The countdown is over and the iPhone 5 has surfaced. Have you made the purchase? Or are you thinking about it? Apple sold over five million of these amazing pieces of machinery in just three days! Woah! Did you know that analysts were expecting between $6 – 10 million in sales?

The iPhone 5 is a major hardware upgrade, while the 4S was only a software upgrade. Not to mention--it looks pretty snazzy. The 5 is slimmer and taller with a bigger screen for better viewing. Get ready, it's the first iPhone to be compatible with 4G, so it's much faster, too!

With all the hype, there are some negatives that real estate agents should be aware of. Homes.com asked around and did some research, including input from our friends at Inman News, and have compiled a list of "iPhone 5 Hails and Fails."

HAILS

Faster: Thanks to "Long-Term Evolution" (LTE) network speed and the quickness of in-phone functionality. This has prompted agents to cut down on iPad use. The larger screen requires users to zoom in less than on the iPhone 4S, which is really convenient for agents to review and prepare contracts.

Camera: The iPhone 5's camera speed is also pretty competitive, which makes for some impressive listing photos for your marketing materials.

Powerful: Equipped with an A6 processor, this tiny machine is not only faster, but also provides TWICE the computing power! Wowser!

FAILS

Maps: Apple put their own maps in the new system instead of Google Maps. Despite the sophisticated look of Apple's maps, they are not as accurate as others (and even apologized for it!). What do you think?

Small Data Port: The iPhone 5's charger is different, so you will need to purchase another adapter.

Battery Life: The battery life doesn't seem to be much better than the iPhone 4S. Several apps and browsers haven't yet been upgraded to fit the new screen, which is a half-inch longer than the iPhone 4S. Other articles have mentioned that the battery life can be better with the 5 – so, in theory, this could depend on your app use and with each owner.

It looks like all of these recent versions, whether you have the iPhone 4, 4S, or now the newest, most powerful iPhone, the 5, you will still get Apple quality and great service. It's up to you whether you want to upgrade or drop the extra dough on certain utilities, or possibly risk losing some of the stronger benefits of its predecessors.

What's most important to you? Are these hails and fails enough to keep you with your current device? Or will you move on up to the iPhone 5?

To view the original article, visit the Homes.com blog.