By Hathem Brand
It's mid-September, and for techheads that can only mean one thing: The iPhone 5 is now up for grabs on store shelves. In retrospect, have the cynics (and conversely, the promoters) been proven right? Did the iPhone 5 really deserve the waves of hype it made on the tech front?
Let's go over some of the most prominent promises made and kept.
The A6 chip
Before the release, reports of the iPhone5 incorporating the much hyped quad-core A6 chip were rampant. This, however, seemed to have been fueled by camps from both sides of the fence.
If you'll remember, the excitement over the previously released A5X chip had been quickly silenced by cries of supposed foul play, mainly directed at the chip not turning out to be truly quad-core. While more a marketing "snafu" than anything else (the chip only had a dual-core CPU, although its GPU was quad-core), it nevertheless incensed a lot of consumers who thought that the hype generated around the chip was overinflated.
The A6 was expected to be every bit the revolutionary upgrade as the A5 was to the A4; and true to form, it delivered. For the current release, it the quad-core processor is a reality.
The design
Apple's sleek approach to gadget design has been a major factor in the company's popularity, as well as the proliferation of portable gadgets to casual consumers as a whole. In the iPhone 5's case, it takes a cue from the latest construction methods applied to the MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air. That is, the iPhone 5's innards are wrapped with a single sheet aluminum case, emphasizing a futuristic mien.
Furthermore, the aluminum provides additional hardiness, and also makes the iPhone 5 e-cycling friendly. The device sports a 4 inch 640 x 1136 screen. Aside from being larger than the iPhone 4S's 3.5 inch 640 x 960 screen, the new display is also closer to the widescreen-standard 16:9 aspect ratio. Along with the Retina Display, the movie-viewing experience on the iPhone 5 is just that much more enjoyable.
The 3D camera
If there's one feature that made the most buzz around tech forums prior to the iPhone 5's release, it's Apple's proprietary 3D imaging camera technology.
This camera utilizes depth-sensing technology like Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) and RADAR,approximating relative depths of an image, much like how a 3D ultrasound instrument would. It also employs chrominance and luminance sensors to calculate the varying levels of lighting depth. Best of all, this camera can be used both for taking snapshots and recording video.
As far as rumors go, they are just those: rumors. Apple did not start them, nor did they ever mention them in press conferences. Sure, stuff like Apple's still-in-development 3D camera technology gets leaked every now and then, but never was it alluded to that it would make its first appearance with the iPhone 5; excitable consumer fancy took care of that.
The bright side is we know that the aforementioned 3D technology is very much real. It's just a matter of knowing which future product Apple uses it on; but to delve into that thought would be digressing.
The Apple factor
What made all these rumors exciting was the fact that none of them had ever been 100% confirmed by Apple before the iPhone 5's eventual unveiling. The company is so good at keeping secrets that the hype practically generated itself.
When all is said and done, Apple has proven once again that it isn't at the forefront of technology for nothing. If there's anything about the company that has been verified, it's that -- taking away all the counter-hype and such -- Apple always delivers what it promises; no more, no less.
Get it while it's hot!
The Apple brand being what it is, the iPhone 5 is priced just a bit more than smartphones from other manufacturers. Still, the allure of the product is so undeniably strong that many consumers have been saving up all those months in preparation of an iPhone 5 purchase.
That said, whether you've managed to scrounge up enough money or not, there is a way for you to earn some fast cash. Head over to our site, CashForiPhones.com, and sell your old iPhone 4 or 4S to us. You'll receive top dollar for it while receiving the very best in customer service.
Business transactions are hassle-free. We offer free shipping; we even throw in the shipping box at no extra cost. Just get a quote from our site, wait for a few days, and get your money. It's that simple.
We promise only the utmost customer satisfaction, and we take great measures to ensure that promise is kept.
Just like Apple.
(Hathem Brand is a blogger working CashForiPhones.com. He has been writing about technology for more than three years now -- two years professionally, and a little over a year in freelance -- , dabbling in everything from computers to e-recycling to future tech and whatnot. When not writing, he loves to watch movies, both classic and contemporary._