Set up iTunes sync: If you didn't restore from an older iOS backup, you won't have any music, video, podcasts, photos, or books on your iPhone. You can remedy that by connecting it with your iTunes library: Just plug your device into your computer via its included USB cable.

Explore the App Store: Your iPhone comes with a bunch of cool built-in apps, but you may want to reach outside the sandbox for more interesting fare. The App Store, which you can access on your device or via iTunes on your computer, features more than 750,000 downloadable apps. To explore the store on your iPhone, tap the blue App Store icon on your home screen. Featured and Charts are both great places to start looking for recommended apps, and you can search the entire App Store by tapping on the Search tab. As the iPhone 5 has different dimensions than previous generations of the iPhone, there may also be a collection in the App Store for apps optimized for your device. (Older apps will still run on the iPhone 5, but they'll do so with black bars at the top and bottom of your screen.)

Talk to Siri: If you chose to set up Siri on your iPhone 5 during the activation process, you're just one Home button press away from having your first conversation. Siri can help you book appointments, find restaurants, look up the weather, talk sports, and occasionally whip out snarky quips about robotic AI. To start, press and hold your Home button; the Siri interface will appear, along with a few suggested phrases to get going.

What to do with your old device

Now that you've managed to transfer your old information, set up your new iPhone 5, and start using it, it's time to figure out what you'd like to do with your old device. If you're interested in selling, recycling, or passing it along to a friend or family member, Macworld contributor Joel Mathis whipped up a handy guide that contains the steps you'll need. But what if you're interested in keeping it around?