# iPhone 5 reactions **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 12, 2012, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544 "2012-09-12T21:48:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![diku](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4af34b/32.png) [@diku](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diku)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544/241 "2012-09-24T18:19:37Z")
> [@Student\_Driver](#): > > [li]A2DP is broken. I have my previous Apple products paired with my car stereo (Touch 3rd gen, iPhones 3GS and 4) and liked the fact that I could keep them in my pocket, have the radio automatically start playing songs, and be able to change tracks with the radio controls. Can’t do that with the 5; playback and track changes must be done with the phone itself. Disappointing. It’s not the radio’s firmware either; it’s broken across all the Bluetooth radios I’ve tried thus far (my Pioneer, a friend’s Kenwood, and several coworker’s OEM radios). In addition, plugging into USB or using a Lightning-to-30-pin adaptor doesn’t work at all on car radios that are licensed to be compatible with iPhone. So no using in-car mics for hands-free phone usage. Hope Apple corrects at least A2DP in an update.[/li] Hmm, I have a Dual car stereo with Bluetooth that I’ve got my iPhone 5 paired too, I’m having no issues with controls from the unit itself. Connects right away, and I keep the phone in my pocket all the time. Same with using it with my 4. ---
**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544/242 "2012-09-24T19:45:09Z")
I’ve been reading up more on the A2DP issue; looks like there is a new iteration of the standard (which pushes more data like song titles to the radio). Seems to be some issues with backward compatibility, which the new standard is supposed to account for. Yours is probably compliant with the new standards, while other radios aren’t, older Bluetooth radios were improperly implementing it, or the iPhone’s implementation might be non-standard, breaking full compatibility with radios using the older version. Been running across threads on car forums complaining about issues with OEM radios and the 5, but then others with the same model and year report no problems with the OEM radios. In other news, Siri has been a godsend today. Since I came from a 4, I had no experience with it. I’ve been able to keep up text conversations while on a small road trip without actually having to text. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544/243 "2012-09-26T08:14:12Z")
Teardown has found that the Lightning cable has an authentication chip inside it. Also, phone itself has a chip to dynamically reassign pins so the cable can be plugged in both ways (like auto cross cable detection for network cables?). > **[Apple's Lightning port dynamically assigns pins to allow for reversible use |...](https://appleinsider.com/articles/12/09/25/apples_lightning_port_dynamically_assigns_pins_to_allow_for_reversible_use)** > > A cabling expert has taken a closer look at how Apple's new Lightning connector works, and has come to the conclusion that the 8 pins on each side of the plug are dynamically assigned, likely thanks to the use of a unique chip in the iPhone 5. I hope they still manage to make third party cables! I’m planning to buy a few and I’m not going to pay $20 for one. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544/244 "2012-09-26T12:24:12Z")
The problem I see, is that if someone makes a third-party cable, it will probably infringe on a patent the Apple has for the cable, so they’ll just sue them. Though as we’ve seen with the Samsung business, that will take years to resolve and odds are you can keep buying them in the meantime. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544/245 "2012-09-26T13:34:24Z")
Yes I wonder if apple will allow other companies to make the cables? They didn’t seem to mind last time, the apple store even had other companies’ cables. Hope it doesn’t become like the MagSafe though. Maybe they were willing to spend so much in developing a new cable if it meant they could prevent other cables from being used. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544/246 "2012-09-26T15:17:41Z")
> [@interface2x](#): > > Sweet merciful crap, that’s fast. I just ran another and only got 10 down, so I don’t see myself approaching anywhere near your speed. I tested the speeds in various areas on a trip to Chicago I made last weekend. The Indianapolis area was definitely the fastest. In Chicago I was getting about 20 down/5 up in most areas. Back home in Columbus we don’t even have LTE yet. My “4G” speed here at home is about 5 down/2 up if I’m lucky. Supposedly AT&T is upgrading C’bus with LTE later on this year though, so we’ll see. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544/247 "2012-09-26T17:29:25Z")
I am was in Seattle yesterday which was my first time on LTE. I hit 31/12 in the airport. I’m in Portland, OR today and will try later on. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2012, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544/248 "2012-09-26T17:36:00Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > I tested the speeds in various areas on a trip to Chicago I made last weekend. The Indianapolis area was definitely the fastest. In Chicago I was getting about 20 down/5 up in most areas. Back home in Columbus we don’t even have LTE yet. My “4G” speed here at home is about 5 down/2 up if I’m lucky. Supposedly AT&T is upgrading C’bus with LTE later on this year though, so we’ll see. My 12 down was by far my fastest speed, it’s been downhill ever since. Since then, I’m usually getting around 4-5 down, even with LTE. ---
**Author:** ![urban1a](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e47c2d/32.png) [@urban1a](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/urban1a)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544/249 "2012-09-27T02:52:09Z")
> [@Szlater](#): > > … and not at all useable by a 72 year old 73yo here who has not the slightest difficulty using an Android phone. Bob ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544/250 "2012-09-27T11:12:27Z")
> [@urban1a](#): > > 73yo here who has not the slightest difficulty using an Android phone. > > Bob That’s nice, I’m pleased for you. He has a severe tremor in his hands that makes hitting the very small icons very difficult, he doesn’t have the same problem with his iPad. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544/251 "2012-09-27T12:13:38Z")
