On Tuesday Tim Cook hosted an Apple event in Cupertino that introduced not one but two new iPhones. Also, Apple’s next-gen mobile operating system iOS 7 now has a release date and the company’s productivity suite and creative apps are about to become even more popular. Let’s dive in, shall we?
Let’s start with software. Apple’s iOS 7–complete with a redesigned user interface and over 200 new features such as Control Center, AirDrop, and iTunes Radio–releases for free to the masses on Friday, September 20. It will run on iPhone 4 and later, iPad 2 and later, iPad mini, and iPod touch (fifth generation).
Apple’s productivity suite known as iWork (with Pages, Numbers, and Keynote) as well as the company’s creative apps iPhoto and iMovie will come free with any new iOS device running iOS 7. Start up your new device and you’ll be prompted to download all of these Apple-designed apps free of charge.
Moving onto hardware, Apple intro’d two variants of the iPhone. The iPhone 5c features a brand new design crafted from a single, hard-coated polycarbonate body with a steel reinforced frame for a solid, sturdy feel. Though Cook and co. didn’t specify exactly what the “c” stands for, likely is for “color” but it can also stand for “cheap.” And it’s certainly not cheap in construction or durability, but in price. The iPhone 5c comes in 5 colors–blue, white, pink, yellow, and green–and starts at a low $99 for 16GB of storage (a 32GB model is also offered at $199). Internally the 5c is nearly identical to the current-gen iPhone 5. It’s got the same 4-inch Retina display, A6 processor, and back-facing 8 megapixel iSight camera. The front-facing FaceTime HD camera is enhanced with improved backside illumination for better shots in low-light environments. The 5c packs more LTE bands than any other smartphone in the world, says Apple, with support for up to 13 LTE wireless bands. The device also features up to 100Mbps download speeds and 802.11 a/b/g/n dual-band WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0. Battery life has been increased slightly: up to 10 hours of talk time over 3G, 10 hours of web browsing over Wi-Fi & LTE, 8 hours of web browsing over 3G, 10 hours of video playback, and 40 hours of audio playback. As of September 13 the iPhone 5c is available to preorder through AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile in the U.S.; it goes on sale Friday, September 20.
The iPhone 5s is the true iPhone 5 successor and new flagship smartphone from Apple. It runs on the new Apple-designed A7 chip that is based on 64-bit desktop-class architecture with over 1 billion transistors on board (the 5s is the world’s first and only smartphone boasting such a processor). iOS 7 is engineered with native 64-bit kernel, libraries, and drivers and with a seamless transition to 64-bit for developers, iPhone 5s’ can run 32-bit & 64-bit apps without a hitch. The A7 chip is up to 2 times faster than the previous-gen A6 chip, and the graphics are also 2x faster than before. (Fun fact: The A7 is 40x faster than the processor found in the original iPhone and graphics are 56x faster.) OpenGL ES 3.0 is here, too, to allow for better graphics and performance in games. A new chip called the M7 motion co-processor also makes up the 5s and it’s there to continuously measure motion data from the devices various sensors like the accelerometer, gyroscope, and compass. An API will allow developers to take advantage of the M7 to enable a new generation of health and fitness apps that rely on tracking the device’s subtle movements.
The camera has been improved significantly in the 5s. It still remains at 8 megapixels, but it now boasts a new five-element lens with a larger f/2.2 aperture and a new sensor with a 15 percent larger active area and 1.5μ pixels for better sensitivity and low-light performance. True Tone flash–which takes advantage of the phone’s dual LED array–variably adjusts color and intensity for over 1,000 combinations, so photos taken with a flash appear more natural. The new cam also utilizes auto image stabilization, burst mode (hold down the shutter button and it will capture 10 frames per second), and slo-mo (it can capture 720p HD video at 120 FPS and you can manually move in and out of normal and slo-mo speeds to manipulate your videos in real time).
The iPhone 5s’ defining new feature is Touch ID, a touch-capacitive fingerprint sensor fused with a laser cut sapphire crystal that’s built right into the Home button. Simply touch a finger to the Home button to securely unlock your phone. Your unique fingerprint can also be used to make purchases in the iTunes Store, the App Store, and the iBooks Store. Apple promises all fingerprint information is encrypted and stored securely in the Secure Enclave inside the A7 chip; it’s never stored on Apple servers or backed up to iCloud and at launch third-party developers will not have access to it. For all you techies out there, the sensor is 170 microns thin, has a 500 ppi resolution, scans sub-epidermal skin layers, and has a 360 degree readability (meaning your fingerprint can be read at various orientations). Up to 5 fingerprints can be stored on one device.
Like the 5c, the 5s supports for up to 13 LTE wireless bands, download speeds up to 100Mbps, dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.0. Anticipated battery life is identical to the 5c (see above), and you can expect up to 250 hours standby time.
The iPhone 5s comes in three metal finishes with chamfered edges: silver, gold, and space grey. It starts at $199 for 16GB of storage and climbs to $299 for 32GB and $399 for 64GB. It goes on sale the same day as the 5c, Friday, September 20 in the following markets: US, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Singapore, and the UK. By the end of the year Apple plans to have the new iPhones available in 100 countries across 270+ carriers around the world. The iPhone 5 will be discontinued but the 8GB iPhone 4s will remain on the market for free as long as you sign a standard 2-year contract with a wireless provider.
With the introduction of new hardware comes new accessories. Apple is offering cases designed specifically for the 5c and 5s. At $29, the 5c cases feature a silicone exterior and the inside is lined with soft microfiber; bright colors like green, blue, yellow, pink, and white (it also comes in black) complement not only the vibrant colors of the 5c but also the new hues that pop in iOS 7. At $39, the 5s cases are made of premium leather and a soft microfiber lining is here as well. These come in beige, black, blue, brown, yellow, and (PRODUCT) RED.
That’s a wrap on this Apple unveiling. Though the prospect of a cheaper iPhone and a more advanced model are exciting, Apple did little to captivate their audience this time around. Thanks to a myriad of product leaks leading up to these announcements, this keynote turned into the most underwhelming in recent memory. Everything down to the fingerprint sensor was expected and Apple did nothing to subvert such expectations. Even a small “one more thing” could have turned it all around but nope–iOS 7 is coming, two new iPhones are on their way, and Apple fans really have nothing to call home about. Many say the 5c is a wasted opportunity for Apple; sure the color infuses some excitement into the product but at $99/$199 it’s still a premium device that won’t make a dent in developing countries like some thought it would. In any case, Apple better step up their game when it comes time to intro iPhone 6, the successor to the 5c (make it even cheaper in cost!), and eventually the inevitable iTV.