iPhone 5: skinny li'l fella with better display, camera, software

Rumor has it that an Eritrean goat-herder with the unlikely name of "Bob" was unaware of the fact that Apple would unveil its iPhone 5 on Wednesday. Frankly, we find that hard to believe. In all of recorded gadget history, few product announcements have had as much pre-event hype as did today's iPhone 5 roll-out at an event in …

[Anonymous Coward]

"Rumor has it that an Eritrean goat-herder with the unlikely name of "Bob" was unaware of the fact that Apple would unveil its iPhone 5 on Wednesday."

I've just seen Bob. He's at the front of the queue outside the Apple store in Regents Street drinking his coffee made by a Samsung phone owner

[Anonymous Coward]

Actually

Mobile phones are very big in Africa (As I heard at a conference session on challenges to mobile interaction research*) - cheaper to build a mobile phone infrastructure than a fixed line one.

So Eritrean goat-herders looking for faster access to goat auction prices might have a passing interest in today's news.

*However the biggest hurdle facing African mobile users is recharging. So the Jebus phone isn't ready for Eritrean prime time just yet.

[LarsG]

And?

As an iPhone user I say UNDERWHELMING, I cannot see a need to upgrade my 4S at all, the comparison spec sheet on the Apple site confirm what I know.

[Pete 2]

Re: And?

> I cannot see a need to upgrade my 4S

Surely thre reason to upgrade is that now there's a new model out, the days of the "old" one will be strictly limited.

This does seem more like a X.1 release than being worthy of a whole 1 digit increment. I wonder if the reason for there being so little difference (a few percent here, a couple of millimetres there) is because Apple have run out of ideas, or because the iPhone is so near to perfection already?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: And?

That's precisely the point - Apple phones have a much longer life - I see plenty of people still using 3GS phones (which are now 4 years old).

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: And?

Me for example.

... and it will run the yet to be released iOS6 and I have never ever felt the need to have a micro-SD card for extra storage nor do I feel the urge for NFC communications. I see no reason to upgrade yet, and when I do, it will be for a dramatically reduced cost 4S to maintain plug compatibility with my somewhat expensive ghetto blaster.

Only the camera is sub-par on the 3GS, but I have a real camera, so it's not used that often anyway.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: And?

I would not call nearly 20% thinner AND lighter a minor issue when the screen is larger.

[twelvebore]

Re: And?

Maybe not a good upgrade for your 4S, but it looks like a nice replacement for my 3GS!

You don't *have* to change your phone every 12 months!

[Lallabalalla]

Re: And?

Exactly - even better, upgrade the 3GS to a 4S; then I can still dump it on my hifi dock and use it to play music and watch movies - something the stupid adaptor for the 5 won't do, as video and audio don't come out of there any more :-(

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: And?

3GS = quite a slim sexy groovy shape.

4/S = fat, heavy lump, sharp front and back edges makes it uncomfortable in the hand unless you wrap it in a decent case.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: And? @twelvebore

That is his point, its not a wow upgrade, they've stretched it, so it looks more like an Android phone...

[Chika]

Re: And? @twelvebore

"That is his point, its not a wow upgrade, they've stretched it, so it looks more like an Android phone..."

Oh great! Another pending look and feel case.

[David Cantrell]

Re: And?

This does *not* look like a good upgrade from my 3GS. Just about the only feature of any interest is the extra row of icons on the screen, and that, my friends, is not worth several hundred quid.

[Juan Inamillion]

Re: And?

My thoughts Ed Zachery

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: And?

"but it looks like a nice replacement for my 3GS!"

Why? What exactly does it do that will make the quality of your life so much better than your 3GS doesn't? Or are you just yet another dribbling Ooooh Shiny! acolyte who would part with their money if Apple released a turd with their logo on it?

I just don't get this upgrade obsession, its a fucking phone for gods sake. Anyone who upgraded their landline phone every year because a new one had come out with a slight better processor and screen would been seen as an obsessive wierdo. Why is it ok for mobile phones? Is it perhaps because they're more fashion than technology and its the male equivalent of buying a new handbag?

[Jason 47]

Re: And?

