# 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:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![sisu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@sisu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sisu)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544/161 "2012-09-19T05:51:37Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > You do realize the same thing could be said about the other phones. Every year they get faster than an iPhone, until the new iPhone comes out. um no, the new iPhone is not the fastest out there. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544/162 "2012-09-19T06:59:47Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > It seems a lot of Android users just don’t know/care about changing up their screens/desktop. I know too many people who’s phones still have all the default (and almost always terrible) widgets and shortcuts on their phones put their by the manufacturers and carriers. It just creates an un-even jumble. Don’t want to turn this into an Android fanfest, but yes. However, it’s difficult - for any set of things the user wants to do, it’s quite likely that some of them will have icons that clash with the rest, or widgets that don’t align with the others, etc - given the collaborative/contributory nature of the App market (probably on any platform), it’s almost impossible to get a fully matching set. (For example, I noticed your dock icons are a bit of a ragtag bunch). In the end, I decided I didn’t care - it’s only really me that has to look at it, so I sacrificed a bit of neatness in order to get the function I felt I needed. I don’t see the point of widgets anywhere other than the home screen really though - they’re typically too power-thirsty to use with abandon, and if I have to swipe to another screen to see them, I might as well launch a conventional app when I need the function. ---
**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 19, 2012, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544/163 "2012-09-19T09:45:53Z")
> [@sisu](#): > > um no, the new iPhone is not the fastest out there. Um, which phone is faster? > **[iPhone 5 Javascript Benchmarks Over Twice as Fast](https://www.macrumors.com/2012/09/19/iphone-5-javascript-benchmarks-over-twice-as-fast/)** > > AnandTech publishes the first SunSpider Javascript benchmarks for the iPhone 5. SunSpider measures Javascript performance which runs in web... ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544/164 "2012-09-19T12:26:00Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Um, which phone is faster? > > [iPhone 5 Javascript Benchmarks Over Twice as Fast - MacRumors](http://www.macrumors.com/2012/09/19/iphone-5-javascript-benchmarks-over-twice-as-fast/) That’s impressive, but it’s only a benchmark for Javascript. I’m sure that will help with HTML5 sites, etc, and it probably is a useful approximate measure of performance in other areas, but as I understand it, other benchmarks place the iPhone 5 above the average for Android, but behind the top performers - at least, if I’m reading it correctly - link here: [iPhone 5 Benchmarks Appear in Geekbench Showing a Dual Core, 1GHz A6 CPU - MacRumors](http://www.macrumors.com/2012/09/16/iphone-5-benchmarks-appear-in-geekbench-showing-dual-core-1ghz-a6-cpu/) ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544/165 "2012-09-19T13:14:07Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Um, which phone is faster? > > [iPhone 5 Javascript Benchmarks Over Twice as Fast - MacRumors](http://www.macrumors.com/2012/09/19/iphone-5-javascript-benchmarks-over-twice-as-fast/) [http://www.cultofmac.com/191118/iphone-5-may-not-have-a-quad-core-cpu-but-its-one-of-the-fastest-smartphones-money-can-buy/](http://www.cultofmac.com/191118/iphone-5-may-not-have-a-quad-core-cpu-but-its-one-of-the-fastest-smartphones-money-can-buy/) This Mac blog says the Samsung Galaxy S III is faster. We probably won’t know the true speed until we have some 3d benchmarks, although the panorama modes sounds pretty demanding. [http://appleinsider.com/articles/12/09/17/apples\_new\_ios\_6\_camera\_app\_makes\_panorama\_capture\_easy](http://appleinsider.com/articles/12/09/17/apples_new_ios_6_camera_app_makes_panorama_capture_easy) ---
**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 19, 2012, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544/166 "2012-09-19T15:27:19Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > That’s impressive, but it’s only a benchmark for Javascript. I’m sure that will help with HTML5 sites, etc, and it probably is a useful approximate measure of performance in other areas, but as I understand it, other benchmarks place the iPhone 5 above the average for Android, but behind the top performers - at least, if I’m reading it correctly - link here: [iPhone 5 Benchmarks Appear in Geekbench Showing a Dual Core, 1GHz A6 CPU - MacRumors](http://www.macrumors.com/2012/09/16/iphone-5-benchmarks-appear-in-geekbench-showing-dual-core-1ghz-a6-cpu/) This article rates the iPhone 5 at 1601. I freely admit that I don’t fully understand what that metric means but a higher number is better. It rates the SIII at 1560 which is third highest. The Nexus 7 is second highest at 1591. (The info for other phones is shown in the comments.) Your cite says that the iPhone 5 is the fastest. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544/167 "2012-09-19T15:45:05Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I don’t see the point of widgets anywhere other than the home screen really though - they’re typically too power-thirsty to use with abandon, and if I have to swipe to another screen to see them, I might as well launch a conventional app when I need the function. ``` I don't actually think widgets are that battery-hungry. You might be thinking of live wallpapers. Anyway widgets are useful even if they aren't on the home screen. You can put a bunch of widgets on a single page around a theme, say your news widgets or your social networking widgets. You also have more option to configure a widget than typically the inside of an app. Personally I also find that swiping across screens is smoother than opening apps, going to the home page, opening another app etc. The bigger screens on Android phones really make great of use of widgets and after Android 4 you also have the option to re-size them. Personally absence of widgets is close to being a deal-breaker for me. I could perhaps live with the Windows Phone tiles but there is no way I can go back to the wall of icons. Aside from all issues of usefulness, widgets add visual variety and having a screen packed with identically sized and shaped icons just looks really monotonous. ``` ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544/168 "2012-09-19T15:52:39Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > This article rates the iPhone 5 at 1601. I freely admit that I don’t fully understand what that metric means but a higher number is better. > > It rates the SIII at 1560 which is third highest. The Nexus 7 is second highest at 1591. (The info for other phones is shown in the comments.) > > Your cite says that the iPhone 5 is the fastest. the table cited by the article rates the s3 at 1755… ---
**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 19, 2012, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544/169 "2012-09-19T16:09:13Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > the table cited by the article rates the s3 at 1755… Yes. Now I see. You are correct. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544/170 "2012-09-19T16:17:00Z")
Not that it matters so much. Raw speed isn’t the first thing many people consider when picking a phone. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2012, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544/171 "2012-09-19T21:01:04Z")
