5 in your pant pockets, but as long as they're not so bulky as to be difficult to put in your pocket, I don't think it's an issue except for the crowd wearing skinny jeans. If you have properly fitted pants (unlikely for SW&D folks), you'll probably be fine with a gs3 or whatever.

And to be honest, a wider phone actually fits better in the interior pocket of a sportsjacket where my phone frequently resides. I can't be the only one SFer that gets really annoyed when his iphone falls sideways in the inside pocket of my jacket, creating discomfort and an unsightly bulge in my perfectly fitted borrelli jackets. I'm always putting it back up to its vertical orientation. Annoying! (ya ya, first world problems) A slightly bigger phone should actually avoid that issue.
Edited by GQgeek - 9/24/12 at 6:58pm

+1 this is what's keeping me from getting a Galaxy S III. Was thinking of going Iphone 5, but the apple maps thing might be a deal breaker. If they allow a google maps app in their store I'll probably go for it.

-1

apple maps is horrible but they will certainly get google maps, especially since their own product has been such a fiasco. I think google should withhold them personally, as they are all of a sudden a huge competitive advantage for android over ios. Maps are a basic thing that people expect to work and if you can't rely on the maps on your phone, it's a big problem, especially as more people rely on them for TBT nav and transit. When I first bought my iphone, the primary driver was maps in a new city. I'd never buy a phone that didn't have reliable mapping and I'd bet both Samsung and nokia will take full advantage of that in upcoming marketing campaigns.

I definitely think they should have held back their mapping product until the next release at the earliest. Or, if they'd been smart they would have built their offering on top of navteq instead of tomtom + a hodgepodge of other sources of mapping data of varying quality from around the world. And aside from the mapping data being inaccurate, there are all sorts of rendering issues in the app itself. There's little excuse for that in what is supposed to be a finished product. If they'd left google maps as an option, it might be excusable, but the fact that they completely removed it and didn't provide the option, and then put in something that doesn't work for a lot of people, is inexcusable imo.

I understand the long-term strategy, but I think they've really tarnished their brand by rushing it.

What time zone?

10PM Eastern

Seems like a good move. Take orders through the night and then adjust distribution between 4 AM and store openings to get inventory to higher demand stores.
Edited by Despos - 9/24/12 at 7:56pm

I was very impressed with maps. Used it to get to someones house yesterday. When I put in the address it mapped out three routes to take and I chose route # 1.Chicago burbs use numbers and names for streets. Locals use the number and most written addresses use names. Haven't lived here that long to be up to speed with both options and locals will say "take 22" and I know it as Half Day Rd. The Apple system uses both. Siri uses the name and written on the screen I get both the name and the actual street sign with the number. The route you need to be on is in blue and the rest of the info in green. Pretty clear and easy. Siri is talking the route as I drive. Got to the house in a way I would not have known and asked the person who lived there how he would get home and it was the same route. I liked it, seemed simple and easy to me. Worked better for me than other mapping sites.

On the page of the directions there is a prompt for "report a problem" You input mistakes in directions or locations and they will put it into the system.

Charged my phone last night and had a normal use day. Battery icon has only receded 1 millimeter.

I'm a fanboi!

DisplayMate Rates iPhone 5 Screen as "Best Smartphone Display" They've Seen
Monday September 24, 2012 7:36 pm PDT by Arnold Kim
DisplayMate posts an extensive analysis of the new iPhone 5 screen and also provides detailed comparisons against the iPhone 4 and the Samsung Galaxy S III.

They conclude that the iPhone 5 represents the best Smartphone screen they've tested.
Based on our extensive Lab measurements the iPhone 5 has a true state-of-the-art accurate display – it’s not perfect and there is plenty of room for improvements (and competitors) but it is the best Smartphone display we have seen to date based on extensive Lab measurements and viewing tests.
In particular, they note that the iPhone 5 has much lower screen refections, a much higher image contrast and screen readability in high ambient lighting and notably improved color accuracy and picture quality.

Here is their Overall Assessments chart comparing the iPhone 4, iPhone 5, and Samsung Galaxy SIII. They conclude the iPhone 5 significantly outperforms the other two units:


The remainder of their charts detail differences in Reflections, Brightness and Contrast, Color and Intensities, Viewing Angles, Power Consumption and Battery Impact.

Would you still be a fanboi if you found out Jony Ive likes the drape? (He actually does, BTW.)

The new ear phones are actually worth using.

No, I would be disappoint.

Actually, I am becoming more open of a broader range in styling. Thru the internet I have gained exposure to so many different silhouettes and learned to appreciate them when I see them well done. The Neapolitan took the longest to accept but I actually didn't take to it until I saw it done by a tailor in Rome. A slight variation of the basic Neapolitan jacket but a very expressive interpretation.

Re: Maps.

I'm aware that I'm about to be called a fanboi, but I think it's hard to judge a huge app like maps, particularly when it comes to the actual mapping itself, right off the bat. I mean, of course it sucks in the short-term. But I'd be surprised if stays sucky for a very long time. I'll probably struggle through myself - the GPS is one of the original game-changing features of the iPhone/smartphone and it has to work. But even GOOG maps had issues at the beginning, and frankly, often still does. My local searches turn up garbage with some frequency. But the important thing will be to have a richly-featured application that pushes the boundaries of technology. I'm confident the actual database of information will improve.

In the long run, having two big players offering robust mapping applications and environments will only benefit consumers of both AAPL and GOOG phones.

I can't get to the point where I can see store stock. I'm not going to cancel my Verizon order before seeing I can grab one at the store.

Fanboi.

Seriously though, maps is not something apple can fix overnight. it will take years.

New ear phones still suck for me

Not impressed unlike JGL: