iPhone 5 arrives - Pocket Gamer staff opinions

We know what you're thinking. "I've seen the iPhone 5", you say to yourself, like a slightly crazy person on the bus, "but what I really want to know is what do five of the writers at Pocket Gamer think of it?"

It's a very natural question to ask yourself, and I think we've all asked ourselves a similar question over the years. We need guidance, after all, and who better to get it from than people who are paid to play Angry Birds all day?

So here we are - five of Pocket Gamer's TOP writers (sorry, the ones with enough spare time to pen 100-odd words on the subject) to give you their award-winning opinions on Apple's new telephone. Leave your own comments in the box below.

Once again, the iPhone has been nipped, tucked, and tweaked to make owners of the current model feel slightly inferior. And, once again, I won't be getting one.

While the new screen, faster processor, and smaller chassis are all welcome improvements, the price point is as exclusionist as ever.

Unlike last year's incremental upgrade, however, Apple has done well to overhaul almost every aspect of the iPhone (though wireless charging and NFC support remain conspicuously absent). Unfortunately, thanks to a series of leaks, we knew about many of these enhancements months before Tim Cook even took to the stage, which did suck some excitement from the proceedings.

Nothing groundbreaking, then, but probably enough to keep the faithful on board for another year.

It's a slightly longer iPhone. That's not me being facetious – it genuinely is just a slightly longer iPhone. Aside from the fact that stretching out to 4-inches makes it look a bit...odd, it also means old apps will now run with a border around them.

Oh, and it's a bit faster, with a better camera and a better screen. Obviously when you have a phone with a userbase as large as iPhone's you perhaps don't need to innovate as much as your rivals.

Having spoken developers before the unveiling, what people wanted more than anything was a major update to iOS – specifically its user interface. Some are disappointed that Apple is sticking to the 'rows of apps' look when everyone around it is innovating.

Wireless charging would have been nice. It's been around for awhile now, so it's hard to understand why Nokia can equip it in the Lumia 920 but Apple can't in the iPhone 5. A lot of people wanted NFC, too. Strange Apple hasn't equipped that, even just so it could beat its chest a little bit.

I won't be getting the iPhone 5, but the new iPod touch looks rather good.

I've been using a Nokia Lumia 900 alongside my iPhone 4S for around a month, and it's made me realise just how useful a slightly larger display can be. I'm impressed with the iPhone 5's new design, which, in my opinion, is even sexier than its predecessor's.

I'm a little disappointed that Apple hasn't baked NFC into its latest smartphone - I'm eager to give it a whirl. That being said, I don't think the iPhone hardware is missing much else. Software improvements are far more important if you ask me, so I'm looking forward to iOS 6.

I will get the iPhone 5, but I'm not sure whether I'll be grabbing it at launch. My girlfriend wants my iPhone 4S, so she'll be pestering me until I upgrade and give it to her, you see.

I think the iPhone 5 is an interesting step forward, but it doesn't have the "massive leap" quality that the 4 had when it came out. It didn't feel like they were revealing something special, despite their constant claims that it was the greatest phone anyone had ever seen.

The keynote was a little lacklustre, but since its a device of increments and not giant leaps, that's only to be expected. Also, pretty much everything that was "revealed" we already knew.

I reckon Apple was remiss to not include NFC. I think a future where you pay for stuff by wiggling your phone in front of a reader is pretty likely, and not being able to do it on your iPhone is a shame.

I won't be getting the iPhone 5. I only just upgraded to a Samsung Galaxy SIII, and a 4-inch screen is still a bit too small for my giant bear-paw hands.

A taller screen? A little faster? A bigger battery? Improved Wi-Fi? Nothing more than catching up with an industry that has moved on significantly since the iPhone 4S. There was no killer feature to leave the competition reeling. Instead we got a new connector, new 'EarPods' and an update of iTunes. Yawn.

The failure to add NFC also suggests the technology still has a long way to go before it can be marketed successfully, which is disappointing, while it was also disappointing not to see support for wireless charging.

But Apple got one thing right – just as it always does. In less than two days from being announced, people will be able to pre-order one. Shortly after they'll get to own one, without any fuss.

All this is stark contrast to launches from the rivals, like Nokia's recent launch of its new Windows Phone 8 devices in New York. By the time they ship around November, the phones and the clever tech will be all but forgotten. So, all things considered, the iPhone 5 was yet another successful launch even if the keynotes are no longer what they used to be.

Will I buy one? Probably not, but with so many great iOS apps and games, I'm almost certainly going to bag the new iPod touch.