Just this past week, the iPhone 5 went on sale in Apple stores. There was record first day orders for the phone, more than two times as many presales as the 4S.
The new iPhone has brought many new features. It is 18% thinner than the 4S. Since it is thinner, it is also 20% lighter bringing it to 3.95 ounces. The Retina Display expands from 3.5 inches to 4. This means that now a fifth row of icons is shown on the home screen.
The phone has 44% more color saturation, and touch sensors are now built into the actual display, making it lighter and less prone to glare. The glass back has been replaced with one that is mostly metal due to the fact that too many people were breaking them after an accidental drop.
The battery life of the new Apple iPhone 5 is supposed to be worth the price. It is supposed to have 8 hours of 3G talk time, 8 hours of 3G browsing, 8 hours of LTE browsing, 10 hours of Wi-Fi browsing, 10 hours of video playback, 40 hours of music playback, and 225 hours of standby time.
The main camera remains at 8 megapixels. There is a new dynamic light mode and a new image signal processor that will bring noise reduction and features a “smart filter” which produces better low light performance and the camera is able to capture photos faster. Face detection can now be used for up to ten people. You can also take pictures now while you are shooting video. The front facing camera can now shoot 720p HD video and features a backside illuminated sensor.
The iPhone 5 is promised to be a lot faster than previous models. Apple now offers an A6 chip which is two times faster than the A5 chip. As a result, graphics will also have faster speeds.
The dock connector is now 80% smaller than the previous iPhone models. The dock is reversible so both ends will be the same. Although having a smaller connector causes all iPhone buyers to also purchase new chargers and USB cords, it increases space available for a bigger battery and other features.
The iPhone 5 will come out using the new iOS 6, which includes new features such as Apple Maps, Passbook, Siri updates, and FaceTime over the 3G network.
Three different models are available for purchase. All are offered in black and white. The 16GB is $199, 32GB is $299, and the 64GB is $399.