After trying several portable iPhone speaker systems over the years, I pretty much gave up finding one ideal for my needs. I still tested portable speakers now and again, of course – for professional reasons – but all left me wanting. The best I’ve found was the Altec Lansing iMT702, and it was released over three years ago. Since then it’s been disappointment after disappointment.

So when word came that iHome, one of my favorite iOS speaker companies, was releasing a sleek new portable speaker, the iD55, I was encouraged. Surely this reasonably priced system would perform better than its current, lousy competitors. iHome had never really let me down before.

No such luck.

While well designed and constructed, its poor performance and lack of obvious conveniences left me, once again, looking for a wall outlet.

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Give three thoughtful users Apple’s iPhone 5 and each could easily come away with a different reaction. One sees a leap forward: an iPhone with a larger screen, LTE connectivity, and an attention to detail unmatched in consumer tech. Another spies a stale, lagging attempt to catch up to innovative competitors: a phone without a single industry-shifting pivot, no obvious next-gen features, and a last-decade OS.

Each is a defensible reaction to the iPhone 5, because both are true to an extent.  Therefore, it is the third, middle-ground view that rings most true for me:

This is the best iPhone yet, with long overdue additions, tweaks and advances certain to be welcomed by long-time users. But there’s disappointment, too, because Apple has once again played it safe.

Just a week out of the gate, the iPhone 5 is already a huge success, and will continue to be for the next twelve months – both in terms of sales and general user satisfaction. But Apple should be on notice; resting on your laurels can only take you so far for so long.

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So, the wait hasn’t exactly been long, but the iPhone 5 is now available for purchase in the United States. Those who were fortunate enough to pre-order in the first hour or so of availability last Friday morning should see their phones arrive sometime today; later pre-orderers will have to wait a few days or weeks.  If you order now may have to wait up to a month.

If you didn’t pre-order and want a chance at nabbing an iPhone 5 today, you can try your luck at Apple, AT&T, Verizon and Sprint retail stores, or check out third-party retailers like WalMart or Best Buy.

Let the games begin…

Few things are more cringe-inducing than an iPhone 4 or 4S user finding his phone’s back glass panel shattered.  And though a broken battery cover can be hidden by a well-chosen case, if you’re selling your phone on eBay or to a friend, you’ll want to tidy up the device as much as possible beforehand.

Luckily, the back glass panel on an iPhone 4 or 4S is the easiest thing on the phone to replace.  All you need is a replacement panel and the correct screwdriver.

iPhone 4/4S panels are cheap, too.  eBay has them for around $8, an entire kits with the appropriate screwdrivers are $15.  Amazon has them, too.

Getting Started

Your road to recovery begins by answering a few simple things:

1) iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S?

2) If  iPhone 4, is it a GSM (AT&T) model, or CDMA (Verizon)?

3) If iPhone 4, is the battery cover held in place by Phillips or Pentalobe screws?

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We’re just two days away from the iPhone 5 announcement, and likely just shy of two weeks before the first 6th Generation Apple phones begin arriving at stores and doorsteps around the country.  If you’re already an AT&T iPhone user and are expecting to help pay for the new iPhone by selling the model you already have, it’s probably a good idea to unlock it before the sale so its new owner has more network choices.

And that’s not nearly as difficult today as it has been in the past.

AT&T has posted a new page on its site that allows people to unlock their iPhones with a few simple steps.  Just input a little information, submit it to AT&T, and await further instructions.  It doesn’t get much easier than that.

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