iPhone 5 Officially Announced And Detailed

nofi 95 Comments
[drop2]Apple has officially announced the brand new iPhone 5, out next week.

The revised 2012 edition sports a taller (or indeed wider, depending on how you hold it) 4 inch display, faster processor, better audio, quicker internet connection options and a smarter, higher resolution camera.

The iPhone, no longer quite the ubiquitous brand it once was, might not quite excite as much as it once did when a new model arrives, but the iPhone 5 is a solid new piece of hardware, ticking pretty much every box I could think of.

Compared to last year’s 4S, the 5 is 18% thinner and 20% lighter, and boasts much richer colour saturation (as the latest iPad offers) but one of the main advantages over older models is LTE internet (where available of course) and 802.11n for when Wi-fi is available.

The new A6 chip is apparently capable of throwing things around at up to twice the speed of the one in the 4S, and the new camera (with panorama mode) will be a welcome boost from my current 4 model. The two-tone case is gorgeous too, made entirely of glass and aluminium.

The iPhone 5 will make full use of iOS6 when it’s released next week, with redesigned apps, Apple’s own point-to-point navigation and a boosted Siri. Pre-orders kick off in a day or two and I’m already sold, but let me know how you feel about this latest design.

Tags:

Related stories from TSA

Apple Supplier Foxconn Forces Employees To Work During Holiday
Apple’s Own Search Engine Confirms iPhone 5, New iPod Touch, New iPod Nano
Apple’s iPhone 5 Event Dated For September 12th
Sharp: ‘We’re Making Displays For The New iPhone’

95 Comments

  1. WOW! Panorama and 802.11n! Welcome to 2010!

    • Oh, the 4S had ‘n’, don’t know why it’s being pushed as a major feature “Look it still has this”.

      Still… sub-HD screen and only an 8MP camera, my old Aino has that!

      • yes the iPhone 4s has wireless n but only broadcasting at 2.5GHz.
        iPhone 5 has wireless n and can broadcast on 2.4GHz and 5GHz

        I was disappointed about the sub HD screen, dunno why they still have opted out of this.

        I am happy with the 8MP camera, the higher the MP does not make better photos. I use my DSLR to take better photos, camera on the phone is just a convenience.

      • Ha I had an Aino, cracking little phone! yeah weak perfomance from apple all round really. No NFC or Wireless charging, or anything remotely new for that matter. Real shame that this is probably gonna be the only phone apple release for another 18 months, and millions will buy it. Apple are just struggling when you look at what companies like nokia are bringing to the table

    • @ Jas-n
      Totally agree. This brings the phone just about up to speed with the core of smart phones on the market, though not quite touching the very top end SGS3 and HTC One X. Still, it’ll surely have a significant price tag to make it feel top tier.

  2. Was hoping for a little more from the camera, even just a resolution bump would’ve done, ah well…don’t much care for the other features, or at least not enough to warrant the sacred burning of £500

    • It does seem to take rather good photos though, especially considering it’s reduced size.

  3. Hasnt the screen size increased too? Didnt see the need for that

    • Bigger battery to power the beefier CPU and LTE chipsets. And they can focus on content consumption a little more.

      • Surely the space for a larger battery generated by the large screen has been eroded by making it thinner when it was already just fine… Even if it hasn’t the batter could have been bigger still giving it that bit extra. Form over function?

      • They’ve also saved space by not having glass on the back (which is thicker than the aluminium) and changing the way the display and glass are stuck together on the front.
        I believe that overall the battery has ended up bigger, whilst the device as a whole has been designed to be sturdier. So still form following function to quite a degree.

      • Not really, when its thinness was just fine, I don’t recall anyone wishing it was nearly 20% thinner.
        with all the space saving you mentioned the battery could have been considerably (not just a bit) bigger and it would have blew everything else out the water. Function at the expense of form.

      • Function at the expense of form?! This is Apple we’re talking about!

  4. Samsung have already stated they are going to sue Apple if they use LTE.

  5. S3 is by far the best phone on the market apple are going backwards. I was hyped about i5 but after seeing this crap I’m upgrading to S3

    • Wouldn’t use the abbreviation i5 myself [just niggling], but yeah, I agree with you concerning it versus the S3.

      • Lol I couldn’t be asked to use iPhone 5 but I was waiting to upgrade my 4S when the iPhone 5 comes but now am getting S3

    • Personally can’t understand how people can carry phones that big. I see people with S3s and the Note and the One X and think they look like muppets. It’s like carrying a 2×4 in your pocket.

      3.5 inch on the 4/4s is perfect in my opinion.

      • Go in a phone shop & just see how crisp the S3 is don’t get me wrong apple = sexy products but Samsung is the future

      • I’ve seen them in a phone shop, it’s just too big for me. They look like a toy phone a clown would whip out. Sure, the screen is a nice res, but it’s titanic.

      • Note is phablet… as for phones with screen sizes over 4.3, users are driving them its what people are buying in ever increasing numbers… read a great report about how active those users are, they’re pretty much in-line with iPhone for volume of purchased apps and actually ahead on web use. People love them. I really want a device like the Note II, but I don’t like Samsung, I wish HTC would make one or maybe Google launch one as a range of Nexus devices.

