[Sn1p3r]

Originally Posted by arup.misra

I have somebody getting me an iphone 5 (factory unlocked) in Oct end. Quite a lot of issues have surfaced. Some resolved some aren't.

Should I wait for a while for issues with ios 6 to be resolved? Any idea if i5 is backward compatible?

Caution: LTE in US is not compatible with Indian LTE band. I think its wise to get the phone where you will be using it most. Else 4S is ok, unless you see a lot of videos on the phone and do a lot of computing. Strange coming from me also the initial batch has been hastily put forward before the festive season, I am wiling to wait it out.

All the best!

[vinjosep]

Originally Posted by Sn1p3r

Caution: ...
All the best!

Originally Posted by arup.misra

I have somebody getting me an iphone 5 (factory unlocked) in Oct end...

Hi Arup.misra, Sn1p3r has a valid point w.r.t LTE.

That aside there are a few other improvements which I find to be better over 4S.

The battery performance is one. I use mine moderately with LTE "on" the whole time(note: am in canada). The battery disharged is just 50% for ~ 9hrs of typical usage. I have kept the "notifications", "push" options to the bare minimum. My friend who uses 4S is almost down by 85% for the similar usage. And he keeps the "screen brightness" at a much lower point. His usage is similar to mine.

I did not have any scuff/ scratches when i got the device (might have been lucky? not sure..)

The device is obviously thinner, lighter and faster than 4S. (did a side by side comparo with my friend on WiFi).

I did not have any problems either with WiFi even though am using WPA2 at home.

Maps is a pain point, but only to an extent. My normal activities are easily covered by the mobile versions of Google maps + Nokia maps.

Feel free to express your other concerns and maybe I can find an answer based on real world usage. Also the "white" is not entirely white, but more of a white+slate. Its much more pleasing than the 4S white. Quite a few changed from black to white after seeing it in person (day 1 scene).

The experience on LTE is amazing but then Airtel/ India seems to be going for a band which is not included for iPhone 5.

[sa_kiran]

Another incident in the Apple Maps war of words - http://www.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-575...s-own-failing/

[ajay_satpute]

This is crazy.



But, I am sure when the phone is officially launched by Apple in India, it wont cost so much. Looking at what they did in the US by reducing 4S and positioning IP5 at 4S' current cost, the same should happen in India. So logically IP5 should be around 40k and 4S should go down a bit.

[ruchirtnt]

Originally Posted by ajay_satpute

This is crazy.

Attachment 992792

But, I am sure when the phone is officially launched by Apple in India, it wont cost so much. Looking at what they did in the US by reducing 4S and positioning IP5 at 4S' current cost, the same should happen in India. So logically IP5 should be around 40k and 4S should go down a bit.

This price is just exactly the one i make fun of and it has become true

i used to tell my friends that iphone 3G was around 30000, 4S came close to 50000 definetly 5 will touch 100000 and yes it has become true
Wait for Iphone 6 at 1.5 lacs and above.

One day Tata Nano will be cheaper than a IPhone

[sa_kiran]

Whoever said that innovation stopped at Apple after Steve died - http://www.macrumors.com/2012/09/27/...hone-displays/

[arup.misra]

Originally Posted by Sn1p3r

Caution: LTE in US is not compatible with Indian LTE band.

AFAIK LTE (4G) isn't offered anywhere else except Bangalore and Kolkata. Besides I'd be pretty happy with 3G given that I am not even using a smart phone now

The phone is being bought from HK. So will the LTE will still be different than the one in India?

Originally Posted by vinjosep

Sn1p3r has a valid point w.r.t LTE.

That aside there are a few other improvements which I find to be better over 4S. The battery performance is one.

I did not have any problems either with WiFi even though am using WPA2 at home.

Feel free to express your other concerns and maybe I can find an answer based on real world usage.

Thanks vinjosep for the quick comparo. As I asked sn1p3r above, LTE is restrcited to Bangy & Kolkata for now. And for a person upgrading from no EDGE to 3G, how much do you think it'll matter

Battery life I read it's a bit of concern but will faster processors, high member better displays you need to pay a price. Not too bothered as I can charge in on the way back home

Good to hear you didn't face any Wifi issues. My colleague updated his 4S to ios6 and he's breaking his head getting connected to wifi. What's worse he cant downgrade back.

Personally I prefer the black & slate. Have asked my friend to rip open the packaging and check with a microscope. So keeping my fingers crossed there.

Anything else I should check before buying?

[fuel_addict]

I think we should stop looking forward to the iPhone 5 launch in India. For one, the phone will be ridiculously priced and secondly, the Maps in iOS 6 is going to dent the user experience greatly. The phone as such is hardly a radical upgrade from the 4S - no matter what Apple makes us believe.

I see this as the starting point for the stagnation (or decline) of Apple. Samsung seems to have better products with the S3 and now the Note 2. Apple needs to come out with something really pathbreaking to survive. The Indian market could do with a price cut to begin with.

