Most people anticipated seeing the iPhone 5 surface last year but, of course, Cupertino had different plan, instead opting to beef up the iPhone 4's internal hardware and leave its chassis virtually untouched.

Super fast; larger display; thinner body; solid battery life; LTE; improved camera

Some apps still need to be updated for the larger screen; if you've invested in iPhone accessories you'll need a $30 Lightning adapter to use them; Apple Maps feels half-baked -- though this is an iOS 6 feature and a Google Maps app is coming

The iPhone 5. As in five million units sold over the course of a … weekend. Can't say no to that. This is the latest installment in the smartphone series that changed the mobile phone industry and we can understand people couldn't wait. Now, what is it they couldn't wait for?

Quad-band GSM and quad-band 3G support with 14.4 Mbps HSDPA and 5.76 Mbps HSUPA; LTE support where carriers support it and CDMA support when sold by CDMA carriers; 4" 16M-color LED-backlit IPS TFT capacitive touchscreen of 640 x 1136px resolution; Scratch-resistant screen glass,...

Aluminum body looks cool but is easy to scratch; Proprietary connector; incompatible with previous-gen accessories (needs adapter; The new display is not proportionally bigger; but only taller; Unadapted apps run letterboxed due to the unusual resolution; nano-SIM support only; Apple Maps app not up...

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

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

Iphone 5 is definitely an excellent phone, but the for ones whom like to 'personalize' and have fun with the system of their units.And despite the solid built, imho, it's too costly. Its completely branded which i like most to use it and recommend it.

The iPhone 5 does everything well. It's beautiful, super fast, has great battery life, is tied to the best app store out there, and it takes incredible photos and video. There's no reason you wouldn't want an iPhone 5, unless of course you desire the flexibility and choice that only an Android phone...

+ Incredible hardware: thin; lightweight; beautiful; different; + Amazing camera; + Gorgeous display with fantastic outdoor visibility; + Uncompromising performance; + Great call quality; + LTE connectivity; + Terrific battery life; + Lightning connector is small; reversible; + Included EarPods have...

- iOS 6 is generally more of the same, - Polished metal edges are prone to chipping and scratching; Apple logo on back scratches easily, - Lightning is proprietary and adapter isn't cheap, The iPhone 5 is available now (though you might have to wait a few weeks to get one) through the Apple store,...

Upgrading from the iPhone 4 to iPhone 5 delivers a clear increase in image quality. Not only this but it is quicker in use, for example, HDR pictures are rendered much quicker. We recommend you use the HDR mode all the time as it generally produced much better results.

Large number of apps available; Fantastic panoramas; HDR mode delivers good results; Size and weight; Geotagging; LCD screen; White balance performance; Easy to share pictures

Expensive; No image stabilisation; LED flash not great; Very few camera settings available

To say that the iPhone 5 is the most anticipated smartphone of the year is an understatement. It is perhaps the smartphone people have waited for two years especially after Apple launched the iPhone 4S last October, which was physically identical to the iPhone 4.

The Apple iPhone 5 is the best iPhone in the market, but that really isn't a surprise, is it? But then again, for a phone that costs Rs. 45,500, it better justify the expense. The iPhone 5 is an incremental update over the 4S, but the best phone incrementally improved is equal to a huge improvement.

Blazing fast performance; Much improved display; Widescreen aspect ratio brilliant for multimedia; Lighter than the iPhone 4S; Excellent build quality; Camera is improved over the 4S; Doesn't heat up like the 4S; Surprisingly good battery life

Costs a lot of money; Nano SIM is a pain to procure; The OS just looks plain dated; Apple has messed up the Maps; big time