Like the iPhone 4, the iPhone 5’s front is all glass. The back and edges are now one unified piece of aluminum with a matte finish. Glass bands cross the back near the top and bottom allow the antennas to work. The white model has a natural aluminum color, just like a MacBook, while the black unit in finished in charcoal gray anodized aluminum. The housing is slightly longer, while maintaining the original width, and about one-third thinner.

The result is a phone that’s easy to hold, is much lighter and displays about 20 percent more on its larger four-inch display.

Its new proportions add to the usability by providing a longer list of emails and contacts visible at one time and more text per line when used in landscape mode. Six emails with a three-line preview can be viewed at once (vs. five on the 4S), and there’s an additional row of icons on the home screen.

In the week I’ve been using it on Verizon’s network, it’s worked fine with no dropped calls. Call clarity has been excellent. The battery has provided the exact same performance as my 4S, enough to get through most days with moderate usage or until late afternoon with heavy usage. The volume and on/off buttons and mute switch remain the same, but the headphone jack has moved to the bottom.

The other noticeable change is a new smaller connector. It’s about the size of a mini USB connector, but it’s Apple’s own design. That means the new iPhone 5 will not work with the radios, home speakers, car docks and other devices made for previous versions in which the phone plugs. You’ll need to buy additional cables to charge the phone using existing chargers. The iPhone 5 comes with the familiar white cube charger and one connecting cable. Additional cables cost $20. One thing nice about the new connector is that it is easier to insert and can go in frontwards or backwards. Apple made the change to reduce the space needed. It’s likely the company will use this connector on newly released iPads.

One of the most important new features is that the iPhone 5 runs on the faster 4G LTE networks where available and reverts to the slower speeds where it’s not.

The iPhone’s camera continues to take great images. You can now take a panoramic picture by moving the iPhone across the scene, similar to a feature found on Sony cameras. And a new feature lets you attach a photo or video to an email directly from the email.

If you’re a Verizon user and your current phone is not eligible for an upgrade, you can still buy the iPhone 5 at a discounted price by adding it as a new line and using Verizon’s Share Everything plan. You’ll only pay $40/month with no additional charges. AT&T offers its Mobile Share Plan with similar benefits.

The discounted prices, associated with a new line or account with a two-year commitment, are $199, $299, and $399 for 16GB, 32GB and 64GB of memory, respectively. It’s available from AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon.

The iPhone 5 is one of the most beautiful, functional and easy-to-use smartphones ever, and is on its way to beating all sales records of previous models. If you’re willing to find a work around for the maps, and be patient for a map fix, then you’ll love this new phone.

For more iPhone 5 information, check out:

• New Features of the iPhone 5 and How Travelers Will Benefit
• 4 Ways to Ge Around the Apple Maps
• Travel Tips: New Smart Phone Features
• The Apps & Technology archives

By Phil Baker for PeterGreenberg.com. Phil Baker has more than three decades of experience in consumer and computer technology product development and program management. Check out his blog at www.philipgbaker.com.