Unveiled in an iPhone event on September 12, 2012, the iPhone 5 is definitely a thing of beauty. With a 4 inch screen it is bigger than the last iPhone but somehow, the increased sized did not add weight to the phone, instead, the iPhone 5 is a lighter too. The big thing about this new generation of iPhone was that it featured LTE.

With this iPhone, Apple dabbled with the aspect ratio resulting in a more cinematic 16:9 ratio than the usual 3:2 used in previous phones. It resulted in a smoother video and gaming experience especially with the increase in resolution from 940 x 640 to 1136 x 640. The pixel density continued to be 326ppi. The display used an in-cell technology to produce impeccable results which looked like the images were painted in the glass. One of the reasons for the success of the early iPhones was the perfect screen resolution and display.

Apple discarded the stainless steel body and glass back to return to the trusty aluminum body but unlike early iPhones with aluminum body, this one had a uni-body that covered the sides and the back. With diamond polished chamfered edges, this iPhone was continuing the Apple reputation of immaculate designs.

Users also got a taste for Apple’s first custom processor with the iPhone 5 using the Apple A6 – an ARMv7 based chipset – with PowerVR SGX543MP3 GPU along with 1GB RAM. The storage maxes out at 64GB which is the same as its predecessor but the battery saw an increase to 1440 mAh. A thinner body made it difficult for Apple to include a better camera, so they continued to offer the same camera as the iPhone 4S but added some additional features like a dynamic low-light mode. Apple also exchanged the material of the lens with sapphire crystal to provide better scratch resistance to the camera. As for the front camera, it saw an upgrade to 720p, making FaceTime, FaceTime HD.

Another pivotal change in the history of iPhones or the history of Apple was the lightning connector which was introduced with the iPhone 5. While people did find it difficult to make the transition from the 30-pin Dock connector to the lightning connector, it was a matter of time, when users began to like the new connector more. Today, iPhone 5 users hardly remember the change of connectors. The earbuds that came out of the box saw a notable change too. Instead of the usual round design, they took a more ergonomic shape which allowed users to enjoy music on the go or take calls easily and comfortably.

Apple combined the launch of iOS6 with the iPhone 5 and proudly sold 5 million units in the first weekend. It was eventually sold in 100 countries over 240 carriers. While most reviews spoke positively of the phone, people who did not understand the modifications made on the phone felt that the design was somehow getting too mundane with very limited changes on the aesthetics of the device.