Much to the chagrin of many, including some of my colleagues at GeekNation, I have not been remotely excited about the launch of the iPhone 5. Now that I’ve finally got my hands on one, I’m here to tell you that I’m much more disappointed than I thought I’d be!
Before your loyalty to all things Apple causes you to become deeply offended by my comments, let me tell you that my street cred with the Apple products is second to none. I’ve owned every iPhone since the first one and all but once, was the first person in line to purchase the latest model. (It was no different this morning except for a little overnight waiting in line help from GeekNation loyalist John Schwarck.) In fact, I’ve owned a Mac computer since many of you were just a gleam in your daddy’s eye!
From the first moment the iPhone 5 touched my hands I was overcome by this incredible feeling of malaise. I had initially hoped that all the negative things I’ve written to this point would be refuted, and the phone would miraculously transform my preconceived thoughts into ones of joy and excitement. On this day not even the magic of Apple is capable of doing that.
Let’s get right to it. The iPhone 5 looks like a true candy bar in your hand. Its proportions are unequal and it just doesn’t feel right. Smaller is not always better, and it’s definitely not in this case. Apple committed a cardinal sin by putting the headphone jack on the bottom of the phone. That’s enough on its own to make me return it! The new maps software is abhorable. Apple allowed their ego to get in the way in thinking they could actually partner with a company that makes maps better than Google. The new maps is an embarrassment.
Yep, I know, there are lots of really cool new features on the phone. Over 200 according to Apple. The problem with the iPhone 5 is that sometimes one bad Apple can screw up the whole bunch, and in this case the phones shortcomings are big, bordering on grandiose. With the incredible amount of competition in the smartphone industry, don’t be surprised if Apple sees backlash from this one. They’re sure as heck gonna continue to get plenty from me! Have a great weekend.