Adrian Dennis / AFP - Getty Images

Apple Store employees applaud a customer after he bought a new iPhone 5 on the day of its release at Covent Garden in London on Sept. 21.

Michael Dalder / Reuters

Ralf Marth celebrates being the first customer at an Apple store to get an iPhone 5 in Munich Sept. 21.

William West / AFP - Getty Images

James and Tamsyn Vohradsky hold up their new phones after becoming the first buyers of Apple's new iPhone 5 from the flagship store in Sydney, on Sept. 21.

Luke Macgregor / Reuters

First in line, Ryan Williams, reacts as he enters the Apple store to purchase the first new Apple iPhone 5 at the Apple Store in Covent Garden in London Sept. 21.

Apple's iPhone 5 hit stores in a festive global roll out, with long queues of devotees undeterred by a lukewarm welcome from experts and complaints about the smartphone's new mapping system.

Didn't pre-order? How to get yours as soon as possible

iPhone 5 pre-orders pass 2 million in 24 hours

Video: No room for fanboys: Protesters, sell-outs crowd iPhone line

Video: Ka-ching! iPhone 5 mania sweeps the globe

It's interesting that the iPhone is manufactured in mainland China, but locals weren't able to buy the phone until today.

Feng Li / Getty Images

Chinese people wait outside an Apple store all night before the mainland release of iPhone 4S on Jan. 13, 2012 in Beijing, China. Apple recently announced iPhone 4S will be released in China and 21 other countries on Jan. 13.

Feng Li / Getty Images

The Apple staff change the iPhone 4S display at the Apple store in Beijing.

Feng Li / Getty Images

Chinese policemen draw the cordon as people wait outside an Apple store.

Feng Li / Getty Images

Related Content:

• The Bottom Line: Apple setting up shop in Target
• Technolog: Apple explains why iPhone won't find abortion centers
• Gadgetbox: Can a waterproof case protect a flushed iPhone?

Follow @msnbc_pictures

John Brecher / msnbc.com

Daylight on a cloudy day as shot by Canon G10, HTC Amaze, iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S.

By John Brecher

As part of a joint product test with msnbc.com's Gadgetbox blog, I tested three cellphone cameras: iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, and HTC Amaze, a phone marketed for its photographic capabilities. 

For comparison, I shot the same stuffed animals in four lighting situations: 

• Daylight (cloudy)
• Indoor fluorescent lights
• Very dim LED lamp (exposure f/2.8 at 1/2.5 second, ISO 400)
• Built-in flash

I included a Canon G10 in the mix, because while we definitely want to know what the best phone camera is, the ultimate question is whether a phone can replace a good point-and-shoot camera.

A few easy conclusions: Overall, the iPhone 4S is decidedly better than the iPhone 4. In low light, both old and new iPhones are better than the HTC Amaze.

In terms of image quality, the iPhone 4S looks almost as good as the G10 in all but very low light conditions. Some of this is subjective — you may or may not prefer the iPhone's color saturation, for example.

As someone who's ruined plenty of shots by blowing out the highlights, I can say that the iPhone's smaller sensor does hinder it in some ways. Look for the abrupt transition from detailed to blown-out highlights on the 4S and iPhone 4 shots, compared to the far smoother highlight handling of the G10. 

There's more to a camera, though, than the image quality it produces. It's also a matter of handling. It's great that iPhones running iOS5 let you use the volume key as a shutter button. HTC's Amaze also has a hard button. Tapping a touchscreen interface can introduce more camera shake.

Also, If you do want to override automatic white balance and exposure, a dedicated camera is the easiest and best tool. There are apps and tweaks for iPhone and other phones, but it involves a lot of tap-dancing with your fingers. And if you're trying to shoot lots of images in rapid succession, it's faster to use a real camera.

Still, the iPhone 4S comes the closest to putting run-of-the-mill point-and-shoots out of business. Your dedicated camera had better be high performance, like the Canon PowerShot S100, or somehow qualitatively different, to make it worth carrying along. 

As for the test pictures, you can see our daylight comparative results above and the rest below. There's no HDR and no use of post-processing in Photoshop other than resizing. All cameras were shot on auto for white balance, exposure and focus. 

John Brecher / msnbc.com

Daylight on a cloudy day as shot by Canon G10, HTC Amaze, iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S.

John Brecher / msnbc.com

Overhead fluorescent lights indoors as shot by Canon G10, HTC Amaze, iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S.

John Brecher / msnbc.com

Overhead fluorescent lights indoors as shot by Canon G10, HTC Amaze, iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S.

John Brecher / msnbc.com

Built-in flash indoors as shot by Canon G10, HTC Amaze, iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S.

John Brecher / msnbc.com

Built-in flash indoors as shot by Canon G10, HTC Amaze, iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S.

