Today, it happened. We finally got the word that the iPhone 5 is here, and it’s ready to rock our world. So what’s the news and what do you need to know right now? Get the deets after the jump.
The iPhone 5
- Official release date: September 21 (8:00am for local stores)
- Pre-orders start September 14
- Cost: 16GB – $199; 32GB – $299, 64GB – $399
- 4-inch Retina display, 16:9 ratio, 326 ppi
- Size: 7.6mm thick, 112g grams (18% thinner, 20% lighter)
- LTE connectivity based on your carrier
- Dual-band Wi-Fi
- A6 processor — twice as fast or more than A5
- More efficient battery life — 8 hours LTE, 8 hours talk time, 10 hours video playback
- New EarPod headphones
- Available in white and black
- Upgraded dock connector named Lightning
- 720P FaceTime camera, 1080P 8mp rear camera
- nano-SIM card
- Aluminum body with inserts
The iPhone 5
iOS 6
- Siri has new features — sports, movies, restaurants and more
- Maps gets a big upgrade — Flyovers, turn-by-turn navigation and more
- New iTunes stores
- Available September 19
For a more detailed analysis of the features in iOS 6, check out our post, iOS 6 and the iPhone.
But wait …
A quick tip. I called on my own AT&T plan here in the U.S. Every year, AT&T has allowed me to upgrade to the new iPhone with a contract renewal, and still given me the off-contract price. This year, for the first time in I believe four years, they’ve stopped that program. The rep I spoke to said that’s all he’s had calls about all day long.