Hello Apple fans and those curious about the technology juggernaut. No matter how you feel about Apple, the company ushered in our current smartphone era when they announced the iPhone in 2007. Now, six years later, Apple has unveiled new iPhones that they claim will be the most advanced phones ever (until their new ones, of course).
Today Apple started their event with their usual pattern of boasts. The iTunes Festival was a hit. Apple has sold a bunch of devices, and a new store is beautiful.
That’s nice, but I want to know about what I can hold in my hand.
The first piece of news that perked my interest is iOS7, which will be available for free on September 18th. The updated operating system will work on iPhone 4, iPad 2, the iPad Mini, and iPod Touch 5th generation – and later for all iDevices. If you have anything older, Apple don’t care. iOS 7 has many updates including: Siri being able to pull answers from more sources like Twitter and Wikipedia, new sounds, iTunes Radio, a camera app with live photo effects, and other things that Apple promises will make your supported device feel like new. Bonus: if you purchase a new iOS device, you will get iWork, iPhoto, and iMovie for free.
With a new iOS, many speculated that a new iPhone was on the horizon, and we are right – kind of. Apple didn’t just announce a new iPhone, they announced two. That’s right – TWO!
In the process of introducing two new iPhones, the victim is the iPhone 5. As of now, no more iPhone 5s will be made. Also, the iPhone 5 will not be reduced in price. Replacing the iPhone 5 are the iPhone 5C and the iPhone 5S.
iPhone 5C
The iPhone 5C closely resembles the 5 with some improvements. The 5C will come in different colors: green, white, blue, red and yellow. The color wraps, meaning the buttons on the side are the same color. The body is polycarbonate with a steel frame glued in. Apple stated that the phone is environmentally friendly with no toxins and is “highly recyclable.” Other features are a multiband antenna, 4-inch retina display, widescreen video, integrated touch, new camera app, 3x video zoom, Apple-designed A6 chip, console-level graphics, faster performance, better FaceTime camera and audio, more LTE bands than any other smartphone, and up to 100 Mbps download. The 5C is optimized to work smoothly with iOS 7. The phone can be preordered on September 13th and can be purchased September 20th. The cost will be $99 for the 16GB and $199 for the 32GB with a 2-year contract. Rumor has it that the 16GB non-contract version will be $549 (this was not discussed at the event). Apple has made cases for the 5C ($29 each) with holes in the back so you can combine the case with the color of your 5C to make numerous combinations, personalizing your phone.
iPhone 5C cases
The big announcement was the iPhone 5S. This is the one with all of the shiny bells and whistles we expect when Apple rolls out a new iPhone. Available in silver, gold, and “a new space grey,” the biggest developments are the A7 chip, the M7 chip, and the Touch ID. The A7 chip makes the 5S the first ever 64-bit phone, making it incredibly fast; don’t worry, the phone is backwards compatible, so 32-bit apps will work. The M7 is a motion co-processor that continuously measures motion data, creating the opportunity for new motion apps. Apple is currently working with Nike on Nike Plus Move, a new health and fitness app. Apple hopes more health and fitness apps will be developed using the new motion features. Touch ID is a sensor in the home button that will read your fingerprint and use your fingerprint to unlock the phone. The sensor has 360o readability and 500 ppi resolution. The home button will have different layers: on top will be the laser-cut sapphire crystal, then a stainless steel detection ring, then the Touch ID sensor, and the tactile sensor will be on the bottom.
The iPhone 5S also will have a better camera and flash. The camera has a 15% larger sensor; the bigger pixels will make better pictures because more light is captured. The camera will auto set the white balance and exposure before you take a photo. The better flash will allow for colors to be truer, and there is also auto image stabilization.
iPhone 5S
The iPhone 5S will be available to purchase on September 20th; preordering was not mentioned. If you sign up for a 2-year contract, the cost will be $199 for the 16GB, $299 for the 32GB, and $399 for the 64GB. Cases will also be available for $39 each; the cases don’t have holes, so you can’t show off the color of your phone, a fact I find incredibly silly.
There are no improvements in screen size or battery life; both are basically the same as the iPhone 5. The draw of the new phones is the features and the integration with iOS 7.
If you are a late adopter, the 8GB iPhone 4S will be free with a 2-year contract.
Again, both phones are available for purchase on September 20th.
Apple will have another event in October. Rumor has it that a new iPad and possibly new Macs will be revealed. Apple wants our money this holiday season, which makes these devices competition with the new consoles from Microsoft and Sony. The Apple representatives gushed about the quality of the graphics, claiming the graphics are as good as current consoles. With a small screen size and questionable battery life (10 hours for video, but battery life and games were not discussed), one could conclude that people don’t want complex games on their iPhones, opting instead for a handheld from Nintendo or Sony or a new console, but with a new iPad also a possibility, people might keep their money in the Apple ecosystem. With the economy still not fully recovered and all of these devices priced in the $100 to $500 range, most people will not have the funds to buy all of the hardware coming out this year. Considering the beast Apple is, come this holiday season, the Xbox One and Playstation 4 will have to realize that smartphones and tablets are viable competitors. It will be interesting to see if Apple takes a bite out of the console market.
Sources: September 10, 2013 Apple Event and CNET live blog
iThing of the Week will return to its regular Thursday slot next week. Thanks for your patience!