Because my 3GS running IOS 5 is a PITA. The OS cripples this old model and I'd quite like something that could run IOS5 or 6 without me losing my temper. THe basic operation of the phone and it's Apps could be much the same as far as I'm concerned, just responsive.

[Eddy Ito]

Re: And?

Uh-oh, if this is the deal I hope everyone has their AAPL shorts in place. I don't see any 80 million iPhone5s being shifted like Munster thought. As expected, it also looks like a big swing and a miss by JP Morgan. I don't know what all the hypestirs were on when they did their numbers but it only stands to reason that Apple couldn't continue the streak much longer.

Set up your AAPL options wisely folks, my gut says short iron condor or butterfly based around today's price, long iron condor/butterfly around the price in two weeks. Expiry should be just after the earnings call in October. Sure, I've been wrong before but I can feel it in my hallux rigidus.

[Voland's right hand]

Re: And?

Apple user population are on 2 year contracts. This may not be a compelling reason to throw out your shiny No 4. It will however clean up the "upgrade shiny No 3/3GS" market.

By the way - same as you are I am underwhelmed. This does not mean however that it will not be a commercial success.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: And?

Just don't get what people expect - it's about 20% thinner and lighter despite a larger retina screen for no letter boxing, it's up to twice the speed yet the same battery life. It supports 4G and iOS 6 has some really good looking new features like panorama, Facebook integration, better maps etc.

I guess NFC would have been nice but it's hardly a mega deal - anyway for all you know it could have it but they just did not reveal it yet. There is also a lot more they could do with iOS 6.

I like that it's the same width so fits in a normal human hand - the new connector is an improvement.

[Andy 115]

Re: And?

Congratulations LarsG!

You can see no reason to upgrade a phone that is (at most) 11 months old: common sense has prevailed!

To those on a 3GS or original 4 now out of a 2 year contract on hardware originally released OVER 2 years ago I suspect the reaction may be different.

HINT: apple don't aim their new models at owners of the previous model (although they are quite happy to sell you the latest shiny even if your previous shiny is still factory fresh, and they know some people are daft enough to upgrade EVERY new model) they know the vast BULK of purchases will be from owners of earlier generations (excluding the just replaced generation) and iPhone virgins.

[Alexis Vallance]

Re: And?

Exactly. I'm out of a 24 month contract this month and considering I can unlock and sell my original 4 on ebay for £200, it would daft not to carry on with my £30 a month and get a 5.

[Anonymous Coward]

Expecting to be Tango'd

There is no fizz in this can no matter how hard you try to talk it up.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Expecting to be Tango'd

flatter than a deflated tyre on a flat bed truck that is parked outside a block of flats in the flattest part of Essex .

I think I'll now go back to sleep.

[Chika]

Re: Expecting to be Tango'd

"Flattest part of Essex"?

If you really want flat, you should go to Lincolnshire. Now that's Apple country!

[Anonymous Coward]

It's a little tall for my tastes and will require longer pockets.

Have Apple patented the new shape, 'tall but thin, with rounder corners'?

Though I believe that LG bought out such a shape in 2009 The LG BL40 though it has sharper corners.

[h4rm0ny]

"It's a little tall for my tastes and will require longer pockets."

But for someone else it will be just right. Different people have different tastes / needs (for example, I want a small phone that's comfortable to hold). It seems mysterious to me that Apple are only releasing one size of phone. Surely it would make good sense to target all sections of the mobile phone using market. Am I missing something here?

I like the battery life they report for this thing. I think the "HD Voice" thing is present on several existing phones already though and we're just waiting for more network operators to provide the service....?

[Ammaross Danan]

Notes

So, they're calling the mini-dock a "Lightning" connector? Isn't this the same term AMD uses for their Thunderbolt-alike DisplayPort technology? I think someone may be getting sued shortly....

These spec lines read rather underwhelming. Not even a full 720p screen? Seriously? At least they finally got the camera to 8MP like all the Androids. The list of features they're enumerating to merit the "iOS6" tag sound more like the list of features you'd read about in Sense, Motion, or other GUI mods from manufacturers. Task switching, GUI overhaul, hardware-accelerated 3D, and SMP ALL TOGETHER may merit a full version bump, but being able to tweet from the notification pulldown and throwing a few app upgrades in merits iOS5->iOS6? Guess they're on the Firefox versioning system now: numbers for the sake of numbers.