I am an iPhone 4 user but have no inclination to upgrade to the 5. Infact I would love to go back to iOS 5!

[Sn1p3r]

Originally Posted by arup.misra

AFAIK LTE (4G) isn't offered anywhere else except Bangalore and Kolkata. Besides I'd be pretty happy with 3G given that I am not even using a smart phone now

The phone is being bought from HK. So will the LTE will still be different than the one in India?

Thanks vinjosep for the quick comparo. As I asked sn1p3r above, LTE is restrcited to Bangy & Kolkata for now. And for a person upgrading from no EDGE to 3G, how much do you think it'll matter

Battery life I read it's a bit of concern but will faster processors, high member better displays you need to pay a price. Not too bothered as I can charge in on the way back home

Good to hear you didn't face any Wifi issues. My colleague updated his 4S to ios6 and he's breaking his head getting connected to wifi. What's worse he cant downgrade back.

Personally I prefer the black & slate. Have asked my friend to rip open the packaging and check with a microscope. So keeping my fingers crossed there.

Anything else I should check before buying?

The hardware is nice, if you go back a few pages, I am a fan of the iPhone 5. But then as an advice its always to caution the buyer as the feature rich phone might not always be the most useful for a person. In your case Arup, the 4G LTE is of use if you get a Band 40 LTE device. HK supports same band if you go with Airtel in India. You are in luck.

I suggest everyone to confirm the band if you wish to get an import to India.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_LTE_networks

All the best!

[arup.misra]

Originally Posted by Sn1p3r

Band 40 LTE device. HK supports same band if you go with Airtel in India. You are in luck.

Many thanks Sn1p3r, Is there any way we can check the band. I mean post unpacking some settings page. .


Apart from missing wifi & exterior blemishes anything else I should look out for?

[amitk26]

@Arup today LTE may be just in Bangalore and Kolkata but soon it will expand.

You need to think how long will you keep this device with you. If you have no upgrade plans next year better to avoid buying from US.

Next year RIL ( Mukesh Ambani) is launching LTE and they have only 4G pan India license the plan is to capture the voice market with VoLTE. Airtel will also expand and eventually it is expected that 4G will expand. Who knows you may start consuming more data once it starts coming cheap.

VoLTE is not there in iPhone 5 but probably that can be a software update ,
As iPhone is not supporting simultaneous voice and data for some versions ( Verizon / Sprint) it is likely that they will give VoLTE update, bt suppose you purchase a phone with different band you can not use on LTE network
.
So as others said iPhone 4S with iOS6 makes more sense untill they launch India specific models.

[Jaggu]

LTE band in India is quite different from other countries, coz its at 2.3Ghz spectrum or something which is not used anywhere else. That is the reason why iPad 3 also doesnt support LTE here in India. So there is slim chance that any iP5 model would work. Read its somewhere on the net, and am sure if you google you would get the links.

[arup.misra]

Originally Posted by amitk26

@Arup today LTE may be just in Bangalore and Kolkata but soon it will expand. If you have no upgrade plans next year better to avoid buying from US.

Thanks amit, getting my iphone from HK. Believe they operate in the same band as Airtel.

Originally Posted by amitk26

Who knows you may start consuming more data once it starts coming cheap.

Agree but I guess it'll take a while for 4G plans to be cheap. Even 3G didn't take off well at the start until they slashed prices.

[vinjosep]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

LTE band in India is quite different from other countries, coz its at 2.3Ghz spectrum or.

Originally Posted by arup.misra

Thanks amit, getting my iphone from HK. Believe they operate in the same band as Airtel. Agree but I guess it'll take a while for 4G plans to be cheap. Even 3G didn't take off well at the start until they slashed prices.

Sorry Arup, AFAIK the LTE band planned for India is NOT the same as in HK. None of the current iPhone 5 models support the band. Jaggu is right.

There are 3 versions of the iPhone 5 - GSM model A1428, CDMA model A1429, GSM model A1429 (details here). The supported frequencies are listed therein.

If you are currently coming from a non-smartphone and you are comfy with the cost, then there is no need to have second thoughts. You will love the experience. 3G is good enough. Battery life is at par with other smartphones in general. You can easily pull through 9 hrs.

Its only if you have a 4S, that you should think twice. The logical upgrade cycle (IMHO) for iPhone is every 2 or 3 years.

Things to check? a la-PDI? just keep out an eye for the rumoured aesthetic problems. Thats all. I would also strongly recommend that you take the additional Apple protection. Its worldwide redeemable and includes damage due to water.

[Newpunter]

Originally Posted by sa_kiran

Whoever said that innovation stopped at Apple after Steve died - http://www.macrumors.com/2012/09/27/...hone-displays/

I'm not sure if you are being sarcastic or serious. There is nothing innovative about filing patents for a flexible screen. Samsung showed working models of flexible OLEDs at CES 2011. You could search Youtube for the videos. Sorry for going off topic .