The iPhone Takes to the Big Screen

The iPhone Takes to the Big Screen

The world's most popular smartphone becomes significantly faster, thinner and lighter this week, while gaining a larger, 4-inch screen—all without giving up battery life, comfort in the hand and high-quality construction.

That's my quick take on Apple 's new iPhone 5, the sixth generation of the iconic device, which goes on sale on Friday. I've been testing the new iPhone for nearly a week and I like it a lot and can recommend it, despite a few negatives, such as a new maps app that has one big plus, but other big minuses. On balance, I still consider the iPhone the best smartphone on the market, especially with its staggering 700,000 third-party apps and a wealth of available content.

The price is the same—$199 for a 16-gigabyte base model, with higher-memory models at $299 and $399, all requiring a two-year contract.

Bigger Screen:

In increasing the iPhone's screen size, Apple took a different approach than competitors. It kept the same side-to-side width, yet added height to grow the screen from its previous 3.5-inch size. For those who prefer the gargantuan screens on some other phones, like the 4.8-inch display on Samsung 's Galaxy S III, the iPhone 5's screen likely won't suffice. These competing big screens are typically both taller and wider.