It’s unsurprisingly tipped to be a best seller, with 2 million pre-orders made within 24 hours. We at The Practice are certainly looking forward to the release of the highly anticipated iPhone 5. But will it live up to expectations? And can Apple really push the boat out with new iOS technology annually? Many are joking that somewhere down the line, future iPhones will begin to resemble the above image!

Certainly, the 4 inch screen makes it half an inch bigger than current models, but we doubt Apple will continue to add height with every new design; after all, despite the nerdy inclinations of certain iPhone fans, none of us want to be wielding around something akin to a light-saber!

With each new year comes improved iOS technology, and granted, at least one new feature. Indeed, it might prove a trusty companion with Siri’s updated voice control features, meaning that users can now ask it to recommend films and restaurants, as well as verbally posting to their Facebook accounts. Furthermore, its 4G network will offer speeds up to five times faster than 3G. We only had to be told these two things: needless to say, we’re completely sold.

For all the hype surrounding the iPhone 5’s release, there’s been the usual onslaught of jibes and nit picking. If you haven’t seen it already, Samsung’s newest Galaxy S III commercial pokes fun at the hysteria. It generally makes a mockery of the latest iPhone’s features, such as the headphone jack location (now on the bottom), and the fact that something so mainstream and lusted after by an older generation is still deemed ‘cool’. Frankly though, we feel it’s a slightly desperate attempt by Samsung to belittle the competition and promote their own product. And will it in any way deter potential iPhone consumers? We somehow think not.

And some have gone so far as to make pretty tenuous links; the iPhone 5’s already being blamed for a potential increase in distracted driving. That’s right, the improved iOS 6 software, complete with free maps and navigation, are being predicted as sources of dangerous motoring behaviour. Of course it’s right for health and safety to be taken in to account- (after all, the iPhone 5 will not offer users hands-free navigation), but we’ll believe the dangers when we see them.

Apple knows that several years down the line, we’ll want our primary tech sources to fit in our pockets. That means their marketing strategies emphasise the iPhone first, then any subsequent iPad developments, followed lastly by desktop devices. And other competitors realize the growing importance of mobile as it begins to obliterate our sole reliance on laptops and tablets. Already, Nokia and Microsoft have teamed up to launch two new phones based on the Windows system, while Amazon’s new Kindle Fire tablets, are looking like a worthwhile and more compact alternative to the iPad.

But the question remains- Will you be rushing out to purchase Apple’s latest offering? Or maybe you’ve already pre-ordered. We’re definite fans, but perhaps we’ll wait for our upgrades to come in to effect! Please share your thoughts by tweeting to us @PracticeDigital and joining in the conversation on Facebook.