Smart, high-profile people — David Pogue, Walt Mossberg, John Gruber, Ed Baig — have posted their iPhone 5 reviews and you should read what they have to say

Red state, blue state. Android, iPhone. Chances are, whether you’ve actually laid hands on one or not, you already know how you feel about the iPhone 5. Regardless, a lot of smart, high-profile people — David Pogue, Walt Mossberg, John Gruber, Ed Baig, MG Siegler and more — have posted their iPhone 5 reviews and you should spend some time reading everything they have to say OR you can just read the conclusions Tapscape has pulled together for you.

Telegraph (UK) — The iPhone 5 is a great smartphone made even better. It’s fast, lightweight and backed by the largest application store for any device. It’s also probably the most beautiful smartphone anyone has ever made.

Engadget — Still, the iPhone 5 absolutely shines. Pick your benchmark and you’ll find Apple’s thin new weapon sitting at or near the top. Will it convince you to give up your Android or Windows Phone ways and join the iOS side? Maybe, maybe not. Will it wow you? Hold it in your hand — you might be surprised. For the iOS faithful this is a no-brainer upgrade. This is without a doubt the best iPhone yet. This is a hallmark of design. This is the one you’ve been waiting for.

USA Today (Ed Baig) — People have always had lofty expectations for the iPhone 5, especially as the competition stiffens. In delivering a fast, attractive, LTE-capable and larger-screen handset, Apple has met those expectations with a gem.

Daring Fireball (John Gruber) — There’s a reason why, just as with all five of its predecessors, it just says “iPhone” on the back. The iPhone 5 is all new technically, but it’s the exact same thing as an idea. Apple is simply improving upon that idea year after year in infinitely finer detail, like a fractal. It’s nice.

LoopInsight (Jim Dalrymple) — My experience with the iPhone 5, iOS and the EarPods has been great. The iPhone is everything Apple said it would be and with iOS 6 built-in, it’s clear to me that Apple has another winner on its hands.

iPhone 5 Reviews: Just Getting Warmed Up

Smart, high-profile people — David Pogue, Walt Mossberg, John Gruber, Ed Baig — have posted their iPhone 5 reviews and you should read what they have to say
No AnandTech iPhone 5 review yet, but check out their smartphone benchmark analysis, an intelligent read.

All Things D (Walt Mossberg) — Apple has taken an already great product and made it better, overall. Consumers who prefer huge screens or certain marginal features have plenty of other choices, but the iPhone 5 is an excellent choice.

News.com — The iPhone 5 completely rebuilds the iPhone on a framework of new features and design, addressing its major previous shortcomings. It’s absolutely the best iPhone to date, and it easily secures its place in the top tier of the smartphone universe.

TechCrunch (MG Siegler) — Those worried about the talk of “disappointment” surrounding the iPhone 5, I suggest you simply go to an Apple Store starting on Friday and try it for yourself. My guess is you’ll immediately recognize just how ridiculous all that bluster actually is. The iPhone 5 is the culmination of Apple doing what Apple does best. This is the smartphone nearly perfected.

New York Times (David Pogue) — If you have an iPhone 4S, getting an iPhone 5 would mean breaking your two-year carrier contract and paying a painful penalty; maybe not worth it for the 5’s collection of nips and tucks. But if you’ve had the discipline to sit out a couple of iPhone generations — wow, are you in for a treat.

Looking for someone who bitches about Apple’s new 9-pin dock connector? David Pogue is your man. Breathless, almost unsparing praise for the iPhone 5? Dalrymple.

A painfully detailed examination of Apple’s new smartphone with thought provoking analysis? Gruber has got you or you could wait for Ars Technica or AnandTech.

Aside from the perspective of venomous hate — get real, OK? — there is an intelligent iPhone 5 review that aligns closely with your own views.

That said, there is a lot of praise, and some qualified criticism, for the iPhone 5 mostly because it’s a truly beautiful and sublimely crafted device — smart people say so…

What do you say?