The iPhone 5 combines ease of use with excellent image quality that rivals the best of its conventional competition (ignoring the innovative Nokia 808 PureView for a moment). Anyone upgrading from the iPhone 4S will not see a huge difference in image quality, but the leap from earlier generation models is profound. The iPhone 5's camera is one of the best around, but manual control over white balance and exposure (via exposure compensation) would be the cherry on the cake.

Excellent resolution at low ISO sensitivity settings in good light; Reliable metering and white balance in daylight; Supremely easy to use Camera App; Hardware shutter button (volume keys); Bright, contrasty, very high-resolution LCD screen; Excellent built-in HDR and Panorama modes; Effective touch-to-focus/AE and AF/AE lock options;

Luminance noise visible in areas of plain tone even at ISO 50; Lens prone to flare when bright lights are positioned at or just outside the edge of the frame; Face detection a little hyperactive (sometimes finds faces that aren't there); High ISO output (ISO 1250-3200) uses pixel-binning, which sacrifices resolution for sensitivity;

The iPhone 5 is great and all for the average businessman or high-end job holder, but my biggest worry is the 4G-LTE. It may be RIDICULOUSLY fast right now, but that's because not too many people are using it; give it a year or so, and the 4G-LTE hype will die down and carriers will soon have to...

picture quality; easy to use; helps organize my tasks easily

not too durable

Remember sliced bread? This is better. New operating system adds Several new features. I really like the do not disturb and being able to pick you own music for the alarm. Phone is fast. You jump from last page of icons back to the front. You can actually hear the speakers.

The countdown to the press event where Apple CEO Tim Cook unveiled the new iPhone 5 had Apple fan(atic)s like myself waiting on pins and needles to find out what amazing, revolutionary and insanely great features we would be offered with the new model.

4G LTE; Larger display; Faster; Thinner

Back surface easily scuffed

The iPhone 5 surpasses its predecessors in virtually every aspect, and it is without a doubt the best offering from Apple so far. Despite the oversight with regards to the maps, it isn't quite the off-putting flaw that makes the iPhone 5 any less of a beast (especially since it can be rectified).

+ A speedier and smoother experience; + Improved battery life

- Horrible built-in mapping solution; - Lack of innovative features on the OS

The iPhone 5 is available, but only for those who pre-ordered right away on September 14th and were willing to stand in line at an Apple Store or pay big bucks on an auction site. For the second year in a row, Apple decided to unveil a new iPhone in the run-up to the fourth quarter, instead of in...

Truly elegant / light design, High-speed LTE radio, Double the performance vs; iPhone 4S, Strong graphics performance, Refined UI with iOS6, Beautiful 4" display

Issues with current Maps app; New Lightning connector to deal with; No NFC

Three days after it was released, 5 million copies had already been sold in a dozen countries, despite mixed reactions. For some it lacks innovation; others see it as the next step forward...

Feather weight; Finishing; High quality display; Exemplary responsiveness; Intuitive interface; Photo rendering; Sound quality

Maps; Battery life; Few options for customising the interface; No NFC; High SAR

A taller screen and a sumptuous redesign for the iconic smartphone, but Apple's latest iPhone falls tantalisingly short of the A-List

If you're a fan of Apple's iPhone and iOS, we think you'll be pleased with the enhancements made to the iPhone design. The new aluminium and glass combination is lovely, the longer screen is a slight improvement and the new hardware delivers a seamless user experience, as always.

Same slick performance as with previous iPhones; 4G is a welcome addition; Longer display adds needed screen real estate; Earpods are very comfortable

iOS is still mostly uncustomisable; Design isn't as nice to hold as it is to look at; No HDMI; micro USB or memory expansion; unless you pay for adapters; No NFC

While the iPhone 5 has not yet been officially released in the Philippines, hundreds of units have been shipped into the country lugging along a very hefty price tag. We managed to acquire our own unit to test. Check out our full review of the iPhone 5 after the break.

* Bigger display; same high pixel density; * Great camera; * Thin and light; * LTE support

* Aluminum back panel prone to scratches; * Inferior native Maps app; * Expensive