Apple underwhelms with the iPhone 5. Here's why the Nokia Lumia 920 is better.

Versus

Today'southward winner is...

Today, Apple finally took the wraps off of the long-awaited iPhone 5 (you tin can go all the dirty details at our sister site iMore). Funny thing happened forth the way though to the announcement: many leaks came forward early on that turned out to be highly accurate, taking the punch out of a lot of the new features. What'southward more, even the media started to get a bit bored with Apple's plans for the side by side-gen device.

The question for our readers though is in terms of raw engineering science—who came out on peak? Nosotros say that because we know Apple will win the PR and hype war, simply for the showtime time a Windows Phone has gone toe-to-toe and in terms of specs, has beat out the next-generation iPhone.

iPhone 5 vs the world

Specifications - iPhone 5

Here is what the new iPhone v packs for the master features:

112 grams (20% lighter than the 4S)
7.6mm thin
4" in-cell 1136 x 640 brandish (xvi:9; 326ppi)
8MP rear camera with F/2.4 lens, BSI sensor and Sapphire crystal
Apple A6 Scrap
4G LTE, DCHSPA

The crux of the update is this though: the iPhone 5 increases the display vertically to evidence more, but does not make the telephone wider thereby making it easier to concur. In turn, Apple take also made it much thinner and lighter, going for the super-temporary title of "world's thinnest" apathetic blah. We're certain that volition change in like iii-6 weeks, knowing how fast applied science moves these days.

They besides added 4G LTE, re-did their proprietary connector and gave it a faster A6 processor.

The Lumia 920 and the Lumia 900, chillin'

Let's compare

By comparison, the really thin Samsung ATIV S is viii.7mm thick and weighs in at 135g. Of course the simply massive 2300mAh battery on board makes up for that in our opinion. The Lumia 920, meanwhile is a monster, coming in at 185g and 10.7mm thick.

Then if y'all want modest and nimble, aye, the iPhone 5 is your choice and let's not deny the fact that many people do adopt small, thin phones.

But it was the rest of the news that made the presentation, soporific. That's because Apple either didn't reveal anything new or what they did say was quite unexciting.

For example, the in-cell display is slap-up—they put the bear on sensitive components within the brandish direct, making it super thin. But it'due south not Nokia'southward Super-sensitive display. That means you have to have your gloves off to use it. That's sooo early 2022.

That's a killer commercial right there for Nokia: Show someone wearing their gloves while using the Lumia 920. Side by side, have the iPhone 5 with someone mashing their gloved phalanges on the screen in frustration. Sold.

Lumia 920

Lumia 920 looks good on paper

What'southward more than, Nokia's PureMotion HD+ has a 60Hz refresh rate, making it "blur free" and the fastest brandish on a phone. Throw in ClearBlack for super saturated colors, 4.5" inches in size and a massive 332ppi that dwarfs the iPhone 5 and we know the winner.

But that didn't stop Apple from exclaiming, "This is the globe's well-nigh advanced display and I couldn't be prouder of it."

Sorry, but bullshit.

Next upward was the camera. Here, Apple could accept snuck in some new tech that none of us would take predicted. But no they gave users an updated iPhone 4S camera--a very solid camera—merely not ground breaking. With an F/2.4 lens, BSI sensor and an improved chipset, the iPhone 5 will be adept but it's not pushing the boundaries.

Nokia though has an F/2.0 camera (more light for the sensor, more 'bokeh' blur), i/three" BSI sensor and optical-paradigm stabilization (OIS) with that final i being a first for a smartphone. Toss in Nokia'southward algorithms plus Scalado's software and in terms of raw specs, Nokia crushed Apple.

Aye, we need to practice side-past-side comparison, but whatsoever photographer worth their salt would accomplish for the Nokia's PureView camera over the iPhone 5 but based on specs.

Even on battery life and talk-fourth dimension, Apple tree did not fair so well. Talk time over 3G is but 8 hours versus the x hours claimed past Nokia. When it comes to standby time, it'southward fifty-fifty worse: Apple – 225 hours versus Nokia at 400.

iPhone 5

The new iPhone five. Not bad but not slap-up.

Where Apple wins

Apple tree of class does win a few areas—super thin, super light, every bit mentioned above. They likewise appear a pre-order engagement (September xiv^th), shipping date (September 21^st) and of course prices starting at the regular $199 and upward.

For many, that's a huge win for Apple tree equally they always out exercise their competition that way. And while it would accept been nice for Nokia to do the aforementioned, the fact of the thing that probably won't happen. Ever. Microsoft makes the software, OEMs make the hardware and carriers accept to sell information technology. To become all iii of those to line up to make global availability announcements is merely too hard, especially since Windows Phone viii has not been RTM'd (released to manufactures aka final build).

The fact is, Samsung, HTC, LG, Huwaei etc. all play by those rules on Android and Windows Telephone too. Sure, it'southward not platonic but Nokia is not the exception here—Apple is. And Apple can do this for 2 reasons (1) they stiff-armed carriers, who volition never allow that to happen once again and (ii) they take the clout to need things.

Microsoft? Not so much.

Having said that, expect for a November release for Nokia.

Nokia's PureMotion HD+ is real innovation

Where Apple loses

Excitement. There, we said information technology. The new iPhone 5 with its longer await is not that sexy to be honest and the new features did not cause u.s.a. to take a 'wow' moment. Not once.

Maybe that's besides much to ask from Apple tree. Not every Pink Floyd album tin can be Dark Side of the Moon, correct? But Apple has set the bar for magical technology and the iPhone v failed to impress. Non considering information technology's a bad phone, it just didn't push the industry that forward. Thinner and lighter with worse battery life? We went through that years agone.

No NFC, no anterior wireless charging, no OIS for the photographic camera, no Super-sensitive impact screen, no Gorilla Glass 2, no exciting colors, no HAAC rich recording.

Lower pixels-per-inch (PPI) on the display, smaller display, worse battery life, mediocre camera specs, slower brandish refresh-rate. And y'all can't wear gloves while using it.

Volition information technology be a nice telephone? Yous betcha', we're not knocking that. Simply will the media and fans be impressed with this when information technology is eventually put up against the Lumia 920 (or even other high terminate Android devices)? Probably not.

The fact of the matter is Nokia showed that their enquiry & development squad has a lot more upwardly their sleeve than Apple and Nokia is just getting started.

Lumia 920 in grey

The Lumia 920 in grey (via our Forums)

The Take Away

The iPhone 5 will sell well and will be reviewed well simply it's losing its power to impress, to set the bar for applied science. It's starting to feel erstwhile. For the first time, competitors have a real chance to blow by Apple tree and we're excited to say that the Lumia 920 is leading that accuse.

Will information technology affair for sales? Not immediately but this could be the start every bit people begin to get excited for something different, again.

Read more than about the iPhone v at iMore.com. Tell is comments what yous thought of today'due south announcement and the chances for Nokia.