The iPhone 5 has arrived just as many users of the iPhone 4 are coming to the end of their 24 month contracts, making this an obvious time to upgrade.  Here are the key reasons why it makes sense to splash out on Apple’s latest offering:

Design and build

Impeccably crafted, with an exquisite attention to detail and an ultra slim line design, the iPhone 5 weighs in as the lightest iPhone ever.  The beauty is, however, that quality hasn’t been compromised, so you still feel as though there’s a premium product in your hand.

Screen

iPhone screens have been rather diminutive in comparison to their Android counterparts, so the new 4 inch display is a welcome addition.  The width remains unchanged, but the iPhone 5 is 9 mm taller, allowing for HD video to display in its true 16:9 format and giving movie watchers and gamers a particular thrill.  There’s room for another whole row of icons, so you can get to your favourite apps that split second quicker too!

Performance

Fitted with a racy new A6 processor chip, the iPhone 5 is noticeably faster than its predecessors and everything feels slightly slicker when navigating and operating the phone.  Apps load rapidly, video feels smoother and video and image processing is indubitably quicker.

Operating system

iOS 6 features over 200 changes, the most significant being turn-by-turn navigation using Apple’s maps app and 3D bird’s-eye images.  The web browser takes on a full screen view and, to whet your appetite, among other things there is advanced social media integration, Passbook, PhotoStream sharing, FaceTime, VIP Mailboxes and improved Siri.

LTE Data and battery life

The iPhone 5 will experience faster web browsing and file downloading than ever before and Apple has promised that the battery life will remain as good as, if not better than, the battery life of previous iPhones.

Camera

The 8 megapixel camera remains, but keen photographers will appreciate some of the subtle tweaks that have been introduced, the biggest improvement being speed.  You can take rapid-fire shots and capture stills while shooting 1080p HD video, taking advantage of the video stabilisation feature.  The camera takes great pictures in both bright and low light conditions and can create panoramic shots.  FaceTime and Skype chats are now much clearer.

Not due an upgrade?

It’s time to upgrade your iPhone, but what if you are only a year and a bit through an existing contract? The good news is your phone will more than likely still be worth a fair amount. If you’re wondering, ‘Could I help pay for an upgrade if I sell my iPhone 3GS?’ the answer is yes.

There are some great websites where you can offload and sell your stuff online – someone will be thrilled with your old iPhone, or indeed any other items that have fallen out of favour and you’ll be able to take home an iPhone 5, feeling quietly smug that it hasn’t cost you as much as you thought it would.