Apple has released its new 4G-enabled iPhone 5, capable of faster data speeds and sporting a bigger screen.
Unveiled at an event in San Francisco the iPhone 5 is claimed to be 18% thinner and 20% lighter than the iPhone 4S. The new phone is powered by iOS 6 which Apple claims has about 200 new features including the customised mapping programme and turn-by-turn navigation, Facebook incorporation and passbook organisation in addition to voice-activated assistant Siri.
The new phone also features a 4-inch Retina display and A6 chip to enhance performance, while offering improved battery life, Apple said.
The handset’s redesigned 8 megapixel iSight camera, featuring a thinner sapphire crystal lens cover, is 25% smaller than the camera in iPhone 4S and will allow capture images at about 28 megapixels.
The iPhone 5 also features the new Lightning connector with an adaptive interface, which utilising the signals that each accessory requires will allow users to instantaneously connect to accessories.
The LTE and DC-HSDPA support will allow users to quickly browse, download and stream content, while the device’s dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi feature will offer a wireless experience of up to 150 Mbps.
With expected initial shipments to commence on 21 September 2012 in the United States, Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan, the phone will also be on sale in about 100 countries by the end of 2012.
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In the US, the new iPhone 5’s 16GB, 32GB, 64GB variants will be on sale at respective prices of $199, $299 and $399.
Apple also revealed that iPhone 5 would operate on Everything Everywhere’s (EE) new 4G LTE network in the UK.
