Worldwide launch: iPhone 5 rollout draws big crowds

The crowds of eager buyers looked set to make the latest iPhone a huge success for trend-setting US tech giant.

NEW YORK: Apple fans queued in Asia, Europe and North America for the new iPhone 5, which appeared set to break sales records despite lukewarm reviews and complaints about its mapping system. The crowds of eager buyers looked set to make the latest iPhone a huge commercial success for the trend-setting US tech giant. Some analysts say Apple may sell 10 million in just the first days of the launch. Compared to the iPhone 4S, Apple’s new smartphone boasts a bigger screen, stronger battery and faster connection to the latest 4G networks. But many analysts say Apple has fallen short as other companies such as Samsung improve rival offerings powered by Google’s Android operating system. “Unless Apple ups its device innovation game, we may be seeing Apple’s iOS empire approaching its zenith,” said Tony Costa of Forrester Research. Apple also faced a barrage of criticism after it ditched Google’s maps application in favour of its own programme riddled with errors.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 23^rd, 2012.