Apple has unveiled the iPhone 5, and says it’s thinner and lighter than the previous model, even though it has a bigger screen.
Apple news event summary:
New iOS 6 available to older devices on September 19, 2012, and is pre-installed on the new Apple iPhone 5 and Apple iPod touch.
New Siri features include sports scores, fantasy football, movie recommendations, OpenTable, Facebook status updates.
Google maps is dropped and Apple now has its own map app with turn-by-turn directions, 3D navigation, Siri integration. Some criticism that transit information is not available as it is in Google maps. Some say it is not nearly as good as the former built-in Google map app. It’s not surprising that the Apple map app pales in comparison to the Google map app. Apple’s app will probably be high on fluff (e.g., 3-D maps) and low on getting the job done. A Google map app will hopefully be available soon.
YouTube is also dropped as the pre-installed app on iOS 6, but YouTube will be available from the App Store. Pre-roll ads are introduced with the new YouTube app. YouTube also hopes to make movies and TV shows purchased through the Google Play store available on the iOS app.
Facebook and Twitter is integrated in the Notification Center.
A new wallet app known as Passbook which can be used for movie passes, Starbucks cards, concert tickets, airline tickets and more.
New Apple iPhone 5
(from $199)
Pre-order online starting September 14.
Buy at your favorite Apple Retail Store
starting at 8:00 a.m. on September 21.
Available on AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon
Apple iPhone is powered by a new chip, the A6, which is 22% smaller than the A5 but 2 times faster in processing and graphics.
Apple iPhone 5 is just 7.6 millimeters thin — 18% thinner than iPhone 4S.
Apple iPhone screen has been expanded to 4 inches diagonal with 1136×640 resolution and keeping the same pixel density as the iPhone 4/4S.
Home screen (new row of icons), Calendar iWork apps, iPhoto, Garage Band all tweaked for the new display.
“Ultrafast Wireless” tech supports HSPA+, DC-HSDPA and LTE standards — supported by Sprint, AT&T, Verizon.
Wi-Fi specs: 802.11n (2.4GHz and 5GHz), up to 150 Mbps.
New iSight eight-megapixel camera offers backside illumination, paired with a hybrid IR filter, five-elements lens with f2.4 aperture. A sapphire crystal lens for scratch resistance, dynamic low-light mode, which is claimed to be two f stops improved.
Camera and iPhone supports automatic panorama shots, which composes a 28-megapixel image, removes duplicate people, and uses image stabilization.
Video stabilization is also claimed to be improved.
New Lightning connector will have an adapter available ($29).
Apple iPod Touch
(from $299)
Apple iPod touch available in October — $299 for 32GB, $399 for 64GB.
The Apple iPod touch new design is similar to the iPhone 5 — adding the longer display and shrinking the thickness to 6.1 mm. The polished finish has been replaced with a matte finish.
A new camera sensor brings many of the improvements found on the iPhone 5, but is still held to five megapixels — lower quality than the latest and greatest iPhone 6 at 8 megapixels. The battery claim endurance is 40 hours of music playback, eight hours of video.
Apple Nano
($149)
The new Nano has a large display (2.5-inch multi-touch screen, with a Home button) and adding a new volume rocker. The design is 5.4mm thick — 38% thinner than its predecessor.
The Nano has a built-in FM tuner with live pausing, video playback, integrated Fitness tracking technology with Nike+ support, and a Bluetooth transmitter that allows streaming to wireless speakers.
The Shuffle stays the same ($49 for a 2GB unit). Additional colors are available.
No Apple iPad Mini Announced
An Apple iPad mini is anticipated with a 7-inch display. There is some speculation that the device will be released or announced on the anniversary date of the death of Apple co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs, October 5, 2011.
Apple iPads are now in 94 percent of Fortune 500 companies, with custom apps developed for GE Capital, Mayo Clinic and other companies.
Apple on Wednesday revealed that the new iPhone 5 will be in stores in the U.S. and several other countries on Sept. 21. As AP’s Haven Daley reports, the phone is thinner and lighter than the iPhone 4S and a third of an inch taller.
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Nice, but hard to believe it’s thinner than a Moto Razor. I prefer a larger screen.