14 DAY TRIAL // After running the iPhone 5 through a complex series of tests, the people at Consumer Reports are declaring Apple’s newest smartphone a winner. The magazine recommends the purchase, despite recent criticism about some lackluster functionality in the Maps application and the camera department.
After conducting its professional-grade tests on the new iPhone from Apple, Consumer Reports concludes that “The Apple iPhone 5 is among the best smart phones in our Ratings and the best iPhone yet.”
The magazine’s completed tests also confirmed that, “despite the widespread criticism it has received, Apple's new Maps app, available on the iPhone 5 and other iPhones, is competent enough, even if it falls short of what's available for free on many other phones.”
Areas where the publication found the iPhone 5 as superior to its predecessors include the Siri voice assistant and the camera.
However, the reviewers said they couldn’t reproduce the purple flare issues experienced by users in the wild, nor could they confirm a substantial improvement in shooting low-light photos.
“Our tests also found low-light performance and shutter speed to be on a par with the better smart-phone cameras. However, contrary to Apple's claims, our tests did not find the iPhone 5's low-light and flash shots to be notably better than those from the iPhone 4S,” said the product review group.
In its initial tests of the Apple Maps application, which the media heavily criticized in the first few days of use, Consumer Reports was equally unimpressed by its performance.
Then, after some more tinkering, they observed that the app is “relatively streamlined,” with the testers concluding that “it generally provides clear guidance, including voice and on-screen directions.”
Consumer Reports also takes into account Apple’s apology for the flaws discovered in the service - such as “melting” buildings and bridges in the 3D Flyover view – stating “we expect the Map app to improve in time.”