[h4rm0ny]

Re: Notes

"Not even a full 720p screen?"

Why on earth would you need a 720p screen on something that is 4"? There are televisions that are 720p. About six years ago, you would have thought 720p on an 18" monitor was nice. I'm all for progress, but some things just seem excessive to me.

[Ragarath]

Re: Notes @h4rm0ny

I would just like to point out that your thinking that 6 years ago 720p on a monitor was nice? 10 years ago I was eunning at 1600x1200 on a monitor. Just because the TV companies took things backward does not mean the whole world should folllow. When monitors started to pop up at 1920x1080 this was a backward step to save them money by using cheaper panels so that they could use the monkier "HD" . But they were less HD than we were used to.

[Ammaross Danan]

Re: Notes

@h4rm0ny: "Why on earth would you need a 720p screen on something that is 4"?"

I would actually like to see my webpages, not have some 500x100 header image or some such nonesense (register title image perhaps?) throw everything off the low-res screen TYVM. I suffered on a low res screen and it made web browsing terrible. 1280x800 gives a normal rendering so I can find what I need and move on with life. Not all of us are blind.

[Chris Hunt]

"It's a little tall for my tastes and will require longer pockets."

Anybody in the habit of buying Apple gear - by definition - has deep pockets. So that shouldn't be a problem.

[Anonymous Coward]

DID THEY...

just heat it up a little over a gas cooker and just stretch it a bit?

Except for LTE which we won't have for a year or so it's functions the same as a 4S look at the Apple site comparison page. I'd wait for the 5S next year which will iron out all the niggles.

[bdam]

There really is no NFC?

Wow, this is a bigger piss take than letting the fanbois think they were getting the iPhone5 last year then just giving them the same one with an "S" at the end.

Seriously - this is what they call innovation?

Its a larger screen, of the kind the Android handsets had 2 years ago.

Its got LTE, of the kind Android handsets had well over a year ago.

Its cameras and speed now match the Android handsets from a year ago.

Its adapter has changed from one proprietary format to another just to take the piss.

A bundled app found on every platform over the last 2 years to stick photos together is trumpeted as a huge breakthrough.

And existing apps look shit because they only stretched the screen in 1 direction, and are new to fragmentation unlike Android which has been dealing with this for years.

This could almost make microsofts offering look good.

[CCCP]

Re: There really is no NFC?

@bdam

This is a first. I think.

An apostrophe disaster where someone gets it right by mistake. In several different ways. Some errors are even ambiguous.

Impressive.

[bdam]

Re: There really is no NFC?

Its' always better to shoot messengers when i'ts not possible to deal with any of the points raised, although I see the upvoters find 'its message came though loud and clear :-)

[Bob Vistakin]

Re: There really is no NFC?

"This could almost make microsofts offering look good."

Steady on, now.

[toadwarrior]

Re: There really is no NFC?

No NFC is a good thing, imo. I wouldn't be happy buying a phone that had NFC and no way to turn it off. It's a security concern and nothing more.

My busted old Android phone works well enough so considering the only real "innovations" are things like NFC, I'm happy to stick with what I got.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: There really is no NFC?

Er- Blackberries have nfc and you can turn it off from the same menu that allows you to turn off wi-fi, Bluetooth etc.

[Windrose]

Re: There really is no NFC?

"Seriously - this is what they call innovation?"

Ah, but as we have been told - repeatedly - over the years, the "thing" with the iPhone is not the technology, but the design and userfriendlyness. (We need a Dustypuppy icon).

So you shouldn't look at the minor technology updates, but focus on the vastly improved design and userfriendlyness.

Enjoy!

Mine's the one with the sarcasm in the pocket.

[hplasm]

Bob the Samsung guy?

You misheard- he's a BARRISTER.

[GitMeMyShootinIrons]

Re: Bob the Samsung guy?

"You misheard- he's a BARRISTER."

