Apple unveils iPhone 5, the thinnest smartphone in the market

Text and photos by Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

San Francisco- Apple Inc. revealed the iPhone 5 today with a newer form factor, a larger 4-inch retina display, a faster Apple A6 processor that has 2 times the graphics and 2 times the speed of the iPhone 4S. Apple has also added 4G-LTE data which will work with Canada's major carriers, the company has also managed improved battery life. The new iPhone will be available for pre-order on September 14, 2012 and will begin shipping in the US and Canada a week later. 

Sporting the look and features that appeared in early leaks, the iPhone 5 is a complete reboot of the iPhone line. The software is now capable of rendering on the larger screen. Apple also improved the iPhone's battery life to compensate for the new power requirements of the device.

“iPhone 5 is the most beautiful consumer device that we’ve ever created,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “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.”

Apple has focused on strengthening key features while improving in areas that competitors have leveraged on. The new 4-inch screen is one aspect of the iPhone 5 that many expected. 4G-LTE is another hot feature that has been a long time coming to the iPhone.  

iPhone 5 supports ultrafast wireless standards including LTE and DC-HSDPA, so you can browse, download and stream content even faster. To support the latest LTE technology, Apple has pioneered a unique single-radio LTE solution that provides blazing fast speeds while fitting perfectly into the new remarkably thin design. iPhone 5 features dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi support for a wireless experience up to 150 Mbps.

Apple also revealed their new Lightning connector which is 80 per cent smaller than the age-old dock connector inherited from the iPod. This will usher in a new era of accessories and add ons. Users will need to purchase adaptors to use older iOS devices with new accessories.

 iPhone 5 is the thinnest smartphone in the world, with an all-new 7.6 mm anodized aluminum body that is 18 percent thinner and 20 percent lighter than iPhone 4S. Designed with an unprecedented level of precision, iPhone 5 combines an anodized aluminum body with diamond cut chamfered edges and glass inlays for a truly incredible fit and finish. 

iPhone 5 comes in either white & silver or black & slate, and will be available in Canada for a suggested retail price of $699 (CAD) for the 16GB model and $799 (CAD) for the 32GB model and $899 (CAD) for the 64GB model. iPhone 5 will be available from the Apple Online Store (www.apple.ca), Apple’s retail stores, and select Apple Authorized Resellers.

iPhone 5 will be available in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and the UK on Friday, September 21, and customers can pre-order their iPhone 5 beginning Friday, September 14. iPhone 4S will also be available for just $599 (CAD) for the 16GB model and iPhone 4 will be available for $399 (CAD). iOS 6 software will be available on Wednesday, September 19 as a free software update.

iPhone 5 will roll out worldwide to 22 more countries on September 28, including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.