iPhone 5 specs, features, release date and pricing details are now official

It’s September 12 today which means the web and the media are filled with new iPhone news. By now, we have already seen confirmation of some of the products Apple will unveil today, including the iPhone 5, the new iPods: touch and nano and iTunes 11. We know the iPhone 5 will come with LTE support, at least according to today’s leak and we know it will run iOS 6 out of the box.

Speaking of iOS 6, the new mobile platform will also be unveiled today, after having been introduced at WWDC 2012, and will most likely be released in the coming hours or day.

But, unquestionably, the biggest star of the show is the new iPhone, the iPhone 5, which is being presented on stage by Apple execs including Tim Cook and Phil Shiller as I type these lines.

So let’s see what the iPhone is all about, shall we, because – again, like it or not – this is the device everyone in the Android business will use to compare other Android devices to.

Design

As expected, the new iPhone comes with a new design compared to its predecessor. Not counting the original iPhone, this happens every two years, just see the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS versus the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. Evidently, there are some similarities between the iPhone 4S and the iPhone 5, but in the mean time, let’s see what’s new.

The iPhone 5 is slightly taller, but roughly as wide as the iPhone 4S. The phone is 18% thinner than its predecessor, measuring only 7.6mm in thickness and 20% lighter, coming in at only 112g. The screen measures 4 inches diagonally and comes with a resolution of 1136 x 640 resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio and 326 PPI (Retina Display), 44% more color saturation and integrated touch, which explains its thinness.

In case it looks familiar, that’s because it looks very similar to the iPhone mockups and leaks that hit the web in recent months and especially in the weeks preceding the event.

Specs and features

Here’s a complete list of specs and features for the handset:

• 4-inch touchscreen Retina display (326 PPI) with 1136 x 640 resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio and integrated touch support
• Weight: 112g
• Size: 7.6mm
• A6 chip: twice faster than A5, 22% smaller
• Graphics: twice faster than predecessor
• 16/32/64GB memory
• 8-megapixel camera with five-element lens, backside illumination, hybrid IR filter, f/2.5 aperture, dynamic low light mode, precision lens alignment, sapphire crystal, panorama mode (28-megapixel photos), 1080p video recording, improved video stabilization, face detection, photo-taking while recording; size: 25% smaller
• A6 chip Photo features: next-gen ISP, spatial noise reduction, smart filter, better low-light performance, faster photo capture
• FaceTime HD front-facing camera with backside illumination, FaceTime over cellular, 720p video recording and face detection
• HSPA+, DC-HSPA, support
• LTE (single chip, single radio, dynamic antenna)
• LTE global support for Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, Bell, Telus, Rogers, SingTel, SmarTone, SK Telecom, KDDI, SoftBank, Deutsche Telekom, Everything Everywhere
• Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n, 2.4GHz and 5GHz on 802.11n
• GPS with turn-by-turn directions
• Three microphones, bottom, front and back – improved speaker design: five magnet transducer, 20% smaller
• Wideband audio, Noise-cancelation ear-piece
• HD voice
• Battery life: 8 hours for 3G talk, 3G browsing or LTE browsing; 10 hours for Wi-Fi browsing and video playback, 40 hours for music playback and 225 hours standby
• New 9-pin connector called Lighting: all-digital 8-signal design, adaptive interface, improved durability, 80% smaller
• Siri support
• iOS 6

Release date and pricing

As expected, the iPhone 5 will soon be available in stores. Starting with September 14, you’ll be able to pre-order it in the USA, Canada UK, France and Germany Australia, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore. The device will hit 100 countries by December and will be carried by 240 mobile operators.

The iPhone 5 will cost $199, $299, $399, depending on what memory capacity you choose. Naturally, these are on-contract prices.

Meanwhile, the 16 GB iPhone 4S and 8GB iPhone 4 will cost $99 and $0 on contract, respectively. The iPhone 3GS will not be available anymore in Apple and carrier stores

And in case you were wondering, iOS 6 will be released on September 19.

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Apple Introduces iPhone 5
Thinnest, Lightest iPhone Ever Features All-New Aluminum Design, Stunning 4-Inch Retina Display, A6 Chip & Ultrafast Wireless

SAN FRANCISCO—September 12, 2012—Apple® today announced iPhone® 5, the thinnest and lightest iPhone ever, completely redesigned to feature a stunning new 4-inch Retina™ display; an Apple-designed A6 chip for blazing fast performance; and ultrafast wireless technology*—all while delivering even better battery life.** iPhone 5 comes with iOS 6, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system with over 200 new features including: the all new Maps app with Apple-designed cartography and turn-by-turn navigation; Facebook integration; Passbook® organization; and even more Siri® features and languages.

