At 4 inches diagonally, the iPhone 5's
screen is a half-inch larger than previous generations and Apple make sure to
take advantage of it. On the more prosaic side of things, the extra space means
you can now see five rows of apps on the home screen instead of the previous
limit of four rows. Open the calendar and you can see five days of events on
the screen in horizontal mode, instead of just three.
The larger screen really comes to
life, though, with what is perhaps its coolest feature - a tool called
"Panorama" that automatically stitches together a series of pictures
into a majestic vista. Panorama can be turned on simply by going into the
iPhone 5's camera mode and then selecting it on an option menu. Once it's
activated, an arrow guides you as you slowly pan the camera around whatever
scenery you desire (if you move too fast, Panorama tells you to slow down and
also advises you if you are moving the camera too high or low). Once you are
done, you can look at the panoramic shot within seconds and zoom into whichever
areas of the picture look most interesting.
Not surprisingly, watching video on
the larger screen is also more pleasurable, although I still think the iPad and
other tablet computers are a much better way to watch movies and TV shows on
the go. The device is also speedier because of a more powerful processing chip
and upgraded wireless technology that accelerates Web surfing.
Apple also has equipped the iPhone 5
with a superior sound system, courtesy of the new headphones that the company
says it spent three years developing. The headphones, called
"EarPods," are a vast improvement on the ear buds that Apple has been
giving away with its devices for more than a decade. The new headphones
actually stay in your ears and make it seem as if the sound is playing inside
your head. The EarPods come free with the iPhone 5, and they sounded as good as
$100 headphones sold by a variety of other companies.
The new phone's operating system, iOS 6, also introduces another fun
toy that makes it easy to share photos with your friends and family. Just
select a picture, or even a series of photos, then email them to whomever you
want. Assuming the recipients also has an Apple device running on iOS 6, they
will get a notification that will send the designated photos to their iPhone,
iPad or iPod Touch. The recipients don't necessarily have to own an iPhone 5
because the new iOS can be downloaded for free beginning Sept. 19 on a wide
range of older Apple devices, including the three previous versions of the
iPhone and the last two versions of the iPad.
The new operating system also stands out for what's missing. The
pre-installed YouTube app that had been part of the iPhone since it came out in
2007 is gone (you can now download a new application made by YouTube owner
Google Inc. in Apple's iTunes store). Even more noticeable is the absence of
Google Maps. Apple has cast aside one of Google's most popular services for its
own mapping system and, from what I saw, it looks like it's going to keep users
happy. It offers three-dimensional renderings of many major cities, aerial
views, and, best of all, turn-by-turn directions narrated by the iPhone's
virtual assistant, Siri. Assuming the directions are accurate, I doubt Google
Maps is going to be missed.
The new IOS also offers a feature
called "Passbook," where digital coupons, airline tickets and gift
cards can be conveniently stored in one location. This, too, is going to be
popular. Yet, Passbook would be an even handier tool if the iPhone 5 boasted a
near-field communication chip to enable wireless payments at the checkout
stands equipped for the still-nascent technology. Some phones running Google's
Android software are able to process payments because they have the NFC chip.
So… to all my blogger friends, I am
really appreciated if you all come to my birthday party with new set of iPhone
5 for me…..Thank You
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