What I like (and don't) about my new iPhone 5

I've had my new iPhone for a whole 48 hours, so I believe I'm qualified to give it the Gizmo Editor's report card. Here are five things I like about the iPhone 5 and a couple of things that aren't so swell:

Pros:

1. Size and weight. This is by far the lightest and thinnest phone I have ever owned. I sometimes I have to search my pockets to find it.

2. Battery life. Despite it's trim profile, it seems to last much longer than my previous Android phones.

3. Panoramic photos. This is going to be fun.

4. Podcast app. I know, this arrived with the iOS6 upgrade and it's now on older iPhones. But it's new to me.

5. Screen size, I guess. But coming from a Droid Bionic, the longer screen is underwhelming. Words With Friends looks scrunched.

Cons:

1. The Lightning connector. I don't begrudge Apple's switch to a small plug. I know it was overdue. But really, $30 for an adapter? I'll wait until the knock-offs turn up on eBay.

2. Apple Maps. The home-built version that replaced Google Maps is buggy and out of date and Apple expects us to fix it.

3. Passbook. It doesn't have Starbucks or any of my other favorite vendors. And it's not NFC, the mobile payment technology that the rest of the world uses. Bucking the accepted standard is what got Sony in trouble.

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Written by Ric Manning

Follow me on Twitter @ricmanning and read my technology columns at My Well Being.