The first reviews for Apple's new iPhone 5 have started to appear around the web, garnering overwhelmingly positive reviews - even if a couple of critics draw attention to some of the smartphone's flaws.

The Daily Telegraph's Technology Editor, Shane Richmond, has given it a glowing 5/5 review, calling it "marvellous piece of design" and "arguably the most beautiful object Apple has ever produced" while praising features such as its camera, its bigger and brighter screen and the overall speed of the phone's user interface.

Charles Arthur from The Guardian says that the handset is aesthetically pleasing, lighter than its predecessors and boasting and ultra-responsive touchscreen which he says will have users feeling as though theyr'e "touching the pixels" when "swrping between apps".

Stuff has proclaimed that with the iPhone 5, Apple has regained its lead of the smartphone market, calling the device enhanced, refined and more powerful than ever. It calls the iPhone 5 "a significant improvement over what was an already excellent device, and it still has the best selection of apps available on any handset."

Pocket Lint has pointed to the phone's built-in brand-loyal fanbase as its overriding killer app, saying, "the iPhone 5 is a phone that makes you feel safe. A phone that you know exactly how to use as soon as you take it out of the box and that is perfect for a huge number of people.

However, a couple of reviewers have been more guarded in their praise, including CNET. While it says that the iPhone 5 is the best iteration of this device yet, it lacks any feature that makes it feel absolutely indespensible.

Finally, our own editor, Luke Peters, says that the current crop of smartphones has closed the gap on the iPhone 5, and Apple's competitors have "closer in terms of quality, function and aesthetics".