The AppAdvice Week In Review: iPhone 5, iOS 6 Debut Edition

by Bryan M. Wolfe

September 23, 2012

The iPhone 5 and iOS 6 officially launched and AppAdvice had everything covered. Here is a look back at the very busy and exciting week that was. The iPhone 5

When Apple's new handset arrived, we were among the first to publish a hands-on look. In his piece, Dom Esposito deemed the iPhone 5 a worthy replacement for the iPhone 4S. He stated:

In my opinion, the iPhone 5 is a huge leap forward for Apple, but I’ll let you be the judge. I’ve had mixed feelings about a larger screen, but that quickly changed when I powered it up and experienced the magic first hand. Some may say that the iPhone 5 is only an incremental upgrade, but I beg to differ. This is one of my favorite Apple devices of all time.

Take a look:

One of the most talked about new features of the iPhone 5 is Panorama Camera Mode, which arrived with iOS 6. Also available on the iPhone 4S and fifth-generation iPod touch, Panorama was called "nothing short of amazing," by Esposito, who said:

I’ve been testing it out lately, and have taken some pretty great pictures. The best part is, you don’t have to be perfect when taking a panoramic photo. The iPhone will stabilize any erratic motion, then stitch together a seamless and beautiful 240 degree picture.

Here is our take on Apple's new Panorama Camera Mode:

Just how tough is the new iPhone? Very tough, according to Brent Dirks, who introduced an iFixYouri video by stating:

First, iFixYouri attempted to scratch the screen with a razor blad but was unsuccessful. Next, they attempted a series of real-word drop situations with a caseless iPhone. The handset did quite nicely after being dropped from knee, waist, and chest high (even though the sound of the handset hitting the hard surface made me shudder.)

Here is a look at iFixYouri's test:

The iOS 6 upgrade arrives Before the iPhone 5 arrived in stores, iOS 6 launched for previous devices. We highlighted a number of things about iOS 6 including compatibility issues, the update's first bug that was soon squashed, and the amazing things to do with Passbook. However, the most advertised new feature of iOS 6 was also the one most criticized, Apple's new native Maps app. According to Joe White:

It seems the iOS 6 Maps app worked better for me in “beta,” because since updating to the final version of iOS 6, I – like countless other iDevice owners – have had more than a spot of trouble getting 3-D images to render properly on my handset. Either that, or the iPhone (4S) takes an age even just to load up the half-composed three-dimensional display. Folks have naturally criticised Apple regarding this problem, and now the Cupertino, Calif. company has spoken out about the problems many are facing with the iOS 6 Maps app.

By the end of the week, Apple made their first comment on the problems, stating:

Customers around the world are upgrading to iOS 6 with over 200 new features including Apple Maps, our first map service. We are excited to offer this service with innovative new features like Flyover and Siri integration, and free turn by turn navigation. We launched this new map service knowing that it is a major initiative and we are just getting started with it. We are continuously improving it, and as Maps is a cloud-based solution, the more people use it, the better it will get. We’re also working with developers to integrate some of the amazing transit apps in the App Store into iOS Maps. We appreciate all of the customer feedback and are working hard to make the customer experience even better.

Goodies for iOS 6, iPhone 5 AppLists by Karen Freeman

Fresh Out Of The Box

Essential Apps

Games Starter Kit

Apps To “Wow” Your Friends

Apps

New iPhone? Start With These Apps - by Karen Freeman

Here Are 14 Apps And Games That Look Stunning On The iPhone 5- by yours truly

Just Hitting The App Store: Amazing Apps Optimized For Your New iPhone 5 - by yours truly

Just Got Your First iPhone? Don't Miss These Games! - by Chris Gray

Extras: Wallpapers and cases for the iPhone 5

Awesome iPhone 5 Wallpapers You Can Experience Now - by yours truly

This Week In Accessories: iPhone 5 Case Madness, Part 1 - by Brent Dirks

This Week In Accessories: iPhone 5 Case Madness, Part 2 - by Brent Dirks

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