Yuhnke Commentary: What to love and hate about the new Apple iPhone 5

PHOENIX - I'm not an Apple "fanboy."  I own an Android phone (Galaxy Nexus) and love it. I use a PC and have very little urge to enter the world of MacOS world. People assume this means I hate the iPhone. Not true at all.

I admire great technology and great innovations. I get giddy when a new Apple product is being announced simply because I love the excitement of it all. I'm a geek!  I watched the Apple iPhone launch as closely as any Apple fanboy would. These are my thoughts on what’s to love and hate about the newest iPhone.

4” Retina Display

Love
It’s bigger and better than before. Apple claims it’s more vibrant that the iPhone 4s. Existing iPhone users will love the added screen real estate. Apple did this without making the iPhone larger. In fact, it’s thinner and lighter than before. The width is the same.  Apple only increased the height to fit the new screen. The larger screen was a much needed improvement.

Hate
4”!?!?! That’s it! It’s still not up to what many would consider today’s screen standards. Don’t get me wrong, 4” is a good size for a smartphone screen but Android phones have been showing off their 4.5” and larger screens for over a year. Also, at 1136x640 pixels, it’s ALMOST where it needs to be. Just a little bit more pixel density (or screen real estate) and they could have called it a 720p HD screen. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure the screen is gorgeous and the size fits well in the hand, I’m just pointing out that it’s going to look small compared to some of the existing Android monsters out there.

New Lightning Dock Connector

Love
Finally, a charging plug that doesn’t care which way I plug it in. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried to shove the iPod dock connector or a USB cable in upside down. Apple clearly decided it was time to make a charging port that makes life a touch easier for all of us.

Hate
Really... REALLY! After everyone bought all of these alarm clock docks, iPhone car stereos and the ga-zillion other iPod dock accessories out there you guys are going to change it? That adapter is a joke. It’ll look silly with many existing accessories. On top of that, if you’re going to shrink it down and go with some simple, use an existing standard! Every smartphone on the planet these days has conformed to the microUSB plug. I’m not saying it’s the best option but it has clearly become the de facto standard charging/syncing cable. Yes, Apple’s is better but it doesn’t make things easier for the millions of people (myself included) who already have microUSB cables sitting on their nightstand.

LTE 4G Speeds

Love
This was expected and Apple delivered, a true 4G iPhone. Sure, the iPhone 4 was touted as 4G but LTE is the 4G standard and the iPhone finally has it. It will keep the iPhone screaming on the latest wireless networks.

Hate
Apple, welcome to 2011... early 2011. That’s when Verizon launched its’ first LTE smartphone. At the end of 2011 is when AT&T began selling its’ first LTE smartphones. This is the 3G debacle all over again. The very first iPhone should have had 3G and the iPhone 4S should have had 4G.

Conclusion

At the end of the day I’m impressed by the slick new iPhone 5 but also left wondering if Apple is playing catch-up? Has Apple lost its’ touch as an innovator in the smartphone world?

The company re-invented the category in 2007 when the original iPhone was launched, but now it seems that so many of the newest iPhone features are last year’s Android news.

Do you agree or disagree? Post your comments below or join the conversation on my Facebook Page and Twitter  feed.