It has been a frantic fortnight for gadget lovers and the Apple iPhone 5 launch was the grand finale of the whole shebang. But not without a

brush of disappointment. Let’s face it, a product has yet to appear that could revolutionize the smartphone landscape as the iPhone did when it

launched years ago.

The lack of surprises this season seems to place the industry in a more balanced position in which customers are spoiled by a plethora of

handsets options.

At first glance there’s not much difference between the new iPhone 5 and its previous products. But there have been a few tweaks. It’s slightly

longer, sporting a 4-inch screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio that allows you to watch widescreen videos without those annoying black bars on both

sides.

The latest iPhone is much more slender too. At only 7.6mm thick, Apple claims it is the thinnest in the world. The glass back has been replaced by

an all-metal shell with a two-tone effect. The connector is also smaller, which is bad news for those who just spent US$1,000 (6,300 yuan) on a

new dock .

But as this shows, hardware can hardly differentiate rivals anymore. It’s up to the software to run the show.

A big feature discussed alongside the iPhone 5 at its launch was the iOS 6 – the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system. It offers a

selection of new features, most notably a replacement of Google’s mapping software. Apple’s own take on maps provides turn-by-turn navigation

and local business information. An enhanced version of Siri the robot is also featured.

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