Shouldn't go there - the legal professional is even lower down the foodchain in my experience.

[Anonymous Coward]

"I've just seen Bob. He's at the front of the queue outside the Apple store in Regents Street drinking his coffee made by a Samsung phone owner"

And off we go.......the ladies are sharpening their claws to defend the indefensible.

[JeffyPooh]

Evolutionary

No 'very exciting' changes over the 4S.

[Nick Ryan]

Re: Evolutionary

Yep - it does seem that way, but then to be honest nothing much "new" or "interesting" was expected with this phone despite all the hyperbole.

It would be nice if iOS got a refresh though, it's now feeling very clunky and unloved and while there have been some incremental improvements, they've not been a lot. Keeping it similar does aid continued adoption rather than the "arg... where did they move that to this time" feel that can come across otherwise.

I know a few people have been putting off new phones for iPhone 5, will be interesting to see how the sales (not shipments) go. It's beyond time apple did something interesting rather than evolutionary with their phones. The displays are nice, the camera sounds good, siri will doubtless continue to be a useless waste of space and making a nicely presented and designed phones thinner and thinner only to have ugly-as-sin cases to enclose them just seems an ongoing exercise in futility.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Evolutionary

Ah yes the usual "not very exciting changes" post: well just LTE support while keeping the same battery life, larger screen, thinner, lighter and in a now mostly metal body.... oh and a better camera too finally with a good front camera for videochat.

But yes, I guess it's still a phone.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Evolutionary

Yep not very exciting, about as different from the 4S as that was to the 4. Even RCJ over at the BBC has been hard pressed to find anything good to say about this release:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19572820

Anybody who doesn't think this is a piss poor attempt at a flagship phone really does need to open their eyes and look at what other companies are doing with mobile technology - there is actual innovation going on outside the Apple eco-system.

[toadwarrior]

Re: Evolutionary

At least iplayer works on it.

[Only me!]

Re: Evolutionary

Life outside the Apple eco-system.....our you mad?

The world is flat you do know that right?

[Si 1]

Re: Evolutionary

I also think the A6 is quite a surprise. All the predictions were it would just be a downclocked A5X or a clocked up 28nm version of the A5 like in the recent iPad 2 refresh. Of course it could still be one of those two, just with a new name, but for it to deliver double the performance it might have more under the bonnet than expected. I doubt it's a quad core though as I'm sure they would have mentioned it!

[Greg J Preece]

Re: Evolutionary

Ah yes the usual "not very exciting changes" post: well just LTE support while keeping the same battery life, larger screen, thinner, lighter and in a now mostly metal body.... oh and a better camera too finally with a good front camera for videochat.

You're missing the point, old bean. These changes aren't that exciting because people on other platforms have had them for donkey's years. I mean, browser sync? Really? That's on my N900, for feck's sake.

[Chet Mannly]

Re: Evolutionary

"Ah yes the usual "not very exciting changes" post: well just LTE support while keeping the same battery life, larger screen, thinner, lighter and in a now mostly metal body.... oh and a better camera too finally with a good front camera for videochat."

All of those features have been available on other phones for a couple of years now - that's why they aren't exciting changes.

[Spearchucker Jones]

Re: Evolutionary

It's just a v. next, really. For a company that's hyped up by fanbois for its innovation, there's not much innovation in the iPhone 5.

[trashbat]

Comment 5

It's got up to three more words than last year's Comment 4S.

[jarjarbinks]

That's all?

I am trying to decide if this is a bigger bump up from 4S or if the 4S was a bigger bump from the 4. I thought apple would have brought something to trump the competition, not something actually less. I love the apple products, but this is yet another minor bump in updates over the 4S, the biggest probably being having 4G, but in the US (and elsewhere?) with ridiculous 2GB limits on data use per month, you can't even really enjoy 4G for anything but emails and minor picture posts.

We'll have to wait a few hours or maybe even days until we see comparisons with images from the camera compared to the S3 or HTC One X or other android phones, but I don't suspect it will be that much better in any scenario.

