Apple held a special event in which the new iPhone 5 was unveiled. For those of you who have been keeping up, there weren’t to many surprises aside from some iPod updates, and new version of iTunes. For those of you who haven’t, here is the break down.
The iPhone 5’s most notable feature is the new and beautiful 4-inch retina display. Thankfully, Apple didn’t stop there. The iPhone 5 also has a new unibody design made completely of aluminum and glass along with an upgraded A6 processor.
Here’s a run down of additional new hardware features:
CDMA and GSM 4G LTE that Apple is calling Ultrafast wireless
A new Lightning port and connector
An enhanced 8-megapixel iSight camera with flash
A front facing 1.2-megapixel FaceTime HD camera
Better battery life
New headphones called EarPods
In addition to the hardware updates, iPhone 5 will ship with iOS 6, which I’ve had a chance to play around with. So far the verdict is, well, pretty awesome. I’ve enjoyed using the new Maps app, which I discovered does have selections for walking and local transit, but haven’t really determined how well it works. iOS 6 has several other new features as well that will compliment the hardware quite nicely.
Again a quick run down of iOS 6:
Siri has been updated and so far it’s worked really well for me.
The new Maps App with Flyover and Turn by Turn directions have been a joy to use.
Updated store Apps: iBooks, App Store, iTunes Store all have a fresh look and great search features.
Deeper iCloud integration (Restoring from my iCloud back up worked flawlessly!)
Passbook
Facebook integration
The addition of VIP status in Mail
Photo Sharing from within the Photo App
Facetime over Cellular
Great new calling features such as Reply with Message or Send to Voicemail
Safari iCloud tabs
High-resolution panorama in the Camera App
What you might not have caught
Now that we have the obvious stuff out of the way, lets talk for a moment about a few things that have been glossed over. First, lets chat about the new Lighting connector. I’m sure a few of you are going to lose some sleep over this one initially, however, it’s a good move on Apple’s part. The benefits of reducing the size of the port are improved battery life and and eventually smaller peripherals. One thing that caught me by surprise, however, is that the cable is USB 2.0. There isn’t a lot of information regarding the cable on Apple’s website, but I was able to find it within the Apple online store where the specs are posted. I can’t say for certain that this is truly the case, but it appears Apple may have pulled a quick one on us. It’s possible that the port’s days are numbered as is due to the possibility of wireless charging in the future, and it may be that Apple truly believes that most every one is using Wi-Fi to sync their devices these days. This is true for me, but considering I don’t have any other USB 3.0, then my USB 3.0 ports are going to waste. It is very likely that Apple has an upgrade path in mind and may make an additional 3.0 cable available or will upgrade it in a future product. One can always hope.
The other item that I discovered that was not mentioned in the presentation is that now the iPhone has several different models. The iPhone 5 comes in both black and white flavors, and sports 16-, 32-, and 64-GB versions, but it also comes in multiple wireless models as well. Apple’s website has done well to play this down, but if you drill down to the Tech Spec found on the iPhone 5 area of Apple’s website, you’ll find an interesting surprise. The iPhone 5 is no longer a world phone.
Here are what the specs provide:
GSM model A1428*: UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE (Bands 4 and 17)
CDMA model A1429*: CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1900, 2100 MHz); UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE (Bands 1, 3, 5, 13, 25)
Why? My guess would be to reduce battery consumption and save space to make the iPhone 5 remarkably thin. Is it worth the tradeoff? For some, maybe, but I highly recommend that you deeply consider this before placing your pre-order. What this means in a nutshell is that if you travel or are considering switching networks in the near future, you’ll want to think really hard about what model you’re going to buy. Since each version of the phone supports specific networks, you will almost undoubtedly be locked into your provider not just throughout the duration of your contract, but until you’re ready to buy your next phone. There is an exception and that is if you were to purchase the GSM model, which both AT&T and T-Mobile support. Additionally, when you travel, you’ll want to make certain that you choose the phone that supports the widest available networks in the areas where you’ll be traveling.