      • Don’t get me wrong, the S3 is an excellent piece of hardware but I do agree the size is stupid. I held one in one hand and I felt I was going to drop it.

      • With you on this one, Phill. A few friends have some effing vast-sized smart phones and they look pretty hilarious to carry (as well as to show off). I truly want my iPhone to stay the same size but a smidge longer for the new aspect ratio is fine with me. Just don’t grow more than this. If I want larger I’ll get a mini tablet!

      • I have the opposite view myself, I have a HTC One X and my wife has an iPhone 4S and we both think the iPhone’s screen is too small. Saying that, we both upgraded from the original Galaxy S, so maybe its just a case of what your used to. For me, the One X is the perfect size.

      • @CC: I think I read something about HTC working on a Note sized phone.
        I got an HTC One X myself and I love the size. It’s something you get used to really fast and due to it’s slim nature it doesn’t really stick out visually as something that’s too big. My iPhone 4S from work on the other hand now seems too small but still bulky in comparison. I can’t believe I was able to surf the web with such a small screen…

    • S3 being the best phone is your opinion.

    • I picked up a Galaxy S3 last month. I have to say I am most impressed.

  6. I HATE the two tone case. It looks cheap compared the the all-glass 4 and 4S. Seems like a case of redesigning for the sake of it than improving it to me. Why they removed the silver from the black model, I don’t know. The slate looks terrible in comparison.

    The aesthetics of it make it look like a cheap Chinese knock-off of a proper iPhone.

    The camera is essentially the same as the 4S’, which will also be getting the panorama function.

    I don’t think they needed to up the screen size, but that’s a preference thing I suppose. The 1136×640 resolution is really curious too. Why not just go up to full-on 720p or 800p, depending on aspect ratio?

    The only worthwhile addition to me is the A6 processor.

    I was pretty unimpressed, to be honest. Will defo be sticking with my 4. iOS 6 looks great though.

    • The screen size change means they don’t have to change the production line too much. They can use the exact same LCD panels simply cut to the new size.

      They’ve kept the same pixel density, so by their definition of Retina it really doesn’t matter.

      As for the redesign, it’s grown on me since I first saw it. The camera still grates, but I do like the back panel more now. Getting rid of as much glass as possible will help reduce breakage.

      • I agree, glass on the back was nether such a great idea!

  7. Some good steps forward, with the A6, LTE and many other little touches being great for the device.

    Some so-so rather dirty changes which needed to be made at some point, with the move away from the all-glass back-plate (compromised by the need for antennas to have spaces to work in), the increased screen size (as a reaction to competitors, but also to allow for a bigger battery to power everything) and the new dock connector (which for some reason seems to be obscenely expensive).

    Some ground lost to competitors on little things. I don’t get the fuss about NFC, but wireless charging would’ve been pretty sweet. Sadly the metal back precludes both of these. People love to complain that iOS is old and boring, but that’s not something that bothers me.

    Overall, another evolutionary step up. If you have a 4S this isn’t generally going to be for you, but if you have a 4 the base hardware makes this a big jump. We’ll see whether NFC catches on in a way that Apple can add to this design in a years time, Bluetooth 4 seems the best route. An OS overhaul I can’t see coming for another few years.

    • I won’t be upgrading from my 4 at all.

      The new dock connector stuff is really fucking egregious to me. Talk about Sony’s proprietary stuff being expensive, but this takes the piss.

      • It’s a massive upgrade from a 4. Mine’s dragging a bit now, so very keen to push on and skip over the 4S.

      • Unless iOS 6 really slows the 4 down something terrible, the 4 is absolutely fine to me. I’m not a big iOS gamer and the games I do play on it certainly don’t push the limits.

        I just can’t get over the design. I don’t want a device that looks like that. The 4/4S design was absolutely perfect to me.

      • You’ve only just got your 4, though. If you’d had yours for 2 years I guarantee you’d be singing a different tune.

        The proprietary dock connector has many upsides to it (assuming it’s USB 3 speeds). Micro USB is janky enough as it is, but Micro USB 3 is utterly disgusting in having a double wide connector. A single slot which can be inserted either way is perfect.

        It’s just the pricing which is taking the mickey.

      • I’ve had my i4 for 2 years, yet I’m not interested…just a lot of money to spend on a phone with minor camera optics improvements and new hardware (which I don’t need since I mainly use it for texts/Twitter etc.)

      • @bmg_123 Again, why care about the camera, it’s a phone not a DSLR.

      • That’s his point, Jon.

    • Maybe the dock connector is so expensive this time because they’re actually giving it a decent build quality this time… :)

  8. For those of us who don’t care enough about Apple to warrent looking elsewhere on the internets, could you add a few pictures to this article, please?

  9. Looks a good phone. Nice tweaks & stuff for exisiting users to upgrade to, not sure there’s anything there to convince people not invested in Apple’s eco-system to jump onboard though.