As for performance, the new cpu is comparable, if not a bit less than the US S3/HTC capabilities, and not nearly as good as the quad-cores out there. The design is still the same too.. same dated design as before.. little slimmer and lighter, big deal. Add a case to protect all that glass it has and it's the same thickness as any other phone with a case. I don't understand all this need to make the phone thinner and thinner. If anything that worries me the tech inside has less room to stay cool and may present problems later on.

Siri.. meh.. big deal. Their own mapping solution.. well they got more money than God so why not spend a little on doing your own solution to cut your competitors product from your phone.

No doubt the apple fans will be out in droves to keep up their zombie appearances over a new apple product just to say they got it. It will be curious to see if they can sell 20 million in a week like Samsung did for the S3.

I sure hope HTC's lawsuit holds up and bans the iPhone 5 from US for a while.. fair is fair. But being a US company (even though 95% of their employees/work is done outside of US..way to go Apple) it will probably not get the same instant-ban that Samsung got for their devices.. which obviously points out how unfair and badly broken the system is.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: That's all?

and you know the performance of this phone's CPU how?

Oh you're guessing, just like all the other bs in your comment.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: That's all?

We can put it in a class of performance. As the A6 is based on the ARM Cortex A15 architecture, and the Qualcomm S4, Krait processors are very similar to Cortex A15, we can say that they're quite comparable..

That said, Apple are known to tweak the CPU architecture.

[jarjarbinks]

Re: That's all?

How long do you think it will take the tech people to compare performance when a new phone its the street... especially in 2012? My S3 had graphs up showing how fast it was before it was released. The cpus are built and tested long before they make it to market, and since there is no other competing ios/hardware to compare the same app on, comparing the same game or program on an android vs apple is not going to work either. The only thing that works is the same set of hardware benchmarks, like some that have already surfaced showing the differences in performance. Look around, if you read the reg and can figure out how to respond.. I am sure you'll put on your big boy britches and dig up an article or two that talk about the internals of the cpus, their performance, etc.

[Mr_Bungle]

Re: That's all?

"and you know the performance of this phone's CPU how?"

The CPU performance is perhaps your only stab at making this aged and bland product relevant.

All the hype, the endless wittering of Apple users, months upon months of it. And the result of all of this is?

You get one extra line of icons.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: That's all?

>I don't understand all this need to make the phone thinner and thinner. If anything that worries me the tech inside has less room to stay cool and may present problems later on.

A thinner phone will allow a case to afford greater protection for the same size in the pocket, if it is durability that concerns you. Air only cools components if it moving over them- it is a poor conductor- so devices like this tend to sink heat to their cases.

Silicone, as used in phone cases (and kitchen ware), is also a poor conductor- I would imagine that cases don't do battery lifetime any good, if the CPU causes the battery temperature to rise.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: That's all?

Add a case to protect all that glass it has and it's the same thickness as any other phone with a case

You do realise the case is all metal now don't you? No of course you don't you are just a typical Fandroid slating Apple because you think it makes you superior when it's clear from your comment that you haven't even looked at the phone properly.

It's not enough to make me consider upgrading my 4S, but to make a lighter thinner phone that is twice as fast as their current offering is quite an achievement

[fandom]

Re: That's all?

"You do realise the case is all metal now don't you?"

They got transparent aluminium for the screen?!!

Take that those who say that Apple doesn't innovate

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: That's all?

They got transparent aluminium for the screen?!!

I said the case. Yet another Fandroid with the attention span of a goldfish. The original argument was because of 'all the glass' you'd need a cover for the phone which counters the fact that it's thinner as the cover would make it thicker again.

Obviously the screen is made of glass, but the casing isn't. How can you make an argument that you need a case just because of the screen?! If that's true then all Android phones also need a case as they all have glass screens, so lets get the pitchforks ready for when the S4 comes out and it's thinner, so therefore must require a cover judging by the anti apple logic of some on here

[fandom]

Re: That's all?

Dude, you take yourself too seriously

[johnnymotel]

get yar facts straight first...

20 mill S3 in 100 days....bit of a difference between 7 days and 100 days....or maybe you were making a joke?

http://www.zdnet.com/samsung-galaxy-s-iii-sales-hit-20-million-in-100-days-7000003819/

[trashbat]

Comment 5S

It's got slightly clearer text and I posted it 12% faster.

