LA Times technology blogger Salvador Rodriguez wrote that the iPhone 5 was a vast improvement over the iPhone 4S and it was sure to be another great and reliable Apple product. However, it was no longer the most technologically advanced phone.
"Other devices have screens bigger than Apple's with picture quality that's just as good if not arguably better. Motorola even came out with a phone called the RAZR M that's the size of the iPhone 4S yet has a screen bigger than the iPhone 5.
"As for the iPhone 5's other headline feature - its 4G LTE connectivity - that's been available on Android phones for a couple of years now, so there's nothing ground-breaking there," he said.
The new phone, which comes in either white and silver or black and slate, will sell in New Zealand for a recommended retail price of $1049 for the 16GB model, $1199 for the 32GB model and $1349 for the 64GB model.
Apple senior vice-president of worldwide marketing Philip Schiller said the iPhone 5 was the thinnest smartphone in the world with a new body that was 18% thinner and 20% lighter than iPhone 4S.
"The iPhone 5 is the most beautiful consumer device that we've ever created. We've packed an amazing amount of innovation and advanced technology into a thin and light, jewel-like device with a stunning four-inch retina display, blazing fast A6 chip, ultra-fast wireless, even longer battery life - and we think customers are going to love it."
The launch of the new device, along with a new range of iPod touch and iPod nano, pushed Apple's share price up 1.4% to $US669.79 ($NZ815.89).
To buy or not to buy
YOU SHOULD BUY THE IPHONE 5 IF:
You already own an iPhone: If you do, you have probably bought apps and other items, and they will transfer over to your new device with ease.
You own a a lot of Apple products: If there is one thing Apple is still the best at, it is its ecosystem. No other company has built an environment that lets you jump from laptop to phone to tablet the way Apple has with its Mac, the iPad and the iPhone.
You want the best operating system: Google's Android has got a lot better recently, but Apple's IOS is still the best.
You want style points: The iPhone is still the most stylish phone and with the new device being lighter and possibly the thinnest smartphone ever, it is still the sexiest smartphone.
YOU SHOULD NOT BUY THE IPHONE 5 IF:
You want to save money: There are other phones available cheaper than the iPhone 5 that are equal to if not better than Apple's smartphone. The HTC One X, one of the best Android smartphones, is half the price.
You want a big screen: The iPhone 5's 4-inch looks very nice, but nowadays, a lot of phones have screens larger than 4.5 inches. Samsung's Galaxy S III has a 4.8-inch screen and its Note phone is more than 5 inches.
You want the most technologically advanced phone: The iPhone 5's technology was improved, but it is not the best. Other phones have longer-lasting battery times and more features, such as Near-Field Communication.
You do not own Apple products: If you use Windows or other operating systems for your computers or tablets, then do not bother getting the iPhone 5. There will be other phones that will work better with your setup, such as the Nokia Lumia 920, which is the flagship Windows Phone 8 device.
