Apple reveals the iPhone 5-- taller (4" Retina display), thinner (18%), lighter (20%), faster (2X with a new A6 chip that's 22% smaller), and longer-lasting in battery power (finally!).
Tim Cook presented Apple's typically bullish outlook, showing off an impressive new Apple Store in Barcelona (complete with blue shirt-clad Geniuses and huge lines) and bragging about global domination in the tablet market.
The bigger display confirms earlier rumours... Apple is clearly aware of the success rivals (Samsung, HTC etc) have had with larger smartphones. That means you get a fifth row of icons on the home screen. Third-party apps (if not updated to the new screen size) will still work, but will appear with black borders on each side.
The total display resolution stays at 326 pixels per inch and we now have a 16:9 aspect ratio. According to Apple, widescreen movies will look better with 44% more color saturation than the iPhone 4S.
The iPhone 5 is the thinnest (7.6mm) and lightest (112g) model yet. The processor gets a replacement with the A6, a smaller and more energy-efficient chip with 2x the speed and better graphics capability.
The improved camera (8MP, 5-element lens, f/2.4 aperture, sapphire crystal lens cover) has an interesting feature-- Apple says it makes oceans look "bluer" and kids "happier." Neat feature, that...
An iPhone 4S-style "dynamic" antenna handles "Ultrafast Wireless," switching between GPRS, EDGE, EV-DO, DC-HSPA (42Mbps) and LTE (up to 100mpbs) networks.
Another rumour confirmed-- iPhone's new smaller connector called "Lightning." It is 80% smaller than the previous 9-year old model. This will make retailers happy (Apple confirms new Lightning-compatible docks from Bose, JBL, B&W and others are in the works) and consumers less so (they can buy new gear or buy a chunky adapter accessory.) No micro-USB compatibility or wireless charging, of course.
The iPhone 5 goes on sale in September 2012 in USA in 2 colours, black or white. The models will become available by the end of year in 100 countries around the world, VP Marketing Phil Schiller said.
And the iPad mini? If it even exists in the first place, this Apple launch event leaves everyone guessing...again.
Go iPhone 5