Apple’s iPhone conference was held today, and here’s what was announced:
1. iPhone 5
Finally. After more than a year of rumors, leaked pictures and concepts, it is here.
The iPhone 5. You read that right, not the new iPhone. Just iPhone 5.
The first difference is obvious — the screen is now a 4-inch Retina display, using “in-cell” technology to merge the LCD display with the touch sensor, making a thinner, more energy-efficient screen.
Underneath, there’s a 4G LTE antennae and the new A6 processor that promises to be twice as fast as the A5.
Flip the device over and you’ll no longer see a second plane of breakable glass, but a matte aluminum finish. On the black model specifically, the rear’s two-tone design is striking and beautiful.
Also on the back is the new 8-megapixel, f/2.4 camera with a backlit image sensor for better low-light performance. Next to it are the LED flash and a new microphone.
The bottom of the device shows off the new Lightning dock connector, two speaker grills and the relocated headphone jack
Overall, the design is breathtaking. Amazing. Minimalist.
And at 4.87 inches tall, 2.31 inches wide and 7.6 millimeters thick, it’s thinner and lighter (3.95) than the iPhone 4S. Almost too light, according to The Verge.
It’s almost what everyone expected, but I’m still blown away by the beauty. No NFC and no wireless charging, but I don’t think anyone truly expected those.
Pre-orders start September 14. iOS 6 launches for iPhone 3GS, 4 and 4S on September 19. The iPhone 5 comes out September 21 at $199 for 16GB.
2. iPod Touch, Nano get an upgrade
The iPod Touch gets an upgrade two years after the last iteration launched.
It features the same 4-inch display as the iPhone 5, adds the A5 processor from the iPhone 4S, a 5-megapixel camera with LED Flash and Siri. It’s thinner (6.1mm) and lighter (88 grams) than the previous version, and comes in multiple colors.
Most interestingly, It comes with a wristband called “Loop” that attaches to a corner of the iPod. I’m not really sure what the use of that is, but hey, it’s free.
In addition, the smallest available size is 32GB for $299, while the last gen. iPod Touch stays afloat with a 16GB version for $199 and 32GB for $249.
I’m not entirely sure why the old Touch is staying on the market. The tech is two years old and iOS 6 will likely slow the iPod down considerably.
Taking a cue from the iPod Mini of yesteryear, the new Nano comes in several vibrant colors in addition to a 2.5-inch touch screen. It comes with a built-in FM tuner, Bluetooth and Nike+ support.
It comes in one capacity – 16GB — and retails for $149.
Interestingly, there’s no Wi-Fi capability whatsoever, even though the device basically looks like a miniature iPhone.
3. iTunes 11
Apple also previewed their next version of iTunes.
There’s a pretty stark difference between this update and the current version, mainly a new “edge to edge” album view mode, where each album acts like a folder in iOS. Clicking on the album opens a colored drop-down list from “underneath” iTunes that shows song titles and times. There’s also a new instant search feature, shown above.
It’s a welcome change from the sometimes-stagnant nature of iTunes and I’m assuming it’ll run a little quicker.
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Check back tomorrow morning for added info on Nintendo’s Wii U press conference.
