The iPhone 5 is the latest iteration of Apple's world-beating smartphone. With 220 million iOS devices sold in just 5 years, Apple has cemented their place as the world's largest technology firm, and the iPhone has been at the centre of this success.

The iPhone 5 combines excellent design and engineering with elegant software that 'just works'. iOS comes with a new version of Maps maintained by Apple, with built-in turn-by-turn directions, amongst several dozen new tweaks and features.

The iPhone 5 sports an incredibly thin aluminium body with a 4" screen, placing it in the middle of the pack when it comes to screen size. The Retina Display packs in 326 pixels per inch to deliver astonishing clarity and colour. The new A6 processor is twice as fast its predecessor, delivering unparalelled speed and smoothness across all applications.

On announcement, the iPhone 5 has been seen as a further refinement to the already excellent iPhone lineup, rather than as a major upgrade. The lack of Near-Field-Communications (NFC), a wireless standard that allows for easy wave-and-pay transactions has been seen as a major omission. Apple have held off until the technology has matured, but most top-end (and even middle-of-the-road) Android and Windows Phones have the chip built in.

Regardless of the perceived technological shortcomings, Apple have delivered a fine update to a much loved line, and will likely sell tens of millions of the things. Earlier models will be passed on to family members and friends, growing a base that will enjoy Apple-only exclusives like iMessage and the App Store. The iPhone 5 may not be the revolution everyone was expecting, but it's far from death knell for Apple's dominance.