“iPhone 5 is the most beautiful consumer device that we’ve ever created,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “We’ve packed an amazing amount of innovation and advanced technology into a thin and light, jewel-like device with a stunning 4-inch Retina display, blazing fast A6 chip, ultrafast wireless, even longer battery life; and we think customers are going to love it.”

iPhone 5 is the thinnest smartphone in the world, with an all-new 7.6 mm anodized aluminum body that is 18 percent thinner and 20 percent lighter than iPhone 4S. Designed with an unprecedented level of precision, iPhone 5 combines an anodized aluminum body with diamond cut chamfered edges and glass inlays for a truly incredible fit and finish.

The new 4-inch Retina display on iPhone 5 delivers even more pixels than iPhone 4S, making the already incredible Retina display even better. By making the screen taller, not wider, iPhone 5 is just as easy to use with one hand so you can tap, type and scroll the same way you always have, while enjoying even more of your content including amazing apps optimized for the larger Retina display, widescreen HD video, a full five days of your Calendar and more of every web page.

iPhone 5 supports ultrafast wireless standards including LTE and DC-HSDPA, so you can browse, download and stream content even faster. To support the latest LTE technology, Apple has pioneered a unique single-radio LTE solution that provides blazing fast speeds while fitting perfectly into the new remarkably thin design. iPhone 5 features dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi support for a wireless experience up to 150 Mbps.***

The all-new A6 chip was designed by Apple to maximize performance and power efficiency to support all the incredible new features in iPhone 5, including the stunning new 4-inch Retina display—all while delivering even better battery life. With up to twice the CPU and graphics performance, almost everything you do on iPhone 5 is blazing fast for launching apps, loading web pages and downloading email attachments.

The 8 megapixel iSight® camera is the most popular camera in the world and with iPhone 5, it’s even better. The new camera is completely redesigned with incredible optical performance, yet amazingly it’s 25 percent smaller than the camera in iPhone 4S. The new iSight camera in iPhone 5 features a sapphire crystal lens cover that is thinner and more durable than standard glass with the ability to provide crystal clear images. The new panorama feature lets you capture jaw-dropping panorama images of up to 28 megapixels by simply moving the camera across a scene in one smooth motion. New video features include improved stabilization, video face detection for up to 10 faces and the ability to take still photos as you record. A new FaceTime® HD front facing camera makes FaceTime calls incredibly clear and can also be used for self portraits and recording 720p HD video. iPhone 5 also allows you to share photos with friends and family using iCloud’s Shared Photo Streams.

iPhone 5 features the new Lightning™ connector that is smaller, smarter and more durable than the previous connector. The all-digital Lightning connector features an adaptive interface that uses only the signals that each accessory requires, and it’s reversible so you can instantly connect to your accessories. The Lightning-to-30-pin Adapter is also available to connect iPhone 5 to legacy 30-pin accessories.****

iPhone 5 introduces new enhanced audio features including a new beam-forming, directional microphone system for higher quality sound, while background noise fades away with new noise canceling technology. iPhone 5 now includes support for cellular wideband audio for crisper word clarity and more natural sounding speech. Wideband audio will be supported by over 20 carriers worldwide at launch. iPhone 5 comes with the new Apple EarPods™ featuring a breakthrough design for a more natural fit and increased durability, and an incredible acoustic quality typically reserved for higher-end earphones.

iPhone 5 comes with iOS 6, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system with over 200 new user features including: an all new Maps app with Apple-designed cartography, turn-by-turn navigation and an amazing new Flyover™ view; Facebook integration for Contacts and Calendar, with the ability to post directly from Notification Center; Passbook, the simplest way to get all your passes in one place; new Siri features, including support for more languages, easy access to sports scores, restaurant recommendations and movie listings;***** Siri and Facebook-enabled apps like Photos, Safari® and Maps; and Shared Photo Streams via iCloud®.

Pricing & Availability
iPhone 5 comes in either white & silver or black & slate, and will be available in the US for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) for the 16GB model and $299 (US) for the 32GB model and $399 (US) for the 64GB model. iPhone 5 will be available from the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores, and through AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless and select Apple Authorized Resellers. iPhone 5 will be available in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and the UK on Friday, September 21, and customers can pre-order their iPhone 5 beginning Friday, September 14. iPhone 4S will also be available for just $99 (US) and iPhone 4 will be available for free with a two-year contract.****** iOS 6 software will be available on Wednesday, September 19 as a free software update.

iPhone 5 will roll out worldwide to 22 more countries on September 28, including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

* LTE is available through select carriers. Network speeds are dependent on carrier networks, check with your carrier for details.
** Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.
*** Based on theoretical speeds, actual speeds may vary.
**** Sold separately.
***** Not all features are supported in all countries.
****** Availability varies by carrier.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.

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