John Brecher / msnbc.com

Very dim indoor light as shot by Canon G10, HTC Amaze, iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. Exposure was f/2.8 at 1/2.5 second at ISO 400 on Canon G10.

John Brecher / msnbc.com

Very dim indoor light as shot by Canon G10, HTC Amaze, iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. Exposure was f/2.8 at 1/2.5 second at ISO 400 on Canon G10.

John Brecher has been a professional photographer for 15 years, and has shot for msnbc.com for the last five.

Kimberly White / Reuters

Apple Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs (L) stands beneath a photograph of him and Apple-co founder Steve Wozniak from the early days of Apple during the launch of Apple's new "iPad" tablet computing device in San Francisco, California, in this January 27, 2010 file photograph. Jobs resigned as CEO of Apple, the company announced August 24. Tim Cook, the company's Chief Operating Officer, who has been standing in for Jobs during his medical leave, has been named the new CEO, with Jobs becoming Chairman.

Reuters

Apple Inc.'s Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs is shown in this combination of file photographs dating (top row L to R) 2000, 2003, 2005,(bottom row L to R) 2006, 2008 and 2009. Jobs has resigned his position as CEO of Apple,and recommended that COO Tim Cook replace him, the company announced August 24.

Tom Munnecke / Getty Images

American businessman and engineer Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Computer Inc, at the first West Coast Computer Faire, where the Apple II computer was debuted, in Brooks Hall, San Francisco, California, April 16th or 17th, 1977.

Steve Jobs resigned today. Full story here.

Aaron Sasson / NBC News

"...and the rebuild begins. Amazing." -- That's what NBC News photographer Aaron Sasson had to say when he tweeted this picture today. He let us know via email what the circumstances were:

We're working on a story for tonight's NBC Nightly News broadcast with Ron Mott reporting about a husband and wife who are rebuilding their hair salon in the most heavily damaged area of Joplin, MO. This couple went to the city, got a building permit, and started the rebuilding process right away. They said they hope to have a roof up by the end of the weekend.

Here's the story from Nightly:

Previously on PhotoBlog from Aaron: iPhone panoramic photograph of Joplin, Missouri tornado devastation

Aaron Sasson / NBC News via yfrog.com

NBC News photographer Aaron Sasson tweeted this picture this morning:

@AaronSasson: More devastation from the hospital site in #Joplin, MO. #tornado http://yfrog.com/h8w1bioj

Aaron told us via email how he made this picture and what else he is up to:

I took multiple pictures with the iPhone and used an app called Autostitch. I use it ALL the time. I made a wide angle adapter for my iphone, and use that to take pics and video. Home made...yes. I'll have to post a shot of that too.

I've been shooting vid since leaving airport last night all through the process of getting to a breaking story and will cut it on imovie for iphone today and try to post tonight.

The other gear? Packed in dry cases and been shooting stills and video while hunkered down.

He's not the only NBC News staffer filing live updates and pictures via Twitter. See the latest updates at the NBC News twitter feed. A few excerpts below:

RT @zmarcus: #Joplin sky reminds me of an oncoming wave. http://yfrog.com/gz8esdkj

From our producer on the ground in the tornado-hit city. RT @zmarcus Devastation in #joplinhttp://t.co/mBUo2kO

Correspondent Ron Mott is also tweeting:

We're in path of severe wx right now in #Joplin. Pea-sized hail falling but at least the wind is relatively calm. Should clear soon #tornado

This was a two-story home reduced to one level after Sunday's #tornado in #Joplin. Phenomenal damage http://yfrog.com/h6yzjaxj

For pictures, video and updates from a variety of folks in Joplin, follow the latest updates at the BreakingNews.com feed on the tornado story.

Meanwhile, we're regularly updating our slideshow on the aftermath of the Joplin twister, and letting folks know when we update via the @msnbc_pictures Twitter account.

Now the Cherokees can say "There's an app for that." A specially designed keyboard allows students to type the language.

Sue Ogrocki / AP

Joseph Erb, helps out students Cambria Bird, left, and Lauren Grayson, right, in the fifth grade class of the Cherokee Nation Immersion School in Tahlequah, Okla., Cherokee children are asking for iPods and iPhones for Christmas this year, and their parents are having a much tougher time saying no than one might expect. Nearly two centuries after a Cherokee silversmith named Sequoyah developed a system of symbols for each syllable spoken by the Cherokee, the tribe's written language has become available on iPhone and iPods.

Sue Ogrocki / AP

Joseph Erb demonstrates the iPhone at the Cherokee Nation Immersion School in Tahlequah, Okla., Cherokee children are asking for iPods and iPhones for Christmas this year, and their parents are having a much tougher time saying no than one might expect. Nearly two centuries after a Cherokee silversmith named Sequoyah developed a system of symbols for each syllable spoken by the Cherokee, the tribe's written language has become available on iPhone and iPods.