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iPhone 5 dissatisfaction over non-exclusive iOS 6 features

Not only was the new Apple mobile operating system iOS 6 launched last week but it was also followed a few days later by the iPhone 5 with iOS 6 built-in. Both the new iPhone and iOS have been big hits but a few days on we have noticed that the new iOS 6 seems to contain no differences whether running on the iPhone 4S or the iPhone 5. We now wonder if there will be any dissatisfaction because of the non-exclusive iOS 6 features for the latest iPhone.

When there is any new major product launch there’s a fair amount of excitement and anticipation but we’ve seen time and time again that any issues usually only become apparent after a few days when everybody has had a chance to use the new device or software. This has already been evident for the iPhone 5 with just two examples being criticism of the build quality because of it being easy to scratch or scuff while we also saw evidence of some light leakage on the white models.

Many new features and improvements on iOS 6 have also been praised but it too has faced plenty of criticism, for instance the new Apple Maps app has been hauled over the rocks and there have been other problems such as with the Passbook app and instability with iMessage. With all these concerns receiving widespread coverage in the media it has been easy up until now to overlook the somewhat surprising realization that there don’t seem to be any exclusive iOS 6 features for the new iPhone and that it seems basically the same whether you’re using the iPhone 4S or iPhone 5.

This is unusual as a new iOS normally has some features exclusive to the very latest iPhone iteration. Last year for example when the iPhone 4S came out, the Siri feature of iOS 5 was exclusive to it. A report on Product-Reviews also discusses the lack of exclusive features that iOS 6 brings to the iPhone 5 and notes that Apple didn’t seem to feel that some extra features exclusive to the iPhone 5 were necessary, maybe because the company were focusing on the much-improved hardware and also the design for the latest upgrade. Indeed Product-Reviews makes the good point that the Apple website makes no mention of any exclusive feature for the iPhone 5 from iOS 6.

The official website takes a look at new features of iOS 6 that work on only some iOS devices with a prime example being the turn-by-turn navigation feature on the Maps app. This is of course available for the iPhone 5 but also works on the iPhone 4S and the iPad 2 and 3 (new iPad). Another example is FaceTime over 3G, which not only works on the latest two iPhone generations but is also compatible with the iPad 3. One of the new iOS 6 features that has been really well received is the new Panorama camera mode and some iPhone 5 owners may well have imagined this was exclusive to their new device. However iPhone 4S and new iPod owners also have access to this feature.

We’d really like to hear from readers about the seemingly non-existent iOS 6 exclusive key features for the iPhone 5. Of course there may be some very minor ones that we’ve not yet spotted and if you have noticed any then do let us know. If you are the owner of the iPhone 5, does the lack of exclusive iOS 6 bonuses for the new iPhone bother you? Maybe you would have liked a major feature from iOS 6 that was only applicable for the iPhone 5? Let us know with your comments.

Comments

10 thoughts on “iPhone 5 dissatisfaction over non-exclusive iOS 6 features”

        1. K.J. says:

          Very true. My Galaxy Nexus has had this feature for almost 11 months. Not trying to do n Android vs. apple thing here, just using this example to agree. And to Zach, all you do is tap the screen as you are taking a video and you just took a pic.

  1. Bendman says:

    I think it is great that there is no difference. When most of us are stuck on two year contracts, it’s brilliant to know you are going to be up to date (mostly) for that time. Keep in mind that Siri wasn’t backwards compatible due to the hardware requirements for operation so there would have been no difference then also except for that.

    1. Dan the man says:

      That’s incorrect, I had SIRI running on my jailbroken iPhone 4 for over a year with no issues (Granted it isn’t as fast as it is on the 4s/5 but IT STILL WORKED) so hardware wasn’t the issue with SIRI not being on the 4

  2. Kpascoe says:

    You have got to be kidding me. Your bitching about no special feature just for the iPhone 5. If they didn’t give you all the upgrades of the iPhone 5, you would of bitched about them leaving out last years model with the new feature. You really get me sick. You will always find something to complain about

  3. daniellylsantos says:

    I miss Steve Jobs; oh how I miss good old Apple!

    Gone are the days when buying an Apple product was synonymous with high tech, safety and
    peace of mind, when buying an Apple product meant being sure we were acquiring
    the very best the market had to offer.

    Although I have used only Apple products since 2004 (MacBook, Iphone, Ipad e Ipod),
    throughout these past two years this is the second time I feel the need to
    share traumatic experiences with this company, which was once a reference for
    satisfaction.

    The recall initiated on the 29th of August 2014 acknowledges that a good
    part of the iPhone 5 available in September 2012, including my own (Serial Nº.
    F17JJ89ADTTP) which I bought while on a trip to the USA since it was then not
    yet available in Brazil, came with a serious battery issue.

    For nearly two years I was stuck with a barely mobile smartphone, a problem caused
    by its constant reliance on a charger. The only solution to regain mobility was
    the use of a case-battery, which, however, besides the discomfort of doubling
    the weight / size of the device, felt like fire in my pocket from the
    overheating it caused.

    Disappointed, I contemplated the idea that the Iphone5 would be an underdog, the worst
    equipment produced by Apple. Technical assistance was sought on several
    occasions, however no problems with the phone were ever detected.

    Surprisingly, a note on the Diário de Pernambuco rekindled lost hopes in company. The note
    brought a recall for Iphone5, and a link to the list of the devices included in
    the call.

    I was sure I’d be a part of this group so I promptly checked the web address for the
    support and confirmed then that my iPhone indeed presented a defect recognized
    by the manufacturer.

    However, after contacting Apple I came to realize that instead of offering a reward for
    what I had put up with or even a solution to the problem, what the prestigious
    company offered was nothing more then a workaround: change the battery!

    So basically, in September of 2012 I paid for a latest generation device, for two
    years I was unable to get a full use off it, and now they suggest changing the
    battery? So much for the expenses I had in trying to keep my phone from dying,
    never mind the risks I took in using a device that was constantly overheating
    and the damage the temperature spikes most likely caused in several other
    functions of the smartphone.

    Apple hasn’t even offered to exchange the defective phone for a new unit of the same
    make/model, which would be the bare minimum and is at least customary, instead
    it offered to change the battery on my phone. It took my money two years ago,
    gave me an aberration of a phone and now offers me a workaround.

    The fact is that an overheated can lead to a shortened phone life compared to other iphone, which
    does not present this problem.

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