Just like every other release of the iPhone, the consumer cell phone market has been buzzing about the release of the brand new iPhone5s. As usual, Apple fanatics have been flocking to stores across the country eagerly anticipating the opportunity of getting the new iPhone. If you’re not an Apple guru, you may be questioning whether or not the new iPhone5s is totally worth its cost. We’ll give you a quick rundown of some of the new features that come along with Apple’s latest release and help you make the decision on your own.

Longer Battery Life

Any previous iPhone user knows that the battery has always been a little bit of an issue. Those who have experience the previous iOS had even more problems before a bug was released, as it was only last fall that batteries seemed to be draining faster than ever. This gripe is nearly eliminated as even with all of the upgrades of the iPhone5s, the battery lasts longer than ever, even when you’re on a 4G network. Go ahead and surf away. Your new phone can take the heat.

Smart phones prefer cool, dry places. Yet very often, they find themselves in a hostile environment where danger lurks everywhere. More cumbersome than the pocket-fitting cell phones of the past, mobile devices are often exposed to the elements. When a task requires two hands, the mobile devices are often carelessly put aside in locations where accidents do happen. Many are buried at sea by distracted fisherman. Still others fall victim to clumsy owners who spilled the water goblet on it. Many learn that its not a good idea to operate a mobile device while exposed to inclement weather. Essentially, liquid environments are Kryptonite to smart phones.

Fortunately, the industry is responding to the sound of splashing smart phones echoing through cyberspace. In an effort to save smart phone users from themselves, manufacturers are designing rugged smart phones with water-proof capabilities that will save on the cost of replacement phones. Some of the fortified devices were introduced at the recent Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The water proof models demonstrated that a water resistant smart phone does not have to have to be ugly in order to be waterproof. Sony displayed a stylish-looking device dubbed Xperia Tablet Z. The device's sleek designed belied the added benefit of knowing that an accidental dunking will not impair performance. Other Sony models are currently enjoying the water-resistant features such as Acro S and Advance.

Samsung and Apple continue to dominate the the lion's share of the smart phone and tablet market with an impressive array of mobile devices from which to choose. For years, Apple has enjoyed a reputation as the ultimate standard for mobile devices. However, the landscape has changed over time and Apple is finding itself in a heated battle with its Asian-based nemesis. It appears that Samsung is beginning to beat Apple at its own game.

Apple's early success triggered a slew of knock-off devices that were shamelessly copied and integrated to a number of Apple wanna-be's. Ironically, Apple's and Samsung's future may be more dependent on the court of law rather than the court of public opinion. Currently, both companies are participating in bloody litigation over who has the right to technology that is incorporated into many of the mobile devices that are on today's market. In fact, the technology has become so ubiquitous that the issue is no longer about manufacturing a device as good as Apple, but one that is superior to it.

In the Jurassic Park-era of mobile device evolution, technology transforms faster than a cell-splitting amoeba. As we've witnessed the communications technology re-shape our world and dramatically alter our lives, it makes sense to review its history and anticipate its future. Back in 1984, our communication technology leap-leapfrogged with an amazing breakthrough. That year saw the birth of the mobile phone.

Weighing in at a hefty 2 pounds, the precursor to today's smart phone had a battery life of thirty minutes and a $4,000 price tag. The only folks who could afford the device consisted primarily of drug dealers and time share salesman. Those among us with thinner wallets were happy to possess more affordable beepers at a time when phone booths were ubiquitous. The next evolutionary cycle saw the mobile phone continue to downsize to a point that permitted us to carry it in sheaths strapped to our belts. By 1997 the bulky antennas disappeared like prehensile tails. By 1999 the cell phones became compact enough to fit into our shirt pockets. The black and gray surfaced phones were replaced by vibrant colors and jazzy marketing campaigns.

If you are like most of us, you've recently attempted to ascertain the latest advances in smart phone technology that is now available to us. Today's operating systems have evolved into capabilities that were never even imagined only a few years ago. Not only does each OS offer an array of choices, but each of the phones and tablets they enable vastly compound your options exponentially. So where does one start? The obvious answer is with the operating systems. Once an OS is selected, the distinction between mobile devices can be more easily determined.

Operating systems come in many flavors these days. The main players are iOS, Android, Windows Phone and Blackberry. Each of these systems have their own unique functionality and applications. Here is where you begin the mind numbing process of differentiating among the systems and their associated hardware. Essentially, each operating platform enjoys its own particular strengths and endures its own weaknesses. For example, iOS's strengths are inherent in being a part of the Apple infrastructure. That privilege assures that you are blessed with a gargantuan assortment of apps from which to choose. Apps have become so integrated into the smart phone platform, that they have become a major factor in the OS selection.