Introducing the Apple iPhone 5: Bigger Display, LTE, and Much More

September 12, 2012

Apple has revealed the iPhone 5. Here’s everything we know about it.

• It’s made entirely of glass and aluminum.

• It’s the thinnest smartphone in the world (according to Apple) at a razor-thin 7.6mm.

• It’s 20% lighter than the iPhone 4S, weighing just 112 grams.

• It still features Apple’s famous Retina Display with 326 pixels per inch.

• It has a four-inch display with a 1136-by-640 screen resolution and a 16:9 aspect ratio.

• The screen now features a fifth row of app icons.

• The display boasts 44% more colour saturation, Apple says.

• The screen’s touch sensors are integrated into the display. With a layer removed, it’s the most accurate multi-touch device in the industry, according to Apple.

• Apple’s phone now supports HSPA+ and LTE (also known as 4G).

• The iPhone 5 now has an A6 chip which Apple says is twice as fast as the A5.

• The smartphone’s battery life is better than the iPhone 4S, Apple says. 10 hours of wifi browsing.

• The iPhone 5 has an improved camera. It captures photos up to 40% faster. It’s called iSight now.

• The camera has better low light performance and spatial noise reduction, Apple says. It’s still eight megapixels. You can also now take panoramic photos with the iPhone 5’s enhanced camera.

• The new iSight camera can record in 1080p HD video and features improved video stabilization and face detection. You can even take photos while recording video.

• FaceTime features 720p HD now with backside illumination and face detection.

• The iPhone 5 has a new connector called Lightning (named to match the Thunderbolt connector on other Apple devices). It’s faster and 80% smaller. There will be an adaptor for everything that still uses the old 30-pin connector.

• With iOS 6, Apple’s new Maps app offers turn-by-turn directions. The search engine has over 100 million points of interest.

• Safari now has full-screen mode, making the most of the iPhone 5’s larger screen.

• Apple’s new Passbook can be access via the lockscreen. Example: boarding pass at airport can be scanned via Passbook from device’s lockscreen.

• iOS 6 also brings an updated Siri, which delivers sports scores and movie theatre listings among other new integrations.

• The iPhone 5 will be availble in black and white.

• At least in the US, the iPhone 5 will cost the exact same as the iPhone 4S. The iPhone 4 is now $0 and the 4S is $99 (with full term contracts). Outright the device will start at $699 in Canada.

• Pre-orders start September 14. The iPhone 5 ships September 21 in Canada. By end of year, it will be in 100 countries across 240 carriers.

• iOS 6, which is a free upgrade for the iPhone 3GS, 4, 4GS, iPad 2, new iPad, and 4th-gen iPod Touch, launches September 19.