[Jason Hindle]

Not terribly exciting

The hardware engineering that's gone into is good but the rest of what's on offer is starting to look a little staid and that camera is looking very evolutionary. Since mobile snapping is popular, I see an opening for Nokia to leverage its imaging tech (if M$ can deliver the goods with WinPho 8).

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Not terribly exciting

"The hardware engineering that's gone into is good"

By that, do you mean it works in both hands?

[Jason Hindle]

Re: Not terribly exciting

"By that, do you mean it works in both hands?"

Better than my Samsung S3 for working with one hand and the those millimetres don't shave easily! However, in the name of a bigger screen, that's an aspect of the S3 I grudgingly live with (Apple tends to forget that we the people will from time to time grudgingly live with something in the name of something else IMHO).

[Dazed and Confused]

and now all they need to do

is fix the email system so it can actually be used.

Couldn't really choose a worse day to screw up

[Tigra 07]

Hardly surprizing...

They'll be suing Samsung for having a 4+ inch screen next week and copying them

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Hardly surprising...

Just a reminder... that HTC was doing big screen phones of this type, with all of the functionality mentioned ('Global phone' etc - even push email, remote sync and copy and paste!), before iPhone or Android was even released.

Manufacturing processes have improved to make phone hardware sufficiently smaller, but nothing in the iPhone series is groundbreaking apart from marketing penetration, which Apple achieves by using media outlets as a willing, self-lubricating strap-on.

[Anonymous Coward]

Puerile

Backside illumination. Come back Finbarr, all is forgiven.

[Anonymous Coward]

Baaaaaaaa

Here in Denmark they did an iPhone 5 related survey in which respondents said they didn't care what the upgrades were, they would upgrade to it anyway.

[Eguro]

Re: Baaaaaaaa

Could I get the source for that?

I wish to fling at a few of my friends!

[Blank Reg]

So with the release of the iPhone 5 Apple are finally admitting that the glass back idea was stupid, the screen was always too small and a proper 16:9 aspect ratio is better.

[ThomH]

I think that, at best, they stuck with the old screen size for too long. It was in the top tier back in 2007 so 'always' is stretching things a little. Making more of the surface area glass than just the front always seemed a bit stupid though — if I accidentally apply excessive force to my device I'd much rather have a dent at the point of impact than a shatter across the entire face. As for the 3:2 aspect ratio? It's the same as 35mm film and closer to the golden rectangle than 16:9 but I guess moving to the industry standard buys some advantages, and surely many more people are watching movies than looking at digitised 35mm images.

[esterill]

And the obvious point to come out of that comparison table is that the iPhone5 is smaller (especially thinner) and lighter than the competition. That alone will sell it to many. It is, after all, a phone that people like to carry around in their pocket. I think what the fanboys (in both camps) are missing is that these products are used by a wide range of non-techie people who look beyond the endless acronyms and specifications and focus on usability.

[Anonymous Coward]

aspect ratio

I would hardly call 16:9 a proper aspect ratio. Sure, it's the ratio for most TV and home-movie content, but that's hardly relevant unless you're using your iPhone mainly for watching TV and movies. And if you are, I would assume you are a small child who has been given a parent's iPhone to watch Shrek in the back seat during a long car ride, not an adult who can afford an actual television.

[Blank Reg]

Re: aspect ratio

Almost every screen in your life is now 16:9, with the odd 16:10 thrown in to confuse things, and of course there are the ipads and previous iPhones that are not. But TVs, laptops, non-Apple tablets, desktop monitors and now most phones are all a widescreen format. When you develop an application for a new device changes in the aspect ratio is more of a problem than changes in the resolution. Changes in resolution may just require some resizing of images and UI components, aspect ratio can require redesigning the UI.

[VinceH]

"So with the release of the iPhone 5 Apple are finally admitting that the glass back idea was stupid, the screen was always too small and a proper 16:9 aspect ratio is better."

In which case, expect the next iPad to also feature a more sensible aspect ratio - after which, there will be a reduced need to doctor photographs for use as evidence.

