Apple’s iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C Have Arrived

Apple’s iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C Have Arrived

The day has finally arrived!

After months of rumors, speculation and leaked images, Apple have launched two new additions to their iPhone family at the Apple Campus in Cupertino, California.

Apple CEO Tim Cook introduced the world to the iPhone 5S, the company’s new flagship phone as well as a cheaper model dubbed the iPhone 5C, both of which will come shipped with the latest, completely revamped version of Apple’s mobile operating system, iOS 7.

So, what does the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C have to offer?

iPhone 5S

 

iPhone 5S AustraliaPhysical Design

The iPhone 5S doesn’t differ much in physical design when compared to its predecessor, the iPhone 5. The only real difference lies within the introduction of two new colour options. The device will be available in silver, gold and a “Space grey” colour, with a white option notably absent. Other than that, the iPhone 5S will keep the aluminium and glass construction as with the iPhone 5, as well as the two tone design on the back.

First 64-bit Smartphone

In a bid to really ramp up the computing power of their new high-end smartphone, Apple have managed to create the world’s first 64-bit mobile phone. With over 1 billion transistors, Apple claims the iPhone 5S has 56-times the processing power in the new processor, which will mean a much better experience for users.

Dubbed the A7, Apple says it is up to twice as fast than the A6 chip used in the iPhone 5, and could potentially make some apps run as much as five times faster! When you combine the A7 and the rewritten iOS7 and Apple apps, Apple executives say users will notice a significant improvement in performance.

Fingerprint Reader

It seems as though the rumour mill got it right. Apple has in fact embedded a fingerprint sensor into the new sapphire crystal home button that scans your sub-epidermal skin layers. Named the Touch ID, the stainless steel “detection ring” residing in the familiar Home button, can read fingerprints 360- degrees at a very high resolution of 500 pixels-per-inch.

In addition to using it to unlock a device (instead of using a passcode), Touch ID can also be used in place of an iTunes Store password when purchasing apps and content. The Touch ID can scan and respond to one or more of your fingertips. Despite Apple executives stating that Touch ID has been deeply integrated into iOS7, it seems as though the use for Touch ID is currently limited to just unlocking the device and for authentication when purchasing from the App Store.

If you’re worried about where your fingerprint data is stored, the prints remain on your phone. They are not stored on Apple’s servers or backed up to iCloud, so you can rest assured the information will be kept secure. For more information regarding privacy surrounding Touch ID, check out ZDNet’s article here.

iPhone 5S

Better 8-Megapixel Camera

megapixel_heroTo improve your happy snaps, Apple has given the camera on the iPhone 5S a pretty big boost.

The new iSight 8 megapixel camera includes a five-element lens, and a new sensor with a 15% larger active area than that of the iPhone 5. The lens is rated at an aperture of f/2.2, which means improved sensitivity in low light environments. To reduce image noise, the pixels are larger, sized to 1.5 microns, which allows each pixel to absorb 50% more light.

The camera flash has also been upgraded to a dual-element flash, which allows for 1,000 different colour temperatures. Named True Tone Flash, the dual-LED flash features a different colour temperature on each LED, one a cooler white and the other a warmer amber, which allows the camera to better match the light for the situation you are in.

In addition to the hardware improvements, the iPhone5S’ camera software has been upgraded too. The Camera application will automatically adjust the white balance and exposure, while a dynamic local tone map will ensure more true-to-life colour. Autofocus has also undergone some improvements, with the Autofocus matrix metering better at adjusting exposure to the subject you’re trying to photograph.

For those hard to capture action shots, Apple have included “burst-mode”, which takes 10 frames per second and allows you to choose the best photo out of the bunch. You can also make use of the slow-motion recording mode, which can capture 720p video at 120 frames per second.

To protect the lens from scratches, it is shielded by sapphire crystal. Sapphire crystal is supposedly harder and of course more scratch-resistant than what is usually used.

