The great iPhone 5 debate rages, what do you think?

The great iPhone 5 debate rages, what do you think?
iPhone 5 - indisputably a great phone

The iPhone 5 has arrived and kicked off one of the biggest debates yet about Apple's ability to innovate and amaze.

TechRadar had spent the past year bringing you updates on the rumours, and the likelihood of each being realised when Tim Cook and Phil Schiller made it to the stage.

TechRadar's writers have been hard at work bringing you the big debate – with mobile devices editor Gareth Beavis and our regular columnist Gary Marshall taking opposing views.

Marshall v Beavis

Gary Marshall's opinion is that Apple has an impossible task to impress a legion of fans and naysayers, concluding: "The original iPhone transformed the smartphone market, and the new one is the best yet.

"Forget the wish lists and the snark: all that matters is whether the iPhone 5 does what you want it to do on a network you like at a price you're happy to pay. If it does, that's great.

"If it doesn't, that's great too: as the BBC might put it, other smartphones are available."

But Gareth's take is a little different, saying: "We all know Apple can convince the world that the same is good when it needs to, and that slight upgrades are all that's needed.

"But if it doesn't bring out something as impressive as the iPhone 4 soon – which genuinely married up the best technology with superior design – then Apple could start having a problem convincing the world that it knows best when it comes to telling iFans which phone they should be craving."

But what do you think about the great Apple debate? Are they always going to fall short of expectation? And if so, does that mean that we should cut them some slack when each update doesn't blow us away?

Tell us on our Facebook page, tweet @techradar or post your comments below - we'd love to know what you think.

Patrick Goss

Patrick Goss is the ex-Editor in Chief of TechRadar. Patrick was a passionate and experienced journalist, and he has been lucky enough to work on some of the finest online properties on the planet, building audiences everywhere and establishing himself at the forefront of digital content.  After a long stint as the boss at TechRadar, Patrick has now moved on to a role with Apple, where he is the Managing Editor for the App Store in the UK.