Having previously owned an iPhone 4S, I can honestly say that I was not that impressed when I finally received my long-awaited iPhone 5 in the mail, many long days after I preordered it. Sure, it’s lighter and faster, but the screen is so ridiculously big compared to the 4S that it just seems extravagant. It’s just silly to have such a large phone because it hardly fits into my pockets. The bigger display definitely has has its perks — its resolution and colors are eye candy and iOS’s (Apple’s operating system for phones) redesigned appearance looks slick — but it’s almost too light, like it’ll slip out of your hand at any time. Perhaps I’m just used to the dimensions of a small heavy phone, but this one comes across almost as flimsy.

Everything besides the screen seems to have shrunk: the power button, the volume buttons, and even the silencing switch. At least the introduction of these new iPhones means that we can look forward to a slew of cute new cases; there’s one with a floral red-and-blue pattern suggestive of a winter sweater from manufacturer Speck. And in the months to come, accessories manufacturers will undoubtedly create a plethora of cases with cat and bunny ears. But with old cases going obsolete, consumers will have to pay up for new ones, in addition to new adapters. Every device that was once compatible with all iPods and iPhones is now outdated. The redesign seems like a good idea, but also means a whole lot of money spent on one new phone.

Since all iPhones can get the same software updates, my new phone works exactly the same way as my old phone. Of course, the larger screen introduces some changes. I can now see five rows of apps instead of four on the home screen. I can also see more text without having to scroll down. It’s nice, but a tad unnecessary. The charging port is different now, which doesn’t make much difference except I won’t be able to use an old cord if I lose mine. And, it doesn’t plug straight into my stereo anymore. The change of port seems to have been made only for change’s sake, such that people can spend even more money on new accessories. At least the headphone jack is the same. Surprisingly, the new earbuds are a huge plus. The audio quality is much clearer and they block out noise a lot better than the default ones that came with previous iPhones. Their new design is probably supposed to fit in ears better but doesn’t, instead awkwardly jutting out.

I guess the iPhone 5 is an improvement, but it doesn’t seem to have the same kind of awe-inspiring innovation that the iPhone 4 did. It’s not that much of a step up. Those on the fence between an iPhone and Android will be happy to see the bigger screen and lighter feel, but I miss the sturdiness already.