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

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 best iPhone ever produced, bar none -a solid handset that offers an unparalleled user experience

Amazing build quality; perfectly executed design; blazingly fast CPU; excellent gaming; vastly superior camera and video --a solid all-rounder

A lot of applications aren't yet optimised for the 4-inch display and Maps isn't up to scratch

I love this phone. It does everything I want and almost nothing I don't want. The only slight gripe is the fact that not all settings are accessible without Jailbreaking (which I don't want to risk).

Ah, to review the iPhone 5; what a blessing, and what a curse. It's actually funny to think that there was a time not that long ago that the iPhone wasn't even a thing , let alone an iconic part of pop culture.

Incredible industrial design; Gorgeous display; Blazing fast LTE service; Solid battery life

New Maps app a step backwards; Bigger screen size not utilized at all; iOS 6 a retread of familiar territory

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

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

Love it or hate it, Apple's iPhone generates an extraordinary amount of hype that no other smartphone can match. In its latest iteration of arguably the world's most popular smartphone, Apple has equipped the iPhone 5 with a larger display, upgraded internals and 4G network connectivity.

Super thin and light design; Excellent 4in display; Outstanding camera

Scratches and chips easily; Poor battery life; Extra screen size isn't always utilised

It's now been quite some time since an iPhone last graced the peak of the PC & Tech Authority A-List. For almost two years Samsung's and HTC's handsets have dominated, with the 4S not doing much to further Apple's cause.

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...