    Big miss not having NFC or ability to use its Bluetooth 4.0 for near field communication, kind of holding back whole industries and consumer convinience, I suppose businesses won’t around now waiting for Apple to implememnt it any and will just march ahead especially given the volumes Android phones are moving in. Hopefully anyway.

    Gaming-wise Apple have a great supply of new games coming all the time and the spec bump will enable growth to continue so that’s great news

    As a whole though I’m disappointed, not just with lack of near field tech but that Apple haven’t really done anything to turnaround the fact Android outsells it 2:1, I can also see plenty of Apple upgraders taking a look at Nokia’s great looking new Lumia line-up and I don’t think Apple have done enough to stop that from happening, aside from the barrier of eco-system lock-in.

    Faster is always a given, but thinner & lighter is two things that wouldn’t really have appeared on even the most ardant fans wishlist, it seems a case of form over function.

    In all, the opinion piece published on the BBC’s website sums up the situation, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19557497 although I wouldn’t go as far as ‘Fake Steve’who’s delibirately provocative on some aspects, but his over-riding theme rings true. the iPhone is now a legacy product and people need to adjest their expectations that a speed bump & a design change is all its ever going to offer, and turn their attentions to Apple’s next big thing to get the kind of buzz we’re used to from Apple, unless of course that kind of thing sadly died along with Steve Jobs.

    • I think you’re probably right.

      The issue is that the iPhone was such a revelation but things have moved on massively. For me, though, its the quality of the apps (and the range) that I’ll never get elsewhere, so I’m sticking with iPhone. =)

      • Yeah, the volume of quality apps is something to be hugely jealous of.

      • Apps do still seem to be of better quality and released on iOS first, something I think people will miss if they swap to another ecosystem.

  10. to be fair, I personally hate I phones. I have just updated my phone to my 1st touch screen and it was between the I Phone 4 or the Sony Xperia S, Definitely chose the better one with the Xperia. I phones are shit.

    • What a truly useless comment. iPhones are wonderful smart phones along with a handful of smart phones made by Sony-E, Samsung, etc. If it’s not for you, fine, but realise that most of the smart phone market looked to emulate the stunning GUI Apple designed for the original iPhone and that nearly nothing innovative comes from any camp but Apple… until now.

      What we’re seeing now is the very thing I mentioned on here recently. All smart phones are now doing a damned good job of everything we need. The differentiators are more important than ever but innovation feels close-to impossible as they’re all suffering with a severe case of “so, now what?” with their design. Apple join that band of not-so merry men.

      • I am sorry but I am sure someone is entitled to their own OPINION. And in my opinion, I don’t like your personality. are you trying to get people to leave this site?! I find you “truly useless”
        Just to make you feel a little worse… I prefer Samsung to Apple (the robbing bastards)

      • What have Apple personally done to you?

        Do you hate the fact that they made the iPhone in 2007 and changed how people perceive the smartphone?

        Are you jealous of iPhone’s huge App Store and beautiful apps you don’t have on your Xperia S?

    • Love how you start the sentence with “to be fair” and then end it with “I phones are shit”. With no reasoning behind it, it’s easy to see why someone would describe the comment as useless.

      • Just because I have an opinion on something, doesn’t mean I have to describe why I don’t like it does it? You don’t have to know why I don’t like this product, all you know now is that I don’t like it. The comment was not Useless because I was just stating that I don’t like iPhones and would rather have a phone like the XperiaS any day. Giving my opinion on what I think is the better product, considering you are the community manager, I would have thought that you would respect an opinion lol. What A JOKE.

      • You state things without any good reason whatsoever. That’s what made the initial comment so useless. Tell us why the iPhone is so shit (in your opinion). I don’t hate any mobile phones. Some are crap, some are wonderful.

        You came across as stating something as fact but your own subjective opinion is precisely that. The very thing TSA want on here (as far as I can tell) is fair comments and great discussion. Not ill-thought through comments brazenly thrown around without care and consideration.

      • Everytime I come on this website, I see something like this posted and people jump on that person who has their opinion, pushing them out of the group. Just because It is a different opinion than yours, doesn’t mean it is wrong.. Bunimomike, You are an arrogant prick who does not listen to other peoples opinions and does not like it when they are wrong. I am not replying to you if you comment back with more bullshit because that is all you are full of.
        “I don’t hate any mobile phones, some are crap and some are wondeful” – Hating is disliking, You say you dislike the phone, that is basically the same as someone saying the phone is crap or whatever which is in your opinion.

      • There’s about 80 odd comments on this article filled with peoples opinions with mature discussion whether people are agreeing or disagreeing.

        Yours stood out from the others because you came out with an inflammatory comment saying “I phones are shit” as though it is fact.

        It’s nothing to do with you having a different opinion, there’s plenty of people in this comment section who dislike the iPhone, it’s purely the way you came out with it and you got a fair and reasonable comment back from Bunimomike, you certainly weren’t jumped on and pushed away.

        And I can see from your last comment how low this debate is going to go so lets leave it at that as I don’t want this comment thread going any more off topic. If you feel that strong about it then feel free to send your thoughts via email.

      • Just out of interest dapper, may i ask what your reasons for not liking the iPhone are?

Comments are now closed for this post.