Technology giant Apple unveiled its long-awaited iPhone 5 yesterday, a smaller, lighter design offering a slew of new features.
Billed as “the thinnest smartphone in the world”, the device has been redesigned and is a different shape as well as offering LTE connectivity
With a 7.6 mm anodised aluminium body, the phone is made of aluminium and glass and is 18 per cent thinner and 20 per cent lighter than its predecessor the iPhone 4S.
An Apple-designed A6 chip promises to deliver a “blazing fast performance” using ultrafast wireless technology while offering a better battery life and the phone also comes with iOS 6, an advanced operating system with over 200 new featuring including the all-new Maps app.
Offering a new flyover view, the app uses a Siri-based turn-by-turn navigation system using real-time traffic updates powered by data from other iPhone users in the same location.
Siri technology had previously been criticised by experts and users alike for its inconsistency, though Apple noted that the 5‘s three microphones will improve its performance as well as improving the clarity of voice calls.
Available in black 7 slate or white & silver, the phone will be the first in the world to offer a 4G-enabled network and the world‘s most valuable company announced that the device will run on EE‘s 4G LTE network, announced earlier this week by telecommunications firm Everything Everywhere which has rebranded itself ahead of the launch.
A new four-inch display screen has elongated the device and offers 326 pixels per inch allowing users to watch videos in HD via its ‘retina‘ display as well as creating space for an additional row of apps to appear on the home screen.
For photography enthusiasts, the phone has upgraded its camera, though maintains its 8-megapixel sensor. However, the camera is 25 per cent smaller and takes pictures 40 per cent faster than the 4S, while also offering an improvement to light filters and panoramic shots.
While the device is undoubtedly the most radical change to the company‘s iconic smartphone, it does not offer near field technology though nonetheless is likely to satiate fans‘ appetites for groundbreaking technology.
As part of the launch, Apple also introduced the new iPod Touch and iPod Nano, which are also thinner and offer larger screens. Available in new colours, the MP3 players are set to build on iPods reputation as “the world‘s most popular and beloved music player,” according to Philip Schiller, Apple‘s Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing.
Unveiling the latest additions to the Apple family in San Francisco, Schiller said: “iPhone 5 is the most beautiful consumer device that we‘ve ever created.
“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.”
