OK, I just don't get it. I'm not doing any Apple bashing here....
Did you see what you wrote below? Well, Apple-purchaser-bashing technically, but bashing nonetheless.
No harm, no foul though.
We have a phone here that is, by all the reviews I have read, not much of a big deal.
Well, it's a "big deal" or "close to par deal" depending on who you're comparing to.
It's likely better than most of the Android phones in-use today.
Does it beat them all on features? Nope.
Does it beat most of them on features? Probably.
Does it beat most of them on construction? Given all the Androids I've put in my hand and tested out - yes.
So, I respectfully disagree with your "not much of a big deal" statement. They're not on the cutting edge with any of what they brought to the iPhone5, but very good improvements that bring it pretty close to the sharpest cutting-edge.
It appears to have just caught up with the competition and in some cases (screen size) not up to par with most.
Would they be "better" if they had a 6" screen? Screensize is too subjective to consider one size "up to par" and another not.
I'd say it's screen is on-par or better than most Androids, including clarity, brightness and size (though some Androids are larger). It just caught up to features like panoramic photo mode. Though it surpasses Android on security and consistency.
""Android is open source, which means the hacker can also understand the underlying architecture and source code,"" Chairman Steve Chang told Bloomberg Businessweek."
"We have to give credit to Apple, because they are very careful about it," he added. "It's impossible for certain types of viruses"to operate on the iPhone."
...when you're using a device which is significantly used for downloading apps, then the above security is of concern, at least for me.
Also when I reviewed getting an Android a year and a half ago, I looked at reviews of cameras, and an 8mp from Android did not look as good as an 8mp from iPhone. Maybe things have changed, or maybe not. But from the research I've done, the things that iPhones do work well. But there's always a "greener on the other side" potential with all devices.
Yet the [STRIKE] Cult Leaders[/STRIKE] Religious Evangelists at Apple have the [STRIKE]lemmings[/STRIKE] Apple Loyalists (sorry - couldn't resist at least a little dig) in such a fever pitch that the dang pre-orders (which opened early this morning) have already sold out and Apple stock is now at an all time high. All for a tiny phone.
To quote you above "I'm not doing any Apple bashing here but...". But indeed!
Yes, Apple has their legions. Their fan-base is strong. For good reason. They make an excellent product and can make people feel trendy.
My brother-in-law used to be HUGELY pro-Apple. Until his iMac died and they denied his extended warranty, and the same week his iPod died. Then he became HUGELY anti-Mac. I watched him replace his iMac with an HP, and replace his Blackberry with an Android. Over a period of about 3 years he made it clear his dislike of the Apple ecosystem, etc. Then he complained about Android's lack of consistency and quality. His phone's screen cracked, and after 3 months of just using it, he decided to go back to Apple. iPhone4 and iMac-air. Why? Because it works, and works well. He decided he'd rather be happy, rather than be right.
I feel I'm objective. I don't own any Apple products (sans the ipod I bought in 2005). I just bought a Lenovo laptop because I felt $250 for a laptop is "good enough" for me. But when buying a phone, whether what I perceive as cheap construction or exceptional construction, since it costs me the same (and subsidized by the phone company), I'm going to get what I feel is the best bang for my 2 year loyalty. Given Apple's premium design with most of the bells and whistles out there, that's what I felt was the best investment.
An argument over "Why do people really love X, when Y is better?" is akin to "Why to people really love bananas, when apples are better".
"But bananas have more potassium" "Yeah? Well apples have crunch, and don't need to be peeled!"
Someone in another thread was facetiously kidding about iSand. Sounds like Apple could sell it.
I can't blame them. They're good at selling. I wish I were as successful as they are.
I just was wondering about the phenomena of why Apple can sell out a product that isn't much different than other options.
It is different. Construction. Ease of use. Security. Let alone a different platform (for better or worse) that some may prefer.
If Android were a company and if Android only made one phone per year, they would get similar responses. But, Android is an unkempt beast. Every month there is a new Android device. Sometimes several. Its hard to get excited about constant releases, with varying quality. It would be like getting excited every time I saw an ad saying Khols is having a sale.
We're luckily in a place where there is great selection on both platforms. If Android had better consistency and less plastic feel, I would have more strongly considered them. But since I'm tired of my light-weight plastic Android phone, so I'm giving the other side a try.
Even Steve Wozniak who co-founded Apple says he loves both devices. I'm with him. I wish I could mix and match the pros of both, but I can't.
Those on Verizon, however, will benefit from a huge 4G footprint which is larger than all competitors combined. The 4g data service is VERY fast, at about 20x faster. I usually get about 20-35 Megabits download speed, depending on distance from towers. (and about 11-15 upload) (results were collected from the android app speedtest.net, which is probably also available for IOS.) 
Rick
