Svelte design, new processor and software put iPhone 5 on top
Lighter, faster and packed with fresh features, the latest smartphone easily outsmarts its rivals
Nearly a year since Apple co-founder Steve Jobs died, the iPhone has retained its lofty perch as the finest smartphone in the market.
The latest iteration of Apple's flagship product, the iPhone 5, now holds that distinction steadfastly. It will be initially released in nine markets tomorrow and become available in 100 markets worldwide by the end of this year.
The iPhone 5 the South China Morning Post recently used for testing was connected to the high-speed network of SmarTone Telecommunications, which Apple named as its official 4G mobile partner in Hong Kong.
Advanced 4G networks based on a technology called long-term evolution (LTE) provide theoretical online download speeds of up to 100 megabits per second. The fastest existing 3G networks run up to 42Mbps.
Speed, however, received the least attention from Post journalists who held the iPhone 5 for the first time. It was so light and thin, notwithstanding a bigger display than previous models, that it could slip easily inside the pockets of a pair of jeans or polo shirt.
With a thickness of 7.6mm, it is 18 per cent thinner than the iPhone 4S. Apple says the aluminium and glass-encased iPhone 5 is the thinnest smartphone in the market. Weighing 112 grams, it is also 20 per cent lighter than the previous model.