Apple Specialist: September 2012

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Apple Launches New App Store Feature Section for Alternative Maps

Following this morning's release of an open letter from Tim Cook apologizing for issues with the new Apple-driven Maps app in iOS 6 and mentioning some alternative map options available to users, Apple has also added a new featured section to the App Store highlighting some of those map alternatives.

A host of alternative apps ranging from free to Magellan's $49.99 "RoadMate USA" are available from such brands as Waze, Mapquest, Garmin, Bing, and MotionX.

Apple's embrace of alternative map options seems to be a sign that the company is taking criticism of its own offering seriously, although directing users to downloads through the App Store is still of benefit to Apple. Cook's letter did, however, also promote web-based alternatives such as Google's and Nokia's maps.

Friday, September 21, 2012

Black iPhone 5 Anodized Aluminum Susceptible to Scratching?

After the original announcement of the iPhone 5, one early concern amongst readers was how well the anodized aluminum back and edges of the black iPhone 5 would hold up over time.

One lengthy thread on our forums has been actively discussing the potential issue andPocket-Lint in their review did note some wear around the edges after some early usage.

Ditching the glass back and reducing the thickness of the glass panel on the front has affected the design of the metal band around the edge of the iPhone. It is now chamfered and while that looks pretty, we've already noticed that on the black model the edge has started to wear, revealing the shiny silver aluminium metal underneath the "slate" coloured coating and, indeed, we've witnessed it on two separate models, ruling out a fluke manufacturing error.

One person on another forum got straight to the matter and took keys and a SIM card tray pin to the back and edges of an in-store iPhone 5 unit with these results.

Of course, purposefully scratching a device is a bit extreme, but daily usage of any phone will generate some wear and tear. This may be a concern if you are particularly sensitive to the issue.

iPhone 5 Goes on Sale Around the World, First Impressions

The iPhone 5 has been launching across the world this evening, starting in Australia and now extending into Europe. The iPhone 5 will go on sale in the U.S. at 8am local time.

Mac-TV.de posted this image of the Frankfurt, Germany Apple Store shortly before it opens. USA Today reports on large lines in many countries:

Eager buyers formed long lines at Apple stores in Australia and Japan. In Hong Kong, buyers had to sign up online for the chance to pick up the device at a preset time. The first customers were greeted by staff cheering, clapping, chanting "iPhone 5! iPhone 5!" and high-fiving them as they were escorted through the front door.

Meanwhile, one reader from Australia has posted their first impressions of their new iPhone 5 and has been posting more photos in the thread.

Of their new iPhone, thaifood wrote:

The screen size is noticeably taller. The change in aspect ratio feels good. The lack of increase in width seems awkward in photos, but when you hold it you understand how much more comfortable it feels when compared to a wider phone. The dock is so tiny now! I almost missed it when checking out the bottom of the device. The speaker grills also look great in the finished modal. They do not appear as large as photos portray them to be.

Italian site iSpazio.net has posted their own unboxing photos and video.

Those who have pre-ordered can follow their packages with others in our AT&T, Apple (U.S.), UK, Canadian, Verizon or Sprint pre-order discussion threads. The iPhone 5 will become available in the U.S. at retail stores at 8 a.m. local time.

Thursday, September 20, 2012

First iPhone 5 Reviews: Thinner, Lighter, LTE "Stunningly Fast"

The embargo has just lifted on the first iPhone 5 reviews. Apple has provided some publications with an early review unit of the iPhone 5. We are collecting some of the more interesting points from each review, but you can click each title to read the full writeup. The iPhone 5 will officially launch on September 21st and will be available in retail stores beginning at 8am.

CNet Review

- "The screen size lengthening is subtle: but, like the Retina Display, you're going to have a hard time going back once you've used it."
- "LTE, in my tests, ran anywhere from 10 to 20 [Mbps], which is up to twice as fast as my wireless router's connection at home."
- "Still pictures taken while recording video aren't shot using the normal 8-megapixel Web cam; they're screen captures of the video itself. The aspect ratio is different, and the image quality's a bit weaker."
- "callers I reached via speakerphone noticed a crisper, clearer call on the iPhone 5 versus the iPhone 4S."
- "The phone's lasted roughly the whole day each day, unplugging around 8 a.m. and engaging in a mix of calling, web surfing, video playback, downloading, game playing, FaceTime calling over Wi-Fi and LTE, and even a little 4G LTE hot spot use via my MacBook Air."

The Loop Review by Jim Dalrymple

- "If you told me that I would be able to see another few rows of emails or more of a Web page, I don’t know that I would see the importance, but when you look at the iPhone 5, it’s more than that. You have to see it to get an idea of what can be done."

