Text and photos by Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla
San Francisco – Apple Inc. took to the stage today to establish its role as the leading mobile technology company with the launch of the iPhone 5.
Just when it seemed like competitors had caught up with Apple’s iPhone in terms of features and functionality, the company came out with a huge upgrade to an already popular device.
The iPhone 5 has a new 4-inch screen, an improved Apple A6 processor, 4G-LTE connectivity and an updated dock connector.
The larger screen and 4G-LTE data connectivity in a number of markets makes the iPhone 5 competitive with many of the super-phones recently revealed by rivals Samsung, Nokia and Motorola.
The improved iOS features and the iPhone’s innovative ultra-slim design, its already thriving app and accessory ecosystem and Apple’s retail store advantage ensures that the iPhone 5 will remain the product to beat in many mobile markets.
The iPhone 5 will start shipping in Canada on September 21st, long lines are expected to form in most of Apples 380 Retail Stores around the world. Pre-orders were filled within 60 minutes, a record even for Apple, which indicates that the iPhone 5 will face unprecedented global demand.
“iPhone 5 is the most beautiful consumer device that we’ve ever created,” said Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “We’ve packed an amazing amount of innovation and advanced technology into a thin and light, jewel-like device with a stunning 4-inch Retina display, blazing fast A6 chip, ultrafast wireless, even longer battery life; and we think customers are going to love it.”
The improved 8 Megapixel camera on the iPhone 5 is protected by a sapphire crystal.
iPhone 5 is the thinnest smartphone in the world, with an all-new 7.6 mm anodized aluminum body that is 18 percent thinner and 20 percent lighter than iPhone 4S. Designed with an unprecedented level of precision, iPhone 5 combines an anodized aluminum body with diamond cut chamfered edges and glass inlays for an impressive fit and finish.
The iPhone 5 is thinner and lighter than most smartphones in the market today. Apple has also improved phone calling functionality with three microphones. The new beam-forming, directional microphone system results in higher quality sound, while background noise fades away with new noise canceling technology.
iPhone 5 now includes support for cellular wideband audio for crisper word clarity and more natural tones. Few of Apple’s competitors are pushing the envelope of the actual calling and receiving aspect of their smartphones and it is good to see Apple focusing on the minutiae of improving the most important aspect of smartphones today.
Also launched today were new EarPod earbuds which are designed for optimal audio quality for music playback and calls, they are also engineered to best fit most people’s ears. I tested the EarPods and was surprised at the quality and the depth of sound which was comparable to more expensive premium stereo in-ear earphones.
As for the iPhone 5, it certainly has a wow-factor. The new slate-black model is particularly stunning and elegant with the precision-milled design evident in nearly every aspect of its form factor. The device is well balanced and just as wide as the previous model so it feels familiar. Yet the larger screen size really opens up the experience, you see more information all around yet can still easily navigate the device with one hand. It is a good combination of something familiar that has been greatly improved.
The build quality is solid. The new aluminum case makes it lighter yet just as rigid as the iPhone 4S’ glass enclosure but it is not as delicate. Comparing the build quality of the iPhone 5 with some plastic-covered smartphones from competitors will reveal a wide gap in precision design and build quality.
The iPhone 5 introduces a new nanoSIM card that’s even smaller than the current MicroSIM cards used in the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S.
Apple changed the mobile industry in 2007 when it introduced the original iPhone which then-CEO Steve Jobs billed as “an iPod, a phone and an Internet communicator.” Apple soon introduced an App or applications ecosystem. The iPhone, like various touch-based smartphones has evolved into a pocket computer.
The iPhone 5 is also the most-leaked Apple device in recent memory. Despite efforts to double down on secrecy, the public at large had seen what the iPhone 5 would look like piece by piece. Dummy models from case manufacturers and various components like the new EarPods and the new dock connector also ran rampant on various websites. This only served to fuel expectations and the excitement for the new device. Apple’s iOS 6 will ship with the iPhone 5 and will be available for older models.
The latest version will ship in white & silver or black & slate, and will be available in Canada for a suggested retail price of $699 (CAD) for the 16GB model and $799 (CAD) for the 32GB model and $899 (CAD) for the 64GB model. Canadian carrier pricing was not yet revealed.
