iPhone 5 Reactions: Better, but Nothing Too Exciting

The just-announced iPhone 5 hasn't come out yet, but after the two-hour-long announcement and some brief moments with the phone, the techies have decided that it's different, but nothing mind-blowing. (Remember, though, that's what they said about the 4S, too.) Our rundown earlier gives a detailed lowdown of what Apple gifted us, but in short: It's a skinnier, thinner, lighter iPhone that runs the new iOS 6 software. It will run faster and better than everything before it. It is better. But, is that good enough? 

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It definitely feels different, as sorta-ex-TechCruncher MG Seigler explains.

Holy shit the iPhone 5 is light. It almost feels hollow.

But not that different, argues Engadget's Darren Murph.

The phone itself doesn't feel too much different than the iPhone 4 and 4S; yes, it's a bit taller, but by keeping the width the same, you'll utilize a very familiar grasp to hold it.

Plus, that lightness might not be a good thing, suggests The Verge's Joshua Topolsky. 

What's most noticeable about the new device isn't any of that, however; it's how thin and light it is. The 7.6mm, 112-gram chassis is incredibly sleek, and exceptionally light... it feels almost too light in the hand. 

Of course, it's also got a better screen, which is probably a good thing. But not enough to really impress, says TechCrunch's John Biggs. 

The screen is the real draw here and I’m really interested to see how it improves the experience in real-world conditions...

It’s not as earth-shattering different than the iPhone 4S, to be sure. While the real benchmarks and games aren’t quite available yet, folks who haven’t used the 4S will notice a bump.

Though, it's whats inside -- a faster chip -- that counts, adds Engadget's Darren Murph.

Much like the speed increases between the iPhone 4 and 4S (and before that, the iPhone 3G vs. iPhone 3GS), they won't take you by storm right away. But, use it for half an hour and you'll have a hard time going back to a slower chip. 

And, really people will love it no matter what, because it makes the predecessors feel obsolete, notes GDGT's Ryan Block. 

Great. Use the iPhone 5 for ten minutes and now my iPhone 4S feels tiny, fat, and ugly. And that’s how they get me every time.

It's still the best phone out there, and that's all that matters when it comes to sales, adds SlashGear's Vincent Nyugen.

the iPhone 5 is easily the best model yet. It's the significant refresh many were hoping of the iPhone 4S, and it's going to sell like wildfire.

Overall, however, the announcement doesn't feel too Apple-y, says The Atlantic's Alexis Madrigal. 

iPhone 5 sounds like the kind of nice incremental upgrade that other companies release.

But maybe that's because we already knew what was coming, notes Reuters' Matthew Keys. 

Short recap of the iPhone 5: Everything you read on the Internet months ago was true.