IPhone 5 faster, but with shorter battery life

Security guards stood in front of the Apple Store in the Short Pump Town Center on Friday morning as customers waited in lines outside.

Instead of waiting in line to get his new phone, Andrew Checca, a sophomore, got his iPhone 5 in the mail in order to avoid the crowds at the Apple Store.

"The phone is significantly faster than the iPhone 4S," Checca said. "I think the speed of the phone is the biggest change."

Dana Gnerre, a senior, after having her iPhone 5 for three days said she liked it so far, especially the turn-by-turn GPS navigation system, she said.

The only thing Gnerre did not like about the phone was its battery life because she had to constantly keep recharging it.

"There is nothing major that changed, which is a little disappointing, but all in all, it is super fast and works for what I need it for, " Gnerre said.

Sophomore Marty Berkowitz said he loved his new phone. Berkowitz said that the bigger screen was the best part, especially when it was in landscape mode.

"My favorite feature is how you can use Siri to tweet verbally," Berkowitz said. "It kept me entertained while I was on risk for the lodge."

The phone is amazingly light, and the A6 processor is noticeably faster, he said.

"Apple has the winning recipe, and the product gives users a good experience," said Jonathan Pitts, Macintosh help desk coordinator at University of Richmond.

Pitts is upgrading from the iPhone 3 to the iPhone 5, and the main thing that he is looking for in his upgrade is a faster processing speed, he said.

Contact staff writer Brooke Knetzger at brooke.knetzger@richmond.edu