The iPhone 5 has finally arrived. After months of fervent speculation and hype, Apple unveiled the latest version of the popular smartphone Wednesday, certifying it as a taller, thinner and faster model than its predecessors.
The newest iPhone boasts a four-inch Retina display, allowing an additional row of apps on the home screen, 4G LTE connectivity, 8MP iSight cameras, a Lightning connector dock and an aluminum and glass body that weighs 112 grams, according to Apple’s website.
Apple also promises a longer battery life (225 hours on standby and eight hours surfing the web or talking on the phone) and faster loading and performance with the new A6 processors.
Despite the abundance of amenities and updates offered with the iPhone 5, University students remained apathetic about its release.
“It’s too much technology,” said theatre sophomore Chelsie Ciccone.
Ciccone said she will not be buying Apple’s newest product, especially since she’s switching to Verizon Wireless in the near future. However, she said she is confident the iPhone 5 will sell.
Companies are notorious for selling similar products, equipping the latest with an extra feature and charging double the price, Ciccone said.
“It’s just like buying a book,” she said. “You can get the seventh edition for $15, but the one you need, the eighth edition, costs 10 times more and only has a couple of extra pictures.”
Business freshman Annie Charles shared those sentiments.
“People are obsessed with Apple, and they will continue to buy from them,” she said.
Charles said she recently bought the iPhone 4 and is satisfied with her purchase, but she believes others will buy the newer iPhone regardless of how old their current phone is.
Ciccone attributed the splurging trend to the current generation’s materialistic culture.
Dalton Carter, biology junior, said he is willing to buy the iPhone 5 but won’t pay more than $200. He said he’ll wait until the price goes down to make his purchase.
Electrical engineering junior Morgan Haydel said she is willing to pay for the sixth edition of the iPhone because she believes it will be the last update the company will unveil for some time. Without former CEO Steve Jobs, Haydel said she expects Apple’s innovation to decline.
Charles disagreed, saying the absence will have little effect because most consumers had no idea who Jobs was until his death.
“There’s such a big interest in Apple products. They don’t need Steve Jobs,” she said “As long as they keep putting out technology, I’m sure they’ll be on top.”
The iPhone 5 will be available for pre-order on Sept. 14 and for purchase on Sept. 21. The phone comes in three capacity models, including the 16 GB for $199, the 32 GB for $299, and the 64GB for $399 with a contract.