> [@Lantern](#): > > I don’t actually think widgets are that battery-hungry. You might be thinking of live wallpapers. I’ve tried both and yes, live wallpapers are enormously power-hungry, but I’ve found the same to be true of widgets - this might just be the particular widgets I happened to choose (I’ve only ever used free apps and widgets on Android, which probably means I’ve experienced the less-well-coded end of the market). I only have three now - Smooth Calendar, 3G watchdog and a multi-purpose wifi/bluetooth/etc switch control. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544/172 "2012-09-20T00:54:45Z")
Never heard of widgets being battery hogs, barring possibly preventing the phone from sleeping or continually turning on gps or something. My phone typically reports about 50-60% battery usage is screen, followed by phone idle and cell standby processes using up another 30% combined. Various apps and widgets scarcely even register. ---
**Author:** ![Krouget](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b38774/32.png) [@Krouget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krouget)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544/173 "2012-09-20T12:39:46Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > Never heard of widgets being battery hogs, barring possibly preventing the phone from sleeping or continually turning on gps or something. My phone typically reports about 50-60% battery usage is screen, followed by phone idle and cell standby processes using up another 30% combined. Various apps and widgets scarcely even register. It also depends on their update frequency and quantity. I have my calendar, which syncs at the normal interval for Google Apps, followed by Flipboard, every 24 hours. Combined, they draw very minimal battery, while my other widgets (such as music, podcast, and volume control), don’t require data to function (unless they are in use, anyway). Same goes for statusbar widgets…they draw about as much battery as the app running, itself, unless they are pushing cpu cycles in the background. Making at least some attempt to stay on the topic of iPhone, though, I’d like to see Apple take a few risks and do something with the grid of icons, as well. However, I completely understand that its user-friendly and also one of the quickest ways to get to app content, probably best serving the targeted consumer. It’s a formula that continues to work. They certainly do get credit for constant refinement (_for my car people, Apple reminds me of Porsche, when it comes to the mobile world_). ---
**Author:** ![Mauvaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mauvaise/32/11084_2.png) [@Mauvaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mauvaise)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544/174 "2012-09-20T14:37:07Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Thing is I can’t imagine many people would ever change from iOS to Android or vice versa. I’ve never use an Android phone but I’m sure it would do everything I do with my iPhone just as well or maybe in some cases better. But for all except ultimate tech obsessives, who wants to buy all their apps again once they’ve got started on one system? I was an early adopter of Android (had the G1 from Tmobile, which I believe was the very first Android phone). I had the MyTouch 3G after, then they first Samsung Galaxy (which I hated by the way), then the HTC Evo after I switched to Sprint. Once Sprint got the iPhone I switched to iOS. I had finally had it with Android. There are a lot of things to love about Android; I even tried it after ‘jailbreaking’ the MyTouch and loading a custom ROM. But the main thing that did it for me were the little things - iOS just works better, more flawlessly for what I want to do with my phone. Not to mention the battery life is superior. I would struggle to get through the day without needing a recharge on my EVO and using the iPhone exactly the same way I can sometimes make it through two days without needing a charge. I won’t be upgrading to the 5 though - I have the 4S and the 5 isn’t enough of an upgrade alone - especially since most of the upgrades comes from the new iOS which I do get. Which is also another reason I prefer the iPhone to Android now: I never again have to play the “will my phone get the updated OS game” that Android users do. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544/175 "2012-09-20T15:33:34Z")
If you rely on Google Maps, I’d be wary about moving to an iPhone 5, or upgrading to iOS6. Apples new Maps app seems to be a bit of a disaster. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544/176 "2012-09-20T15:39:13Z")
Android fan here, there is nothing in the iPhone 5 that would tempt me to switch. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544/177 "2012-09-20T16:15:50Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > If you rely on Google Maps, I’d be wary about moving to an iPhone 5, or upgrading to iOS6. Apples new Maps app seems to be a bit of a disaster. Could just be teething troubles, but maybe not - seems everyone wants to out-Google Google, but Google is just quite good at what it does, including maps. MS is trying too, but bing maps is a big heap of suck. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544/178 "2012-09-20T16:31:00Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Could just be teething troubles, but maybe not - seems everyone wants to out-Google Google, but Google is just quite good at what it does, including maps. MS is trying too, but bing maps is a big heap of suck. Most of the complaints I’ve seen (admittedly mostly from the UK) is that the map data is unreliable and incomplete, which is pretty surprising as it’s from Tom Tom. ---
**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 20, 2012, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544/179 "2012-09-20T16:45:10Z")
I am not certain but I think that you can download a Google Maps ap and essentially get it back if you don’t want to use the iOS one. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2012, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544/180 "2012-09-20T16:48:09Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > I am not certain but I think that you can download a Google Maps ap and essentially get it back if you don’t want to use the iOS one. I think on iOS6 the only option is to use the browser, for the moment. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-5-reactions/634544.md?page=10)