iPhone 5 'Problems' Explained - Wired

Apple has a new iPhone, which of course means it’s time to find problems to harp about.

It happens with every new iPhone. Remember Antennagate? How about the battery issues with iOS 5? This time around we’ve got nicked cases, lens flare and, of course, the disaster of Maps. But are these really problems, or are people making such a fuss because it’s, well, Apple?

A little of both, actually. There are legitimate beefs, but what company hasn’t had issues with new hardware or software? With the Samsung Galaxy S III, some owners reported battery drain issues with their new handsets in June. But this is Apple we’re talking about, and the expectation is just a little bit … higher.

“I do think that users have higher expectations when it comes to Apple,” Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi told Wired via email. “I also think that there is a particular pleasure by many in finding something wrong almost to show that Apple is not perfect.”

And so we’re hearing no end of complaints and criticism now that pundits and the public are using their shiny new iPhone 5′s. Some of them are complete non-issues, but there are some actual problems. Lets break it down…

Scratches and chips

Shortly after iPhone 5′s started arriving in the mail, some noticed their svelte new handset was chipped right out of the box. Others found that the switch from a glass back plate to anodized aluminum made the iPhone â€" particularly the black model â€" more susceptible to unsightly scratches and blemishes.

Within a few short days of using my own iPhone 5, I too noticed some chips along its chamfers, the diagonal edges of the device. IHS analyst Kevin Keller, who covers teardown services, explained what’s going on here.

Apple has incorporated an aluminum unibody construction for the first time in the iPhone 5 â€" similar to what Apple has used in MacBooks and the iPad, that is, a single piece of aluminum hollowed out with a CNC machine.

“The issue, though, is that aluminum is a fairly soft metal,” Keller said.

The aluminum is anodized, a finishing process that is essentially an etch and dye process that gives it color, but there is no sort of protective finish on top of that. “It’s just bare aluminum. It scratches easily. You can scratch it with a key or anything.”

This isn’t a problem so much for iPads and MacBooks, but iPhones are often put in pockets along with keys. Whether or not this is actually an issue, though, is in the eye of the beholder.

“I actually like the idea of the metal wearing in over time and becoming unique,” iFixit’s Kyle Wiens told Wired. “So I don’t mind the scratching.”

As with a plurality of iPhone owners in the past, the threat of scratches may not be a problem for long. “If users care about their phone getting scratched, they’ll put a case on it, so ultimately it’s not really an issue,” Keller said. Personally, I’ve decided to put mine in a case anytime I put it in my backpack to provide added protection while walking around or biking.

Maps

Yes, Maps is indeed a serious problem. Apple CEO Tim Cook actually issued a formal apology for the app, which was perhaps pushed out a bit prematurely.

Apple’s new Maps app is perhaps the most pervasive issue affecting iPhone 5 users. But being a feature of iOS 6, it is affecting other iDevice owners as well. Some of the problems include 3D and satellite images being buggy (like bridges looking wavy, or dropping off in the center); navigation directions sending people to incorrect locations; and out-of-date information on local businesses. The Maps app also lacks transit directions, which Google Maps has. It’s a large enough deal that some are even holding out upgrading until a better fix is in place.

“Maps is a huge problem,” iFixit’s Kyle Wiens told Wired. “I refuse to upgrade to iOS 6 until Google releases a maps app. I need transit directions too much.”

In the meantime, iOS 6 users can download one of a number of transit apps or map apps, or create a homescreen bookmark to Google Maps’ web app.

Purple Lens Flare

You point your phone up at the sky to Instagram the bright afternoon sunlight catching the clouds, but then, gasp! The resulting image has a ghastly purple pallor cast around the sun’s powerful rays.

It’s an effect known as purple fringing, and it can be attributed to anything from stray UV or IR light, image processing issues, anti-reflective lens coatings, or overexposure. It’s something that plagues many digital cameras.

In the iPhone 5′s case, some postulate that because Apple removed the IR/Cut filter in the iPhone 5, its suffering from greater lens flare issues than the 4S. The phone’s new sapphire lens could also be to blame â€" this is what the photography folks at PetaPixel suspect is at issue. However, the process used to turn sapphire into a lens removes the telltale coloring you typically associate with the gemstone.

In some tests, the iPhone 5 does a better job of eliminating this issue than its predecessor, the iPhone 4S. But in others, like PCMag’s investigation, they found that among several major smartphones (the iPhone 5, 4S and 4; Samsung Galaxy S III and HTC One S), the iPhone 5 was the worst offender of this type of lens flare.

Should you be concerned? No. It may happen, it may not, but there is zero reason to rush back to the Apple Store and swap out your handset if you see a purple halo in a photo.

Light Leak on White Model

Macrumors forum member Leotno wrote, “My phone has a streak of light leaking from in-between the glass panel and the structure; it is right under my lock button. Kinda makes the lock button look illuminated. Anyone else notice a problem like this?”

Light leakage seems to be a fairly common issue for white handsets â€" iPhone 4S owners reported a similar thing last year. Others that noticed similar issues with light leaking on their iPhone 5′s took their handset to the Apple Store and were issued a replacement.

If you notice this defect and it bothers you, you can try swapping out your handset, or you can just learn to ignore it.

Screen glitching

One issue that I and others are experiencing is an odd screen glitching that usually happens when you’re putting in your Apple ID password. As you type, horizontal lines appear across the keyboard. I mostly saw this in the App Store app.

Videos documenting the issue have appeared on YouTube, if you haven’t noticed it yourself. But despite headlines like “BIG iPhone 5 Screen Issue,” the glitch is just a minor software problem that should be fixed in an upcoming iOS update. It doesn’t affect overall performance, and it’s not something you need to drag yourself to the Genius Bar about.

Even with early reviews pointing out some of these issues, it hasn’t affected iPhone sales momentum. Apple reportedly sold 5 million units during the iPhone 5′s opening weekend alone.