iPhone 5: entirely innovative or simply unimaginative?

After what seemed like years of waiting, Apple Inc. has finally revealed all the highly anticipated release details for the iPhone 5.

But now, one question remains: Is it worth the purchase? 

“By the opinion of experts, the changes introduced by the iPhone 5 are not dramatic,” says Fairfield University’s Associate Professor of Communication Gisela Gil-Egui. “However, determining whether this newer mobile phone is worth the money depends on individual needs.” 



This past Wednesday, Apple disclosed the information about its upcoming products at a media event held in San Francisco. After conventional discussions about the newest iPods and laptops, representatives began describing the latest phone.

The iPhone 5 will contain numerous new features, including:
• A 4-Inch Retina Display, resulting in a bigger screen


• 4G LTE modem, producing speeds up to 10 times faster than those of 3G

• A 6 Processor, allowing apps and graphics to load faster
•18 percent thinner and 20 percent lighter than the iPhone 4S


•A new charging cord that is 80 percent smaller than any previous one


•A metal, rather than glass, back to avoid breaking or cracking the gadget (This was featured on the original iPhone back in 2007.) 



“I like the bigger screen and better camera quality being offered,” says Alessia Laise ’13. “But the faster connection that allows the battery to last longer is probably the most appealing.”

Laise and other students are also looking forward to the product’s turn-by-turn navigation and traffic system, voiced by Apple’s very own Siri.

Yet some do not understand what all the hype is about.

“I’m aware that the new phone is 18 percent thinner with a larger screen,” says Katherine Cipriano ’13. “The internal software supposedly makes the phone run faster too. But none of these features seem to be groundbreaking or set this phone apart from the older versions.” 

The color selection remains at either black or white and pricing begins at $199 for 16 gigabytes of storage.

Many additional similarities to the iPhone 4S lead some to feel that Apple rushed into releasing a new product and that its older versions simply cannot be topped.

“I will be waiting for a more significant change in the product,” says Victoria Gaudioso ’13. “I don’t see the hype around it lasting very long, especially since the changes aren’t that drastic.” 

Timothy Smith ’13 added, “The new features aren’t going to make me feel the need to purchase this new iPhone.”

But until its release, the trendy gadget’s worthiness can only be debated.

The iPhone 5 will be available in the U.S. starting Sept. 21. Advance orders began a week before its release date.