Apple officially announced its next generation iPhone, the iPhone 5 which is the thinnest and lightest iPhone yet. It is also the world’s slimmest smartphone measuring 7.6mm thick and is 18% thinner and 20% lighter than iPhone 4S. It has an anodized aluminum body with diamond cut chambered edges and glass inlays. Apple changes the screen size of the iPhone for the first time, equipping the iPhone 5 with a 4-inch Retina 1366×640 display with 326 ppi pixel density that gives 18% more pixel and 40% more color saturation compare to the 3.5-inch Retina on iphone 4S.
The iPhone 5 is powered by the all-new A6 chip that offers twice the CPU and graphics performance. It adds support for LTE and DC-HSDPA high-speed mobile data network, as well as dual-band 802.11n WiFi for up to 150Mbps wireless experience. Bluetooth 4.0 and GPS/AGPS and GLONASS are still there. The phone sports a 8 Megapixel iSight camera with a thin, durable sapphire crystal lens cover. The camera is capable of Full HD video recording and capturing panorama images of up to 28 Megapixel by simply moving the camera across a scene in one smooth motion. It also includes improved stabilization, video face detection and capability to take still photos during video recording. There is also a new FaceTime HD front camera for making FaceTime calls, which can do 720p HD video recording.
The new iPhone 5 also replaces the 30-pin dock connector with the new smaller, more durable Lightning connector that features an adaptive interface that uses only the signals that each accessory requires. The connector is reversible so you can instantly connect to your accessories. Apple also release Lightning-to-30-pin adapter for connecting the iPhone 5 to 30-pin accessories. To deliver better and clearer voice call, the phone gets a beam-forming, directional microphone system and new noise-cancelling technology. Apple also moves the 3.5mm audio jack to the bottom and the new EarPods with in-line remote and mic will be included with the iPhone 5. The new iPhone runs iOS6 with the new Maps app with turn-by-turn navigation, Facebook Integration, Passbook and of course, Siri and iCloud.
Apple’s iPhone will be available in white/silver or black/slate and will be shipped on 21 September. In the US, the 16GB model is priced at $199, 21GB at $299 and 64GB at $399, all with contract. Apple will also release the iPhone 5 in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and the UK on 21 September. Pre-order will start on 14 September.
Note: For global LTE support, the iPhone 5 comes in three models:
- GSM model A1428: UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE (Bands 4 and 17)
- CDMA model A1429: CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1900, 2100 MHz); UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE (Bands 1, 3, 5, 13, 25)
- GSM model A1429: UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE (Bands 1, 3, 5)
