The Apple Beat: iPhone design in focus

Text and photos by Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Not to take anything away from the iPhone 5, but I like the iPhone 4 and 4S design better. While blockier and heavier than its successor, the iPhone 4S just feels so perfectly balanced yet substantial. The feel of front and black glass panels separated by an aluminum band is truly unlike anything you've ever felt in your hand before. The iPhone 4 and 4S design was also something that no other company would dare copy, it was just too distinctive and iconic to steal from.

The iPhone 5's design is already inspiring newer competing smartphones. The BlackBerry Z10, formerly codenamed London, has a very similar stance and profile despire being made of different materials. HTC's leaked One (which we will hopefully see at tomorrow's launch), similarly

The iPhone 5 is an improvement over all other iPhones in so many ways and it is also thinner and lighter. Six months after its launch and it is still the leading smartphone in the market, performing better than or on par with some of the newer devices that have twice as many processors and double the RAM. The iPhone 5's design is an evolution over the iPhone 4/4S and it features a larger screen and more prestigious design that's unparalleled in the industry with diamond cut chamfers and mixed materials.

The iPhone 4 still seems to wear better with age. The scratches on the glass surface are negligible compared to the iPhone 5's mostly stainless steel case. It is also a relatively easy procedure to replace the rear case of an iPhone 4/4S. Despite being fastidious about the care of my iPhone 5 and having it in a case at all times, there are already some minor chips along the chamfered channels. My three-year old iPhone 4 still looks mint, the slight wear on the metal band around the phone looks good and that's with mostly using it without a case or with Apple's bumper. 

Different strokes for different folks, I'm sure there are many users who will swear by the benefits of the iPhone 5 and it is hard to argue what it brings from an evolutionary standpoint (larger screen, LTE, faster processor, more RAM, better Camera, better screen). But at the same time, I personally feel the iPhone 4 is a more iconic and original object in terms of design, look and feel.