[Jonathan White]

"No 'very exciting' changes", "a little staid"

I'm not sure what you guys were expecting to happen. Smartphones are pretty much 'a touchscreen plus the bits you need to get it working that you don't really want to see'. I mean, were you expecting chromed exhausts? Integral cheese graters? A liquid metal phone you have to keep in a bottle? 8 core processors with visible water cooling?

They changed the screen in the only ways a screen can be changed (resolution and aspect ratio). They redesigned the rest of it. They fiddled with the insides. They could have gone to a curved back but given they had one to start with before they went square, would that actually be 'new'?

Seriously, what kind of things would you have liked them to have done?

[Anonymous Coward]

Personally I would like them to start giving them absurd features, getting more and more ridiculous with every release just to see how many people would keep buying them.

[Anonymous Coward]

what would I like them to have done ?

Surprise me. That's all.

They have been quite good at that in the past.

[JP Cavendish]

What I'd have liked

is a really thin phone, with a front that's 100% screen. No bezel at all, and no visible earpiece, microphone, home button or camera. Apple can use their 'Innovativeness' to figure out how to do all this but haptic or piezo technology should work for the speakers, they've already invented cameras that can look through LCD screens and the microphone should be child's play.

Give us a phone that's literally all screen, and we'll all be walking around feeling like extras from Star Trek as opposed to now where I followed the entire live blog expecting to be blown away, and ended up with a bit of a 'meh' moment. Closest to this at the moment is the Galaxy Note, but even that's a bit bezel-heavy and it's ginormous.

I have an iPhone 4, I saw no reason to upgrade to the 4S and unfortunately see no reason to upgrade to the 5 either. Shame as I was looking forward to this.

[Bugeyes]

Fix the email system..

[404]

ooooooooooooooooooooo!

Steampunk smartphone with visible liquid cooling for those 8 core processors!

That would be pretty bitchen...

;)

[Zack Mollusc]

What would I have liked?

uSD card slot, 'admin' logon with sudo rights, higher res display, removable battery twice the size, USB host port, SSH server.

THAT, I would pay money for.

[h4rm0ny]

Re: What would I have liked?

"uSD card slot, 'admin' logon with sudo rights, higher res display, removable battery twice the size, USB host port, SSH server."

SSH capability, e.g. a SSH capable shell - useful (albeit not to most people). But an SSH server? What are you planning to do with your phone?

[Windrose]

Re: What would I have liked?

"But an SSH server? What are you planning to do with your phone?"

sshfs?

[JaimieV]

Re: What would I have liked?

I've *got* root login and an ssh server on my iPhone, as well as a BSD user environment.

Higher res display would be a bit pointless as you already can't see the dots - it'd just suck more battery for no reason.

[Anonymous Coward]

If I was Samsung, I'd be extremely fscked off. The new iPhone is a blatant copy of the Samsung SII.

[Steven Raith]

...but as that's a copy of the iPhone (in the US at least) doesn't that mean that the iPhone 5 is an evolution of the iPhalaxyS...nngg...logic loop.

*collapses*

[cantankerousblogger]

Us techies forget the importance of form over features, but my aesthete wife, who loved the early Apple stuff, reminds me that the iPhone 4 and 4S are ugly. Sadly for Apple, she reckons iPhone 5 looks even worse and nowhere near as good as the S3. If that is true, a lot of Apple's female or metrosexual fan base is going to be very disappointed - the kind of people who don't care about all the technical, megapixel this, processor that, improvements that this keynote had too much of, imho.

[RainForestGuppy]

Headline

Apple new iPhone almost as good as it's copies.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Headline

No, the headline should be "Android fanboys so insecure that all they do is spout bile about the iPhone".

[Chet Mannly]

Re: Headline

"No, the headline should be "Android fanboys so insecure that all they do is spout bile about the iPhone".

Err the iphone 5 has less features than its Android competition, no reason for a Galaxy S 3 owner to be insecure.

You're the one sounding insecure with schoolyard name-calling...

[bdam]

Re: Headline

Exactly - they're now just another Android wannabe.

[Steve Evans]

Re: Headline

The legal venom spat at Samsung now just looks like good old jealousy.