The New York Times Review by David Pogue

- "The new phone, in all black or white, is beautiful. Especially the black one, whose gleaming, black-on-black, glass-and-aluminum body carries the design cues of a Stealth bomber."
- "The camera is among the best ever put into a phone. Its lowlight shots blow away the same efforts from an iPhone 4S."
- "It’s just too bad about that connector change. Doesn’t Apple worry about losing customer loyalty and sales?"

iPhone 4S vs 5 photo via CNet
Engadget Review by Tim Stevens

- " At 112 grams it's 20 percent lighter than the 4S, a figure that doesn't seem like it would make much of an impact. It does -- so much so that it's the lightness, not the bigger display or the thinness, that nearly everybody praises when first getting a chance to hold the iPhone 5 in their own hands."
- "the Lightning connector is infinitely easier to connect. It slots in nicely and does so regardless of orientation, plugging in right-side-up or upside-down."
- "More problematic is the speed of this new connector. " -- Based on USB 2.0, so no faster than existing connector/cable.
- Taking photo speed is much improved.
- "On our standard battery rundown test, in which we loop a video with LTE and WiFi enabled and social accounts pinging at regular intervals, the iPhone 5 managed a hugely impressive 11 hours and 15 minutes."
- "In general, iOS 6 has seen some nice nips and tucks where it needed it. iCloud integration is tighter, Safari is better and the overall experience is more polished. But, it isn't a major step forward in any regard. "

Wall Street Journal Review by Walt Mossberg

- "I found the new iPhone screen much easier to hold and manipulate than its larger rivals and preferred it. In my view, Apple’s approach makes the phone far more comfortable to use, especially one-handed."
- "The iPhone 5′s battery lasted between 9 and 12 hours every day, in mixed use. For most people, the phone would last the day without recharging."
- "The biggest drawback I found is the new Maps app. Apple has replaced Google Maps with a new maps app of its own. "

T3 Review by Luke Peters

- "Don’t get us wrong, it’s a miracle how Apple has shed so much excess podge and millions of people will love the lightweight design, but we preferred the more robust, weapon-like nature of the 4S."
- "Given that iPhone 4S users can upgrade to iOS 6 and do just about everything the iPhone 5 can do, and that Android users can get similarly impressive handsets for less dosh, we reckon the smart money won’t all be going on a new iPhone this year, even if the mass market can’t get enough of it. It’s good, very good. But it’s no longer the best around."

Pocket Lint Review by Stuart Miles

- "It is now chamfered and while that looks pretty, we've already noticed that on the black model the edge has started to wear, revealing the shiny silver aluminium metal underneath the "slate" coloured coating and, indeed, we've witnessed it on two separate models, ruling out a fluke manufacturing error."

TechCrunch Review by MG Siegler

- "One nice side effect of the letterboxing is that the iOS system elements can still use the larger screen. So, for example, when Push Notifications come in, they flip down from the top of the screen and settle perfectly above the 3.5-inch app (as opposed to on top of it)."

Others

- USA Today Review by Edward Baig
- Daring Fireball Review by John Gruber
- CBC Review by Peter Nowak

Overall, the reviews are very positive. Regular iPhone users seem to enjoy the added space. Everyone seems to comment on the lightness and thinness of the device. Apple's 2x speed claims and battery claims seem accurate. The new Lightning connector seems to be physically nice, though there is disappointment there is no speed improvement in syncing as compared to the old sync cable/connectors.

Apple's EarPods Receive the Teardown Treatment

The teardown experts at iFixit are undoubtedly itching to get their hands on the iPhone 5 later this week, and in the meantime they've decided to bide their time by taking apart Apple's new EarPods to see how the earphones compare to their predecessors. Overall, the teardown reveals a significantly revamped design with greater durability in the form of better-sealed components and increased cord strain relief features.

Among the most interesting changes is a move to paper cones surrounded by a polymer, shifting away from the all-plastic design seen in the previous headphones.

- Apple's switch to paper-based speaker cones may be the source of their advertised improved low and mid-range response.

- We also discovered that the speaker basket has a much more refined look than previous models (see comparison in next step), with a fine mesh covering the back and symmetrically-placed vents. The basket is a critical component, as it must be rigid to maintain consistent sound quality while still being open enough to not inhibit movement of air behind the vibrating diaphragm.

Early reviews of the EarPods indicate that they perform significantly better than the stock headphones included with previous iPhone and iPod models, but still fall far short of higher-quality offerings available from other companies. Apple is including the EarPods with the iPhone 5 and the new iPod touch and iPod nano, and is also selling them as a standalone $29 accessory.

iPhone 5 Javascript Benchmarks Over Twice as Fast

Smaller numbers are better, so the final score of 914.7ms is better than all of the other devices on the chart and is the fastest SunSpider test they've ever recorded for a smartphone. The iPhone 5 is two and a half times as fast as the iPhone 4S (2250ms) and notably faster than the Samsung Galaxy S III (1442.9-1824.9ms).

Javascript is used as a measure of web browser performance, but the final score can be impacted by both the processor as well as the particular Javascript implementation on the device. Javascript is a common area of optimization due to its common usage on websites and may have been improved in iOS 6 which ships with the iPhone 5. AnandTechnotes that the superior performance is likely a reflection of the Apple A6's improved memory subsystem.

First iPhone 5 Teardown Surfaces Ahead of Official Launch

The iPhone 5 does not officially launch until tomorrow, but a few units have been trickling out and German site iPhone-Garage has been able to obtain one of these units andperform an initial teardown of the device.

While the teardown lacks the details and analysis that we will see later from iFixit and other teardown specialists and many of the internal components have already been seen over the past few months in part leaks, this first teardown does provide some confirmation of the internal layout of the device through an extensive set of photos.

With all of the components in place, it is clear how tightly Apple has managed to pack in the internals, revamping much of the interior structure of the device compared to its predecessor.

As had been previously seen in leaked photos, the battery and logic board have swapped sides and the headphone jack has been moved to the bottom, resulting in significant changes to the overall layout. The move to a taller and thinner body has also pushed Apple toward other innovations such as the new Lightning connector in order to achieve a design that is 18% thinner and 20% lighter than the iPhone 4S.