Apple’s new iPhone 5 has rustled a few feathers; we think it’s fair to say. From what we’ve seen, there’s a group of fans who stick to the “it’s a disappointment” argument, while there’s the “it’s a revolutionary product” claim coming from the Apple faithful.
We’ve heard plenty from the consumers – the Apple faithful and the Android army – but what effect will the iPhone 5 have on the developer? Apple has stuck with the same 3.5-inch screen size for every model, making it pretty easy to make an app compatible with a new model when it comes out. However, this year everything has changed, with the screen size jumping to 4-inches with a whole new resolution, along with the new 16:9 widescreen aspect.
So will the iPhone 5 be a challenge that app developers will relish? We asked our good friends at App Developers UK what they thought of the new phone, and how they think it could change the app game.
Shimin Lu – Creator of eNatureWatch
“Personally, I don’t like the 4 inch size. With a 4 inch phone, it’s hard to reach the corner of the screen with your thumbs. 16:9 may provide a good experience for multimedia, but it also makes it more difficult to handle previous apps, especially as this time Apple did not provide an OS level solution to display older apps properly. The way the iPhone 5 will run old apps now looks so ugly that developers have to update their apps. I thought Apple used to focus on details, but this time I am quite disappointed. More work to do for the developers.
On the other hand, I still love the hardware they make. l love the new design of the phone, the materials of the phone, thinner, lighter than before. It still is advance of the industry.”
Robert Phillips – Creator of Frankie Farkal
“Obviously being a developer I am extremely biased towards the iPhone as it’s an avid interest in the platform that got me interested in it to start with. I know that there are some that think there are technically better phones, but they do not have the same number of apps available, and to be quite honest will never be as good as there are things that, as a developer, we can do with the iPhone that you can’t with the other phones. Each time the others try to catch up, Apple raises the bar each time by adding so much to the development kit.
I was just looking through the changes and additions available to us as developers within the new documentation for iOS6, and again there is a lot to learn, and some excitement at the new possibilities on offer. There will be some comments in the press about how Apple could have done something different and more innovative, but any platform is all about the software when it comes down to it, and I can see us being able to do even more cool things than we’ve done before.
The faster speed again pushes the iPhone to another level as clients are always asking for it to do more. The larger screen means a little more programming to support two different sizes, but just that bit extra may make all the difference for some applications.”
Leo Gomez – Creator of DoodleMaths
“I’d say it’s extremely exciting to see the industry moving that fast. As developers, we love the opportunities the industry gives us to create apps for companies, people, etc. Apple releasing the new iPhone 5 is the perfect example. In just some months’ time they have been able to improve the whole concept, again. The speed of the processor as well as the graphics performance has been doubled, wireless connection, battery… at the end of the day; Apple is again setting the structure we need to create better apps.”
Nigel Coward – Product Development Director, App Developers UK
“I am pleased the feedback from the development team is generally favourable. The iPhone has always suffered with poor battery life, so it’s great to see the new version sorting this out. Faster CPU and graphics will keep the gamers happy, while making the general user experience smoother, and with the improvements iOS 6 brings, the iPhone 5 is sure to maintain a strong market position.
I personally would have liked Apple to have retained the old connector, as I am loathed to replace my docking gadgets or use adaptors on equipment where the device was designed to sit neatly on top. Also sad to see that the NFC didn’t make it into the device, as this technology continues to gain ground in day to day activities which Android powered devices are catching on to, and software customers are already asking about it.
Overall though, it is a positive step forward for the iPhone, but perhaps not quite as big as everyone had hoped.”
If you’re an app developer, accessory maker, or just want to have your say on the iPhone 5, we’d love to hear from you. Let us know your thoughts on our comments below or via our @Gadget_Helpline Twitter page or Official Facebook group.