So, the long awaiting Apple conference finally came on the 12th and it delivered in the sense that we got three new devices, two new accessories, LTE and a nice bit of iOS 6 added in to the mix. We’re sure that you have picked up on lots of round-ups of the announcements and we wanted to not only do a little one of our own, but add in a bit of our take on the news too.
Firstly it is worth noting the pretty much UK wide disappointment felt by those who expected more from the next generation of iPhone devices. But we think that it is important to take a step back before we make judgements. We got a new design, we got some cool new features and it is faster – isn’t that what most phone upgrades entail? Or have we been too spoiled by Apple in the past with its innovation and cutting edge features – not so apparent with the iPhone 4S and 5? Could it be that the market is so saturated with amazing devices, like the Samsung Galaxy SIII and HTC One X, that we have become a bit blasé about upgrades like we’ve seen with the iPhone 5?
That is certainly a lot of questions and I think by enlarge the answer is yes to all of them. But the most important question is; is it going to be the best on the market and if so for how long. The devices fast processor, upgraded camera and sleek design certainly add to the reasons as to why it is the best for now, but there are certainly a few hot on its tail – namely the Lumia range and if Samsung can get another Galaxy device out in the next six months, well that could be interesting.
But less of the future gazing, let’s look at the here and now, so we have the new iPhone available for pre-order in the UK from tomorrow (15/09) and the lowest model is going to set you back £529 – a full 30 squids more then usual for a flagship Apple smartphone. It’ll be available in White and Black and you’ll be able to get your mitts on one from 8am on the 21st September. The operators have kept tight lipped about their contracts as yet, but it looks like new Orange / T-Mobile / Everything Everywhere super-beast ee is going to be the only one to have 4G available on launch day. Looking through the news it maybe that Three is also going to come to market with 4G in the next four months, getting into bed with ee, which will be a great boost for the operator that arguably has the best iPhone contracts on the market currently.
Below is a full round-up of all the specs on the iPhone 5, iPod Touch and iPod Nano for your viewing pleasure. Don’t forget to let us know what you think in the comments 🙂
iPhone 5
Although many say the design is not that ‘different’, we think once it is in the hands people are going to think differently. For starters it is the thinnest and lightest iPhone yet, scrap that – it is the thinnest smartphone in the world, measuring in at 7.6mm. Flip the device over and you’ll see where the design changes have really come into affect, the anodised aluminium body includes diamond cut ‘chamfered’ edeges and glass inlays – read: sexy as hell!
Move over to the screen and the iPhone 5 has the retina display, which is no surprise, and the larger screen (4inches from 3.5inches) means that you’ll get an extra row of apps visible on the screen at all times. Width wise the iPhone stays the same, so it has just got a little taller.
The device also supports LTE and DC-HSDPA, so it’ll run super fast if you are on a network that supports it, as mentioned above for us in the UK that is just ee for the time being. Keeping up with this is the all new A6 chip inside, this is what maximises performance and power efficiency of the new features the device sports.
One of my favourite things about the iPhone 4S is the camera and althought the iPhone 5 doesn’t see a jump in megapixels, it does see a neat came upgrade. The new iSight camera is 25% smaller and features a sapphire crystal lens cover – making it more durable then standard glass – making photos crystal (no pun intended) clear. The new panorama function produces supurb panoramic photos like the one above I took in the office yesterday. Facetime is now available over the cellular network and now comes via the cranked up front-facing camera with HD recording in 720p HD video.
The accessories are all change too and the first to go is the dated connecter to be replaced with the 30-pin-Lightning version – bit annoying if you’ve lots of accessories, but there will be an adaptor available for around £30. Finally, the -horrid- earphones are a thing of the past and the next generation are finally here, the EarPods. These produce crisper sound and noise cancelling technology. Both these will come with all new iPhone 5s and iPods.
iOS 6
The latest version of Apple’s operating system features over 200 new user features including all new maps (no more Google) with turn-by-turn navigation, Flyover 3D maps and Facebook integration for contacts and calendar. Plus a notification center called Passport that stores all your passes in one place, including; boarding passes and loyalty cards. Siri is here to stay and finally looks to have some use, including new languages, easy access to your favourite sports and news, resturant recommendations and film listings – not in the UK though, boo!
iOS will be available as a free update on Wednesday 19th September for download.
iPod Touch
Miroring the design of the iPhone 5, the new iPod Touch is super thin and features that 4-inch Retina display and 5 megapixel iSight camera with 1080p HD video recording, LED flash and the panorama feature. It doesn’t quite need that A6 chip and so settles for a more then suitable A5, Siri is there and of course, so is iOS 6. The MP3 player comes in five different ‘vibrant’ colours’; pink, yellow, blue, white and silver, black and slate – for the first time.
Pre-orders begin 14/09 and the 32GB model will cost £249 and the 64GB will cost £329, available in October. This brings down the cost of the fourth gen version to £169 for the 16GB and £199 for the 32GB.
iPod Nano (& Shuffle)
Of all the products launched, the Nano has to be the one with the biggest design change and an easy one to miss off. But it has caught out eye big time, this little nifty MP3 player is sexy. It is the thinnest iPod ever, just 5mm, and features a larger 2.5 inch multi-touch display with circular icons – yes circles! It also has built-in bluetooth for wireless listening and seven colours will be available. The perfect fitness partner, the Nano also has built-in pedometer and Nike+ integration – want!
The Nano will be available in October in pink, yellow, green, purple, silver and slate for £129 with 16GB of storage. The iPod Shuffle will cost £40 for 2GB.