There's been a lot of ink spilled over the notion that the iPhone 5 somehow isn't "revolutionary" or "radical." It isn't. It's familiar, but better. That familiarity is one of the iPhone's strengths, not a weakness.

Bigger; better screen; Very elegantly built phone; Incredibly light and thin; Fast new custom-designed CPU

New Maps app needs a lot of work; Letterboxed third-party apps

We're not surprised that this is the best iPhone to date. It's thin, light and has a roomy 4-inch Retina screen. But the operating system feels dated and there are some major issues. Plus, Apple has brought nothing major new to the show.

Sleek Apple design; 4G support to come; larger, vibrant display; powerful performance; nearly the same great snapper as on the 4S; Siri proves her worth now

Steep price; OS looks dated; Maps limited and suffer from bugs; Most apps have ugly borders; Lack of memory card slot; Fragile feel

As we noted early in this review, it's now a truism that the latest iPhone is the best ever-a claim that Apple has also made with every generation of iPods, but not always achieved.

Apple's fastest and most capable iPhone yet; The first iPhone to include a 4" screen, LTE cellular support, and two truly impressive cameras; Improved screen and camera color accuracy, plus dramatically improved low light camera performance.

Battery performance too often falls below Apple's best case estimates, particularly for cellular calling and data. LTE service remains inconsistent between neighborhoods, cities, and countries, with widely varying data speeds and availability; some users will see no cellular speed improvements over...

People waited in line for days all over the world to get their hands on the iPhone 5. Is it truly the next worthy chapter in the successful book of iPhone, or is it just marketing hype dressed up in a two-tone case?

For people with a large hardware investment in Apple's iOS ecosystem-connecting cables, speaker docks, car chargers and the like-the iPhone 5 signifies a major transition. This device marks the beginning of Apple's replacement of the nine-year-old 30-pin dock connector with the new Lightning...

Slim; light case; Taller; roomier display; Improved performance; Higher-resolution front-facing camera

Lightning connector incompatible with older peripherals; Features limited by some carriers

The Apple iPhone 5 smartphone underwent the scrutiny of two reviewers during our in-depth test. The verdict was pretty much unanimous. Even though the device may divide opinions on the web, it ultimately remains a smartphone with both strengths and weaknesses.

High quality auminum body; Appealing design; Thickness and overall weight; Slim Lightning Connector; iOS 6: fast (improved) operatin system; Up-to-date wireless technology; Good performance of the integrated cameras; Applications and games performance; User experience and touch interface; 4 inch...

Battery and memory fixed; Older cables and docks require adapter; Maps software full of errors; LTE only available with T-Mobile; Only 12 months manufacturer warranty; EarPods (Headset) mediocre; Hefty price tag; starting at 679 Euros; We might lament the absence of a killer feature or NFC; but...

The latest smartphone from Apple brings a larger display, faster processor, and quicker wireless access. How does it stack up in the real world

Faster Processor; Thinner and lighter; Beautiful Retina Display; Well Designed; 725,000 Apps Available; LTE (FINALLY!!!

New Lightning Adapter; Larger screen makes minimal impact; Lots of room for improvement for iOS 6

When we review a product, we're usually given a sample by the manufacturer that's been hand-picked just for us to test. The hardware has been examined for defects, every feature has been fully vetted and scrutinized, and the software has been triple-checked.

Elongated display provides easy access to more apps, and makes for pleasant, un-letterboxed widescreen viewing; Lots of iPhone 5-ready apps to choose from already; Apple-engineered A6 processor is wicked-fast.

Anodized aluminum rear plate, particularly in black, has a reported propensity for scratches; Video recording picks up a surprising amount of audio interference, even in a quiet room; Updates, while all worthwhile and technologically impressive, won't make your jaw drop with awe

The iPhone 5 offers a thoroughly pleasant redesign with a taller display and a thinner, lighter frame. Fast and packing a great camera, the hardware is hard to fault, while iOS feels slick and offers loads of apps, even if Apple's new Maps software feels like a step backwards.

Larger screen with increased resolution; Extremely quick; Winning redesign makes for a thinner; lighter phone

IOS 6 Maps app is a step backwards; 4G won't work on all UK networks; New connector means you'll need to buy an adaptor for current chargers and docks; Very expensive

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