Improved Battery

Despite the addition of all of these great features (particularly with the faster processor), the question always comes back to how it will impact battery life. As it is, smartphones have a very limited battery life, with the average consumer needing to charge their device everyday to keep it going.

Rest assured Apple have not forgotten about battery life, with the iPhone 5S sporting an improved battery. The battery now has up to 10 hours of 3G talk time, LTE browsing and Wi-Fi, as well as 250 hours on standby. While it may not be quite as great as power users would have hoped for, according to Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller, this is still “better than the iPhone 5”.

iPhone 5C

iPhone 5C AustraliaDeveloped to be a cheaper alternative to the full-featured iPhone 5S, the iPhone 5C takes the same components as the current iPhone 5 and wraps them up in a plastic case available in 5 bright colours.

To reduce costs, the iPhone 5C eliminates some of the high-end features of the iPhones 5S such as the fingerprint scanner, the aluminium and glass body as well as forgoing the A7 processor. Instead, the iPhone 5C will feature the same 4inch retina display, uses the same A6 processor and comes with the same 8-megapixel rear camera as the iPhone 5.

Apple has, however, thrown in an upgrade to the front-facing Facetime HD camera, giving it larger pixels and backside illumination. It also supports “more LTE bands than any other smartphone in the world” as stated by Apple and features a slightly larger battery than that of the iPhone 5. The iPhone 5C will also be able to run on iOS 7.

“Beautifully, unapologetically plastic”, the iPhone 5C is constructed from a hard-coated polycarbonate, and is available in white, red, blue, yellow and green colour variants.

It seems as though the iPhone 5C will replace the iPhone 5, with both the iPhone 5 and the iPhone 4 discontinued.

iOS 7

ios-7-control-center

Source: VentureBeat

Apple’s latest version of its iOS platform, iOS 7, will be available for free September 18. It will be made available for iPhone 4’s and later, iPad 2’s and later, iPad mini and the 5th gen iPod touch.

Both the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5C will come shipped with the newest version of the mobile operating system. iOS 7 includes a completely revamped user interface and a host of other features.

Apple iWork Free

iWork free for iPhone 5s 5cFor those of you who love using Apple’s suite of iWork productivity apps (i.e. Pages, Numbers, Keynote etc), CEO of Apple, Tim Cook also announced that they would be scrapping the download fees for the apps for all newly purchased devices.

This is fantastic for those of you wanting the iOS equivalent of Microsoft’s Word and Excel (and want a new device too), as you can do away with the average $5-$10 price tag.

Pricing & Availability

Both the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5C will be available for sale from Apple retail and stores and for order online from Friday, September 20.

While the high-end iPhone 5S is expected to fetch a neat price, the real surprise comes in with the Australian pricing for the iPhone 5C, which is much higher than expected.

The iPhone 5S will come in 3 different models: 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. Pricing for the iPhone 5S (outright purchase) is as follows:

[list style=”list1″ color=”green”]

  • 16GB $869
  • 32GB $999
  • 64GB $1129

[/list]

The iPhone 5C will come in 2 different models: 16GB and 32GB. Pricing for the iPhone 5C (outright purchase) is as follows:
[list style=”list1″ color=”green”]

    • 16GB $739
    • 32GB $869
        [/list]

 

For Telstra customers, Telstra offer consumer plans for the iPhone 5C and the iPhone 5S ranging from $60 per month plan, ranging up to $130 a month both with a monthly handset repayment cost. For Business customers, Telstra is currently offering the iPhone 5C on the Business Performance Handset plans also ranging from $60 per month to $130 per month with mobile handset repayment costs.

More information regarding Telstra business plans for both the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5C will be released leading up to the September 20 release date.

For more information regarding business plans for the iPhone 5S or iPhone 5C give us a call on 1300 721 281 or email us at sales [at] phonenomena [dot] com [dot] au!

 

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What are your thoughts on Apple’s latest iPhone?