Apple unveils iPhone 5: Bigger display, faster and better camera

In a press event today, Apple announced the iPhone 5, which looks pretty much how rumors of the product suggested it would: Bigger and faster. The new phone is also slimmer and lighter than previous generation iPhones.


The iPhone 5 ships with iOS6 and a 4-inch Retina screen display, which offers 18 percent more pixels than the iPhone 4S's display. Screen resolution on the new phone will be 1136 x 640 pixels, and 326 pixels per inch (ppi). The phone body is 1/2-inch taller than previous generations of iPhones and iPods.

Users will still be able to navigate the screen and hold the phone with one hand, because the screen's width hasn't changed. The extra height will make video, calendar and non-optimized websites easier to view while leaving the feel of the phone fairly unchanged.

The main specifications of the iPhone 5 are fairly similar to those of the iPhone 4 and 4S, but with slight upgrades. The new phone boasts higher-quality speakers, a camera that's better optimized to low light photography, a glass and metal body, and an updated A6 processor that offers double the CPU speed and graphics processing of the prior processor. GPS users will notice that the Google Maps that shipped with prior iOS incantations has been replaced by the Apple-developed Maps, which offers turn-by-turn navigation.

Photography lovers will appreciate the new camera, said to take photos 40 percent faster than the old phone. The camera features an 8-megapixel sensor and a 2.4 aperture, capable of letting in more light and taking crisper photos. The new camera also offers a Panorama mode that stitches together photos for a 360 degree view.

The iPhone 5 also promises to deliver faster wireless and longer battery life. Apple fans are excited about the new phone, but some critics claim the iPhone 5 doesn't have a key feature that makes it a must buy.

The iPhone 5 will be available for $199 for the 16GB model, $299 for the 32GB model, and $399 for the 64GB model.