Apple is second to none in terms of industrial design thanks to Sir Ive. Even an iPhone 4 feels much better to hold than current offerings from HTC, Motorola, and especially Samsung who is very much in love with plastic.
The problem with iPhone 5 is iOS 6. I can't be certain if Apple just doesn't want to alienate some of its non-tech savvy customers, but 5 years is more than enough time to still be sporting the same UI. Don't be fooled though - iOS is still the most mature mobile platform and it still offers the best possible experience.