We’re huge tech fans at Jam, so we were quite excited about last night’s Apple event going into it. However, once the dust settled and all of the announcements had been made, we were honestly a bit let down.

The unavoidable fact is that the iPhone 5 is an evolution, not a revolution. For us die-hard tech fans, this release is a bit of a disappointment. However, for the average consumer who is trading up from an iPhone 3GS or feature phone, it’s a fantastic option.

The iPhone 5 is a bit slimmer, has a slightly larger screen and is a lot faster under the hood than the previous models. There’s a new docking cable and room for another row of apps on each screen. The rear casing is made of metal so that the fragile things don’t keep cracking.

But that’s not the sort of stuff techy dreams are made of. The truth is, with its 6th iteration, the iPhone is now just another smartphone on the shelf.

We don’t mean that the iPhone 5 isn’t a fantastic, reliable device that will delight many users for years to come - it is.

But so is the Samsung Galaxy SIII. So are the Nokia Lumia 920 and the Experia S.

The iPhone 5 is simply one of many, a smart choice amongst smart choices. Years ago, the iPhone seriously disrupted the market – and changed the game forever. Now they tweak it occasionally. Siri, the biggest “innovation” in the world of iPhones in years, arguably still doesn’t work properly – especially if you live outside of the US.

Now look the competitors. Samsung’s GSIII is great phone, and they are pushing people’s expectations for mobile devices with releases like the hard to define Galaxy Note (not a tablet, not a phone) to the truly impressive Galaxy Camera (much more than a camera, much more than a phone).

Other manufacturers are pushing the boundry in other areas, such as device UIs. The iPhone’s UI has remained largely the same since 2007. After inspiring countless imitations, the iPhone is looking a bit dated compared to competitors like the Windows Phone.

Microsoft’s stunning Microsoft’s stunning Windows 8 UI is showing us the “pure digital” future, while Apple’s once-visionary iOS UI is relying more and more garish skeumorphs.

When Microsoft is leading Apple in design language, you know that the tables have turned.

The new iPhone 5 at a glance:

The Good:

4G LTE

Now that 4G is officially coming to the UK, it only makes sense for Apple to step up to the mark. With the speed that 4G offers, people will find it easier and faster to download films and games on the go – all of which will look stunning on the new iPhone’s bigger screen.

Bigger, Lighter, Better Camera

The bigger screen, thinner body and more lightweight design keep things fresh while the new 8MP camera will be a huge draw for photographers on the go.

Deep Facebook Integration

Sharing is caring. The Facebook integration keeps getting better with iOS. The new sharing icons in the App Store have us particularly excited.

Better App Stores

Searching the App Store has always been a chore, but Apple has tackled the problem with a new UI and some improvements to the search algorithm. Now if only Apple would tell developers how their search actually works …

The Bad:

This is all starting to feel a bit old:

We’ve been here and done this before. There’s really nothing new here except for the hardware under the hood.

All Apps need to be updated.

All apps need to be updated to properly fit the new screen size, which could be expensive and time consuming for developers.

No NFC

Apple is now the only major manufacturer that isn’t pushing NFC in their handsets. Instead Apple is touting its proprietary Passbook feature. This is unforgivable for us.

Siri

Unless you live in the US and/or speak the Queen’s English, Siri’s usefulness is still questionable. Also, Siri still isn’t open to developers - which means that it’s true potential won’t be realized for some time.