> [@Szlater](#): > > That’s nice, I’m pleased for you. > > He has a severe tremor in his hands that makes hitting the very small icons very difficult, he doesn’t have the same problem with his iPad. Two things. First, you said that an Android phone is “not at all useable by a 72 year old,” which is not true. It might not be useable by a 72 year old with a severe tremor, but not all elderly people have such tremors. The fact that you father can’t use an Android phone is a product of his particular condition, not simply his age, nor of the phone itself. Second, in a case like this, it’s pretty silly to say that an Android phone is crap because of its small icons, and then compare it to an iPad. A phone and a tablet are two different things, and the fact that an iPad is a better device for your father’s needs says nothing at all about an Android phone or about the Android operating system. ---
**Author:** ![urban1a](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e47c2d/32.png) [@urban1a](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/urban1a)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544/252 "2012-09-27T13:32:36Z")
Sorry, I didn’t realize that your father had a physical problem which makes it difficult to touch the icons on an Android phone, but that wasn’t the tone of the post. As mentioned above, it appeared that the problem was because it was an Android phone and that the problem would be solved if it was an iPhone. The icons are likely to be smaller, and harder to touch, on an iPhone because of the extremely small screen size. Sorry about your father’s disability. Bob ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544/253 "2012-09-27T13:53:49Z")
> [@interface2x](#): > > Picked it up this morning and love it so far. I’m most impressed with the speed of the thing. I had it on LTE and ran a speed test this morning that got me 12.6 down / 7.8 up. Wow! Faster than my Wifi. Holy cow, that’s fast! Mine arrived on Tuesday (it was scheduled Oct 2, but came way early, yay!). My Speed Test app gave me 3 down and 1 up on LTE when I tried it first, but I just ran it again after reading your numbers, and now I have 9 down and 2.5 up. Overall, the iPhone 5 (I upgraded from the 4, which was long since been having issues with the home button) is a modest upgrade. I like the extra length on it, without it getting wider. There’s nothing earth-shattering about it that I have found so far. The LTE speeds are probably the biggest thing to me about the upgrade, along with the extra screen real estate. Siri works much better than I had expected; the new Apple Maps program is pretty cool (that 3D flyaround mode is nothing short of amazing, but I don’t think it’s as useful as Google Street View). I haven’t really played around with it much beyond the basics. For me, it was worth the upgrade. I upgrade every other generation, and this is what I’ve come to expect: a modest upgrade, but nothing absolutely “must have!” (well, except for that first upgrade from non-GPS iPhone to GPS iPhone. That was unbelievably useful.) As I use LTE more and more, I may discover it to be a must-have. My 3G has always been all over the map in terms of speed, and it’s a pain in the ass to see 5 bars and 3G and wait for over a minute for a map to pull up. We’ll see if LTE is any better, and how wide the coverage is. ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544/254 "2012-09-27T15:05:30Z")
> [@urban1a](#): > > icons are likely to be smaller, and harder to touch, on an iPhone because of the extremely small screen size. > > Sorry about your father’s disability. > > Bob Nothing to be sorry about, the particular android phone that he was sold (I wasn’t there, unfortunately) has a much smaller screen than any of the iPhones. He’s tried my iPhone and finds it much easier to hit the icons that he needs to, including keys on the keyboard. He also finds the screen much easier to read, and the unlock screen much easier to operate, for some reason left to right swiping is easier for him than pulling down. That he’s used to iOS through using an iPad probably helps too. I’m sure that there is probably an android phone out there for someone who has issues with his hands, but he’s tried and liked the iPhone so we’ll go with that. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544/255 "2012-09-27T15:08:33Z")
My 74 year old mom had a difficult time with the iPhone keyboard and then she discovered Siri. She sends all of her texts that way. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2012, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544/256 "2012-09-27T15:21:14Z")
> [@urban1a](#): > > The icons are likely to be smaller, and harder to touch, on an iPhone because of the extremely small screen size. This statement only makes sense if you are referring to a specific model of Android phone. I’ve certainly seen plenty of Android phones with smaller screens than the iPhone, and plenty with bigger. Although just to compare with the Samsung S3, it has a 4.8" screen and the iPhone 5 has a 4" screen. That is not what I would comparatively describe as “extremely small.” It is significantly smaller than the Galaxy Note at 5.3" but a lot of people I know think that the Galaxy Note is hilariously oversized and not really suitable for a phone that is supposed to be portable and fit easily into a pocket. YM, as always, MV. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2012, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544/257 "2012-10-06T02:55:52Z")
Tapatalk has been updated for the iPhone 5! It feels like developers are taking longer to come out with updated versions for the 5 than it took for the retina display on the iPhone 4, eg angry birds still hasn’t updated. This makes it feel like there isn’t much difference for the 5. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544/258 "2012-11-23T14:55:26Z")
I just upgraded from the 3GS to the 5. I’ll have to say that I liked the feel of the 3GS much better, the rounded, rather than flat, design. And the 5 is too light. It feels like a toy. I miss the heft of the 3GS. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2012, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544/259 "2012-11-23T17:19:34Z")
Earlier this week, a mysterious purple spot appeared on my camera, very similar to the ones seen in [this thread](https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4466656?start=0&tstart=0). I cleaned off my lens, rebooted the camera, rebooted the phone, everything. It wouldn’t go away. It appeared in my pictures and my videos, but not my panoramas. I ended up taking it into the Apple store on Wednesday and they swapped my phone out with a new one, no questions asked. They said they thought it was a scratch on the lens and the reason it didn’t show up on the panorama was the way the software stitched the pictures together. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544.md?page=12)