Thursday, 13 September 2012
Apple have lifted the covers off the iPhone 5, revealing the official specs, features, pricing and release date of 2012's most hotly-anticipated phone.
Staying at the same price as the iPhone 4S, the iPhone costs $199 for the 16GB version, $299 for 32GB and $399 for 64GB. Pre-orders start on Friday 14th, with the phone shipping on September 21st in the US, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore. 20 more countries will follow next month.
Apple iPhone 5: Release Date
The news above follows reports that Apple is gearing up to launch the iPhone 5 on September 12. AllThingsD believes the Cupertino-based firm could go one step further and release the rumoured iPad Mini during the same event.
Apple iPhone 5: Specs
>> A Retina display with 326ppi again features, in a 4-inch screen of the usual width, but taller than previous iPhones. Resolution of the display sits at 1136 x 640. Closer to a 16:9 ratio than before, the iPhone 5 is now better for viewing films on, with 44% better colour saturation, with touch integrated into the display to reduce glare in sunlight. Everything now runs off the new A6 chip, which Apple claim is 2 times faster than the A5 for both CPU and GPU processing. 22% smaller and more energy efficient than the previous chip, apps can now load as much as 2x faster. Console-quality graphics will be possible, according to EA's Rob Murray, who demoed the Real Racing 3 app game on the new iPhone 5.
>> It introduces Apple's own Maps app to the iPhone as a native, first party app for the first time. It uses Yelp data for local amenities, and includes Siri integration for voice control, and includes 3D imagery and satellite imagery too. The Safari browser gets an update too, allowing for a fullscreen view and shared tabs from iPad and Mac versions of the browser through the iCloud service. Passbook, letting you use your iPhone as a ticketing system, including airline flights, was also demoed. iTunes too gets a major revamp, with more ways to buy and streamlined track viewing and playback options.
>> Camera capabilities are also improved. It's still an 8MP backside illuminated sensor as with the iPhone 4S, but now with a dynamic low-light mode for better night time shooting to add to the 5-element lens and f/2.4 aperture. There's also a panorama shooting mode natively built into the camera app for the first time, with a 360-degree shot resulting in a giant 28 megapixel image. The A6 chip allows for faster photo capture too, as well as a smart filter for better colour matching and reduced noise. Share Photo Streams allow you to share photos with pals, and receive messages on your snaps too.
>> Video capture remains at 1080p, with improved video stabilisation and facial recognition added. The front facing camera also jumps to 720p, which makes for sharper FaceTime calls, which can now be made over cellular networks too, as well as Wi-Fi. "Ultrafast Wireless" connectivity means that LTE 4G speeds are available to the new iPhone 5, while EDGE, HSPA, HSPA+ and DC-HSDPA are all also compatible. LTE carriers include the newly announced EE 4G network in the UK, and Sprint, AT&T and Verizon in the USA. Wi-Fi connectivity comes courtesy of 802.11a/b/g/n, dual channel to 150mbps. Even with LTE connectivity, 225 hours of battery life on standby are quoted, with 8 hours 3G or LTE talk time, and 10 hours Wi-Fi usage.
Apple iPhone 5: Price
The 16GB iPhone 4S lines up in retailers with a hefty £499 price tag. Prices continue up all the way to £699 for the 64GB edition. Ahead of the iPhone 4S successor’s announcement, it is believed that the sixth-gen model will simply replace the iPhone 4s in terms of price points and range of models with any 128GB storage option likely to hit the £799 price mark.
So, Does it live up to your expectations? Give your valuable answers in comment box.
