Time Magazine have voted the iPhone 5 as their 'Gadget of the Year' for 2012, beating rival Samsung's Galaxy S III in the process.

Described as “one of the most artfully polished gadgets anyone’s ever built," Time’s Harry McCracken highlighted the thin design as a key factor in his decision.

McCracken went on to praise the camera’s “particularly well-done panorama mode," one of the many tiny little details many other companies ignore.

"The iPhone 5 is one of the most artfully polished gadgets anyone’s ever built, with a taller screen than previous iPhones built into a thinner, lighter case," McCracken says.

"There are lots of nifty smartphones out there, including the iPhone’s impressive archrival, Samsung’s Galaxy S III.

"But when it comes to melding hardware, software and services so tightly that the seams fade away, Apple still has no peer."

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