Loading...The modern world regularly experiences Apple’s annual iPhone launch. Apple held a launch event on September 12th during which the iPhone 5 was unveiled, with the phone gone on sale on the 21st of September. The launch date seems fairly certain now, but what else is known about the sixth generation iPhone?
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Taller Screen
The iPhone 5 is the first iPhone to move away from the 3.5 inch screen size that Apple has used since 2007. The iPhone 5 is thought to have a screen measuring just under 4 inches. Although the screen is larger, it is the same width as existing iPhone screens, meaning that all of its extra size comes from an increase in the height of the screen.
This thus results in a more elongated design than earlier models. It also results in a new screen resolution of 640 x 1136 which is 176 pixels taller than the Retina resolution of the iPhone 4 and 4S. Some possible consequences of this extra screen real estate include an extra row of app icons on the homescreen and the potential for some older apps to be run in a letterbox mode.
Smaller SIM Card
The iPhone 5 is now one of the first phones to use the new Nano SIM card design. This design is 40% smaller than the Micro SIM cards used in the iPhone 4 and 4S and the design has only just been approved by the industry standards body ETSI.
New Dock Connector
Apple has redesigned its proprietary dock connector that it has used for earlier iPhones with a much smaller and more efficient design. This new connector is double sided, so it does not matter which way it is inserted, and the new design has allowed Apple to move the headphone socket to the bottom of the phone for the first time. It is unclear at present how the new dock connector design will work with existing iPhone accessories.
Networks
Although included with all iPhones running iOS 6, with the iPhone 5 launch it will now be possible to make FaceTime calls across 3G cellular networks. It is also important to mention that the iPhone 5 includes LTE support for the first time. Apple has already launched an LTE equipped iPad and not introducing LTE for its phones would put the company at a severe competitive disadvantage.
LTE networks are already in place in the United States and by the time of the scheduled iPhone 5 launch Everything Everywhere has had a preliminary LTE network operational in the United Kingdom.
Unlike many earlier models where Apple simultaneously released GSM and CDMA versions, the iPhone 5 hasbeeen released with both network technologies supported. The iPhone 5 is considered to be the first true “World Phone”, by including support for China Mobile’s proprietary CDMA network.
NFC: Don’t get your hopes up
While the new Passbook app in iOS 6 indicates to some people that Apple may be adding NFC support to the iPhone 5, it is not a given. Apple has already stated publically that it has no plans to produce a mobile wallet app any time soon and Passbook should be available to older phones updating to iOS 6. It was recently reported by the Wall Street Journal that Apple has abandoned plans to include NFC due to concerns over battery performance.
The larger screen is almost certain to make an appearance, as support for it has been uncovered in iOS 6 beta. Images of a smaller SIM card tray seem to confirm inclusion of the new Nano SIM design, and Apple has a track record of adopting smaller SIM cards earlier than competitors. In fact, Apple was one of the main phone manufacturers calling for a smaller design to be adopted. While NFC and LTE are still unconfirmed, the latter seems to be much more likely to make an appearance than the former. There will most likely be many other new upgrades and features for the iPhone 5 that have not managed to make their way to the public via leaks, but the good news is we only have a couple of weeks left until we can find out once and for all what they will be.
The modern world regularly experiences Apple’s annual iPhone launch. Apple held a launch event on September 12<sup>th</sup> during which the iPhone 5 was unveiled, with the phone gone on sale on the 21<sup>st</sup> of September. The launch date seems fairly certain now, but what else is known about the sixth generation iPhone? <!–more–><h3>Taller Screen
</h3>
The iPhone 5 is the first iPhone to move away from the 3.5 inch screen size that Apple has used since 2007. The iPhone 5 is thought to have a screen measuring just under 4 inches. Although the screen is larger, it is the same width as existing iPhone screens, meaning that all of its extra size comes from an increase in the height of the screen.
This thus results in a more elongated design than earlier models. It also results in a new screen resolution of 640 x 1136 which is 176 pixels taller than the Retina resolution of the iPhone 4 and 4S. Some possible consequences of this extra screen real estate include an extra row of app icons on the homescreen and the potential for some older apps to be run in a letterbox mode.
<h3>Smaller SIM Card</h3>
The iPhone 5 is now one of the first phones to use the new Nano SIM card design. This design is 40% smaller than the Micro SIM cards used in the iPhone 4 and 4S and the design has only just been approved by the industry standards body ETSI.
<h3>New Dock Connector</h3>
Apple has redesigned its proprietary dock connector that it has used for earlier iPhones with a much smaller and more efficient design. This new connector is double sided, so it does not matter which way it is inserted, and the new design has allowed Apple to move the headphone socket to the bottom of the phone for the first time. It is unclear at present how the new dock connector design will work with existing iPhone accessories.
<h3>Networks</h3>
Although included with all iPhones running iOS 6, with the iPhone 5 launch it will now be possible to make FaceTime calls across 3G cellular networks. It is also important to mention that the iPhone 5 includes LTE support for the first time. Apple has already launched an LTE equipped iPad and not introducing LTE for its phones would put the company at a severe competitive disadvantage.
LTE networks are already in place in the United States and by the time of the scheduled iPhone 5 launch Everything Everywhere has had a preliminary LTE network operational in the United Kingdom.
Unlike many earlier models where Apple simultaneously released GSM and CDMA versions, the iPhone 5 hasbeeen released with both network technologies supported. The iPhone 5 is considered to be the first true “World Phone”, by including support for China Mobile’s proprietary CDMA network.
<h3>NFC: Don’t get your hopes up</h3>
While the new Passbook app in iOS 6 indicates to some people that Apple may be adding NFC support to the iPhone 5, it is not a given. Apple has already stated publically that it has no plans to produce a mobile wallet app any time soon and Passbook should be available to older phones updating to iOS 6. It was recently reported by the Wall Street Journal that Apple has abandoned plans to include NFC due to concerns over battery performance.
The larger screen is almost certain to make an appearance, as support for it has been uncovered in iOS 6 beta. Images of a smaller SIM card tray seem to confirm inclusion of the new Nano SIM design, and Apple has a track record of adopting smaller SIM cards earlier than competitors. In fact, Apple was one of the main phone manufacturers calling for a smaller design to be adopted. While NFC and LTE are still unconfirmed, the latter seems to be much more likely to make an appearance than the former. There will most likely be many other new upgrades and features for the iPhone 5 that have not managed to make their way to the public via leaks, but the good news is we only have a couple of weeks left until we can find out once and for all what they will be.