The new iPhone is released and is not yet available officially in India. The unofficial prices range from 60K to over one lakh rupees. We take a look at why it is better to wait for a while till the early issues are sorted. At the very least buy the phone under warranty when it launches in India at around 45K rupees which is much cheaper than the current price of unofficial pieces.
Scratches and Chipped Paint
Users are noticing dents, scratches and chipped paint on the anodized aluminum shell out of the box. Remember that the new iPhone has an aluminum back panel instead of the glass panel in the previous version. The unofficial response from Apple on this issue is that the natural silver color of aluminum is revealed when the paint gets scratched. However the issue is not isolated to paint alone. Aluminum being a soft metal gets dented or scratched easily.
There is no clarity on when or if this problem will be resolved since it is intrinsic to the metal alloy being used. Apple may replace the affected device so it is better to wait till it is available with local warranty.
The Purple Haze when photographing bright objects
The camera on iPhone 5 is producing a purple halo around light sources and bright objects under certain conditions. You can notice the difference in the image below (image source: Mashable)
The issue could be due to the inbuilt image processing software or the new lens cover on the iPhone5. If it is the former it can be fixed easily with a software update. If it is a hardware issue then it is better to wait for the new batch which has the issue rectified.
Lack of Google Maps and inclusion of Apple Maps
Owing to the recent fallout with Google, Apple has decided to let go of the bundled Google Maps in favor of their native Maps application. This perhaps was the biggest blunder from Apple, so much that the CEO had to offer an open apology letter to the consumers. This issue is not just limited to iPhone5 as it is an iOS6 issue, so anyone upgrading to the new OS will will feel the frustration.
The problems relate to incorrect locations or directions and out-of-date information on local businesses. Users reliant on maps and particularly Google maps will have to place a shortcut to the Google Maps web app on their screen and open it in their browsers.
Increased Data Usage
Some users are reporting high data usage on their devices. According to the impacted consumers the data usage is more than double to what it was on their iPhone4. A user which used to manage well with in the 2GB mark in a month had already crossed 3GB in two weeks. This is important considering almost none of us are on a unlimited data plan on India and the phone bill can quickly inflate once you cross the data plan limit.
This issue was earlier reported on a US network provider and Apple had released a fix. Now other operators are also facing similar issues suggesting that it is a device issue.
Other minor issues
There is a minor light leak at the edge of the phone where the screen fits in the aluminum csaing. The LED backlight of the screen shines through that tiny crack. Apple has offered to replace all such devices but your device must be in warranty, so wait for it to be officially released in India.
Apparently some users are experiencing slow WiFi connectivity and speed issues. This is most likely a software issue and a common workaround is to specify the manual DNS settings in the connection settings. Not everyone is facing such issues.
Update:
Apple has issued the following official response on the camera purple haze issue.
Scratches and Chipped Paint
Users are noticing dents, scratches and chipped paint on the anodized aluminum shell out of the box. Remember that the new iPhone has an aluminum back panel instead of the glass panel in the previous version. The unofficial response from Apple on this issue is that the natural silver color of aluminum is revealed when the paint gets scratched. However the issue is not isolated to paint alone. Aluminum being a soft metal gets dented or scratched easily.
There is no clarity on when or if this problem will be resolved since it is intrinsic to the metal alloy being used. Apple may replace the affected device so it is better to wait till it is available with local warranty.
The Purple Haze when photographing bright objects
The camera on iPhone 5 is producing a purple halo around light sources and bright objects under certain conditions. You can notice the difference in the image below (image source: Mashable)
The issue could be due to the inbuilt image processing software or the new lens cover on the iPhone5. If it is the former it can be fixed easily with a software update. If it is a hardware issue then it is better to wait for the new batch which has the issue rectified.
Lack of Google Maps and inclusion of Apple Maps
Owing to the recent fallout with Google, Apple has decided to let go of the bundled Google Maps in favor of their native Maps application. This perhaps was the biggest blunder from Apple, so much that the CEO had to offer an open apology letter to the consumers. This issue is not just limited to iPhone5 as it is an iOS6 issue, so anyone upgrading to the new OS will will feel the frustration.
The problems relate to incorrect locations or directions and out-of-date information on local businesses. Users reliant on maps and particularly Google maps will have to place a shortcut to the Google Maps web app on their screen and open it in their browsers.
Increased Data Usage
Some users are reporting high data usage on their devices. According to the impacted consumers the data usage is more than double to what it was on their iPhone4. A user which used to manage well with in the 2GB mark in a month had already crossed 3GB in two weeks. This is important considering almost none of us are on a unlimited data plan on India and the phone bill can quickly inflate once you cross the data plan limit.
This issue was earlier reported on a US network provider and Apple had released a fix. Now other operators are also facing similar issues suggesting that it is a device issue.
Other minor issues
There is a minor light leak at the edge of the phone where the screen fits in the aluminum csaing. The LED backlight of the screen shines through that tiny crack. Apple has offered to replace all such devices but your device must be in warranty, so wait for it to be officially released in India.
Apparently some users are experiencing slow WiFi connectivity and speed issues. This is most likely a software issue and a common workaround is to specify the manual DNS settings in the connection settings. Not everyone is facing such issues.
Update:
Apple has issued the following official response on the camera purple haze issue.
Symptoms
A purplish or other colored flare, haze, or spot is imaged from out-of-scene bright light sources during still image or video capture.
Resolution
Most small cameras, including those in every generation of iPhone, may exhibit some form of flare at the edge of the frame when capturing an image with out-of-scene light sources. This can happen when a light source is positioned at an angle (usually just outside the field of view) so that it causes a reflection off the surfaces inside the camera module and onto the camera sensor. Moving the camera slightly to change the position at which the bright light is entering the lens, or shielding the lens with your hand, should minimize or eliminate the effect.
A purplish or other colored flare, haze, or spot is imaged from out-of-scene bright light sources during still image or video capture.
Resolution
Most small cameras, including those in every generation of iPhone, may exhibit some form of flare at the edge of the frame when capturing an image with out-of-scene light sources. This can happen when a light source is positioned at an angle (usually just outside the field of view) so that it causes a reflection off the surfaces inside the camera module and onto the camera sensor. Moving the camera slightly to change the position at which the bright light is entering the lens, or shielding the lens with your hand, should minimize or eliminate the effect.