Apple on Tuesday unveiled its new flagship iPhone 5S and a new budget
smartphone, the iPhone 5C, as it seeks to attract more customers and
revitalize interest in its devices.
The iPhone 5S includes updated components, comes in three colors, and
includes a fingerprint sensor to unlock the device and make purchases. It
will retail for $199 for 16GB, $299 for 32GB, or $399 for 64GB, all with a
contract. The iPhone 5C, which is made of plastic, starts at $99 for the
16GB version or $199 for 32GB with a two-year contact.
Preorders start Friday. The devices will be available in stores on
September 20.
"The iPhone 5C is made with all the incredible technology that customers
have loved with the iPhone 5, but there's more, too," Phil Schiller said
during the event. "It has an incredible new design -- one that's more
fun, and more colorful than anything we've made before."
The budget device has a polycarbonate wrap-around back. It will come in
five colors -- green, white, blue, red, and yellow. The screen wallpaper
will match the exterior of the phone. For the new iPhone 5C, Apple also
designed $29 custom cases made of silicon with a microfiber lining.
The iPhone 5C will sport a 4-inch retina display, like the iPhone 5, as well
as an A6 chip inside with "blazing-fast performance." The battery is
larger than in the iPhone 5, and it includes an 8MP iSight camera, with
the five-element lens and IR filter as seen on the 5.
Meanwhile, Apple also unveiled its latest flagship device, the iPhone 5S,
which it called "the most forward-thinking phone anyone has ever made."
It's made of high-grade aluminum and comes in silver, gold, and "a new
space gray."
The device also sports a new A7 processor. The A7 chip includes 64-bit
capabilities, which makes it on par with PC chips. The iPhone 5S is "up to
twice as fast" as the previous-generation system and has twice the
graphics performance as well.
Apple also incorporated a chip that it calls the M7. This is a "motion co-
processor" that aggregates and monitors accelerometer, gyroscope, and
compass data and offloads it from the A7. That enables a new generation
of health and fitness apps, such as a new Nike+ Move app. The app keeps
track of what users do, tracks their Fuel points, and lets them compete
with friends.
Battery life is on par with the iPhone 5. The 5S has 10 hours of 3G talk
time, 10 hours of browsing over LTE cellular networks or Wi-Fi, 40 hours
of music playing, and 250 hours of standby.
The device also includes a new Apple-designed camera lens with a larger
aperture and sensor. When a user takes a picture, it actually takes
multiple shots and chooses the sharpest. There's also a "true-tone flash"
that analyzes and presents the proper-color flash, as well as other
shooting modes.
In addition, the device includes the much-expected fingerprint sensor,
dubbed Touch ID. It's built right into the home button. It's still a physical
button that a user needs to push down, but there's a metal ring that
senses the person's finger. It can be used to unlock the phone or
purchase items from iTunes.
The iPhone 5 is going away, but the iPhone 4S will now be available for
free with a two-year contract.
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