4-inch screen

It’s been long rumored that Apple would include a 4” screen in the iPhone 5.  The wish came true as Apple seemingly came to the realization that consumers wanted a larger screen, as evidenced by people choosing Android devices with larger screens.  Although it would break Apple’s single-device strategy and be a little more difficult for developers, I’d love to see Apple release identical products, but with varied screen sizes to meet more needs.

It’s nice to see that Apple has retained the same Retina pixel density (326 ppi) that was used for the iPhone 4S.  With the 4” screen, the device now sports an 1136 x 640 resolution (whereas the 4 and 4S were both 960 x 640).  The new display also brings to the Apple lineup a phone with a 16:9 display and much improved color saturation, making the screen more vibrant.

Verdict: This has been rumored for quite some time, so it’s not a surprise.  Even if it had not been leaked beforehand, I don’t think that a 4” screen is particularly revolutionary these days.  It is, however, a welcome evolution of the product.

CIO take: For IT leaders, I don’t see the inclusion of a 4” screen as a compelling reason to upgrade employee devices.

Support for very fast networks

Again, in what has proven to be the worst-kept secret regarding the iPhone 5, the new device does, indeed, include support for LTE networks—which are growing in size and support across most carriers—using a single chip in the phone for both voice and data.  Unfortunately, a single iPhone won’t work across the entire globe for LTE.  This is really not Apple’s fault; different carriers across the planet use a plethora of different frequencies, making cramming all of the necessary hardware into a reasonable form factor extremely difficult, even for Apple.  That said, a new GSM iPhone purchased in the U.S. will work in much of the world.

The new iPhone supports GPRS, EDGE, EV-DO, HSPA, HSPA+, DC-HSDPA and LTE, so it will support most of the world, even if the iPhone can’t use LTE everywhere.

Verdict: Again, Apple needed to bring LTE and other network support to the iPhone or risk being left in the dust.  I’m very pleased to see that they have done so.

CIO take:  This may actually be an exciting feature for CIOs that need to support international travelers.  It might even be worth upgrading employee devices mid-contract just to provide them with a simpler roaming experience, although it would still be wise to use local SIM cards to keep costs down.

Dual-band WiFi (Ultrafast wireless)

Prior to the iPhone 5, iPhone WiFi operated solely in the overcrowded and inefficient 2.4 GHz band.  With the release of the iPhone 5, Apple has added support for the relatively uncrowded band that is the 5.8 GHz band.  With both the 2.4 and 5.8 bands now represented, the iPhone can operates at speeds of up to 150 Mbps on a WiFi network.

Verdict: It’s an evolutionary upgrade that brings Apple on par with many competitive devices.

CIO take: Noting to see here.  No reason to upgrade devices just for this feature.

Faster CPU

Although most consumers will be happy just knowing that the new iPhone is faster, for those interested, the under-the-hood look is worth a look.  With the iPhone 5, Apple has included a faster processor, which the company claims is a full two times faster that current units can achieve while not affecting battery life to the negative.  It will be interesting to see how well these claims prove once the device is in the hands of consumers.

Verdict: Speed is always nice, but it’s going to take some time for the “up to 2x” performance claims to be verified before calling this a win.  In the real word, if it turns out that the battery life is worse than predicted, Apple will have a problem.

CIO take: No reason to upgrade employees just for this feature.

Summary

I’m disappointed that the new device didn’t come with near field support, which I believe would have made it more revolutionary due to NFC’s potential to completely change how we spend money and do other things.

As I stated earlier, I’m also somewhat disappointed that there isn’t a slightly larger iPhone (say, 5″) to buy.  I know I can get an Android device with that screen size, or close to it, but I’d much rather remain with Apple.  I understand the challenges that developers would face with too many devices to support, though.

Will I be buying an iPhone 5?  Absolutely.  I tend to stay bleeding edge, particularly with devices that I use every day.  Personally, I’m excited about the speed bump, dual-band WiFi, the larger screen and LTE support.  Putting on my CIO hat, if I was looking at the iPhone 5 for consideration for employees, I believe that it would be a required upgrade for anyone with anything less than an iPhone 4, but for those with a 4 or 4S, it would be a less-clear choice.