iPhone 5 Problems: Top Five User Complaints

Before you fork over hundreds of dollars for Apple's latest iPhone 5, be sure to read this list of problems users have faced. Released only a few days ago, the smartphone has garnered generally positive reviews, but some users are facing common kinks.

Phones are pre-scratched/scuffed out of the box

Some iPhone 5 users were unpleasantly surprised when they opened their new devices last week. Users found nicks and scratches on their brand new phones.

Angered customers quickly took to message boards dedicated to Apple products, complaining about the slight yet pesky scuffs and scrapes near the antenna markers on the side of the device or close to the screen. Others chided Apple for the apparent susceptibility of its new anodized aluminum case to abrasions.

According to posts on sites like MacRumors, it appears that most of the problems are limited to the black version of iPhone 5.

"I think Apple screwed up anodizing the bezel black and I prefer all black devices. And if I have to use a case to protect the black bezel from showing scratches, then what's the point. Not sure Apple was thinking clearly on this one, considering the iPhone is a device that gets used daily and doesn't just sit on a shelf," said user Resist on MacRumors.com.

"This is funny. I thought the exact same thing once I saw photos. I really prefer the look of the all black with black buttons. It's a shame it's just going to scratch and show metal. Apple should have thought or this! Almost makes me want to get the white now... Honestly, I wonder why not go to something like carbon fiber (ok, so I'm not an engineer so I don't know if that would actually be a bad idea, I know carbon fiber is weak in some regard but I forget what)? Is it just more expensive (or I guess in Apple's case maybe too thick)," said tigress666.

Bad Wi-Fi

Yet another problem that seems to be popping up sporadically with users is that some of the phones are suffering Wi-Fi connection problems. Some reports from users have complained of the inability to connect to their Wi-Fi networks at all, with even more reports that their connection was painfully slow.

Maps

Perhaps the biggest criticism the iPhone 5 has recieved is about the Maps application.

Maps lacks key details on prominent cities and has bizarre quirks. In one instance, an entire town was in the wrong location, and some users also found duplicate islands.

Apple's new app displays more road names than place names, and does away with color-coded roads, so, navigating to a specific point using pinch and zoom is much trickier.

The app's biggest drawback is its lack of public transportation directions, so if you haven't mastered the subway yet, you won't be getting any help from Maps. And while asking for subway directions doesn't work particularly well, according to Engadget, the app actually does offer public transportation directions. However, if you choose that option it shoots you straight into the App Store with a search for "Routing Apps," a search that currently has zero results.

While Apple's maps features a 3-D "Flyover" view of some central cities, they lack Google's very useful ground-level photographic street views. And even though Apple's maps are fairly accurate, they reportedly tend to default to a more zoomed-in view than Google's, making them look emptier until you zoom out.

Auto-brightness not working

Some users have commented that the auto-brightness feature doesn't seem to be working correctly. This problem is due to the system working differently. The solution is to turn on auto brightness. Go into a dark room and then put a flashlight on the sensor and watch the brightness increase. The brightness will eventually adjust. I

Siri

Siri has come under some criticism because the application isn't working on a lot of users' devices. Some have said the app stalls for so long it times out. This could be in part due to the slow Wi-Fi connection listed in problem 2.

"Siri: it works sometimes, but since yesterday afternoon, it hasn't worked at all. It recognizes what I say (in text), but it never responds after that. I've turned Siri off, restarted the phone, then turned it back on, and still nothing. Maybe it has to do with the following as well," said use rryannazaretian.

"I'm having the same problems with Siri; recognizing what I am saying, but simply not responding sometimes. It is very frustrating. I have tried resetting my network settings, but it has not worked," said artifex223.