[Arctic fox]

@Steve Evans "Re:headline"

Given that the iPhone5 has been launched most of half a year later than the SGIII it does in fact partly explain why Cupertino is so worried. The specs etc of Sammy's offering make it look as if it was in fact the other way around and the SGIII was the newer phone. One gets that impression that Apple are beginning to fall behind a bit. It's still a very nice high end phone but it most certainly does not stand out of the pack any more.

[Rusty 1]

Progress?

So what useful things can this new telephone do that my 9 year old Sendo S330i can't? I would find it difficult to live with a phone that needs charging more than once every couple of weeks. I can make and receive calls, and even send and receive short messages comprised of characters from a limited set.

Wake me up when they include an Orgasmatron.

[ThomH]

Re: Progress?

In common with most other phones, it's got a browser and maps and a decent camera. So if you get lost walking somewhere, you can find out where you are. If you're sat on the bus then you can check out BBC News or whatever. If you see something interesting you can get a shot as good as a point-and-shoot.

More specialised tasks can also be achieved: if you're frugal you can scan the barcodes of products you're looking at in shops and find out how much they'd cost from Amazon or wherever. If you own a large amount of music you can put it into one of the online lockers and then your phone becomes an MP3 player with ridiculous storage. Subject to your OS and service provider you can use your phone as a portable hotspot for your computer.

[Grikath]

Re: Progress?

Sorry to disappoint you, but the first instances of such an adult nature on a mobile platform are at least 15 years old that I know of.

Of course, with modern phones and microelectronics it would be easy to either modify existing toys or create something entirely new, whip up an app, and find a willing test subject....

It really is not rocket science.

Either way, there's so much prior art in that niche it'd probably only be patentable in the US.

[KenBW2]

Re: Progress?

My first phone!

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Progress?

re "orgasmatron" . Haven't you heard of vibrate alert ? Apparently some ladies have already been using this feature ;)

[Dazed and Confused]

Re: Progress?

> Haven't you heard of vibrate alert ? Apparently some ladies have already been using this feature ;)

One of the early analogue Sony's was a much more suitable shape. An iPhone really would be ergonomic for "personal" usage.... not that I'm sure that will stop anyone.

[Anonymous Coward]

So that's UK LTE confirmed

I'll be looking forward to the price plans.

[Greg J Preece]

Re: So that's UK LTE confirmed

Ten quid extra a month for iLTE if history is anything to go by.

[mraak]

Map wise

In all the 1000s' years of history of the mapping, Google somehow missed to put a scale on their iPhone app, and the names of the rivers.

If Apple's maps only fix that it will be a huge improvement for me.

Maps with no scale? Please. What next, coffee with no coffee? Oh wait... Starbucks...

[Chet Mannly]

Re: Map wise

"In all the 1000s' years of history of the mapping, Google somehow missed to put a scale on their iPhone app, and the names of the rivers."

And yet they put all that in the Android version. Guess that decision is costing them now...

[Suricou Raven]

Lightning?

The one advantage that the dock connector had over the standard-for-every-other-phone micro-USB was the analog audio and control channels for accessories. And now no analog audio. So they might as well have just gone to micro-USB.

So why didn't they?

Start the conspiracy theories here. Mine is very simple: They like all those iphone-exclusive accessories, even the third-party ones, and would hate to see them turn into accessories that will take any manufacturer's phone.

[Charles 9]

Re: Lightning?

If Lightning is anything like Thunderbolt, perhaps they needed more power than MicroUSB allows (I believe the spec limits it to 1A @ 5V). That's one reason the Samsung tabs use a wide connector and prefer it over MicroUSB to charge (as it can drain faster than a 1A @ 5V feed can put back).

[Chet Mannly]

Re: Lightning?

"perhaps they needed more power than MicroUSB allows (I believe the spec limits it to 1A @ 5V). "

Good theory, unfortunately my Samsung charger outputs 1.5a through a microusb so that isn't the reason.

More likely Apple did it so they can sell accessories and take a cut from any accessory maker using the socket, that's been their approach up to this point...

[Gerrit van Amerongen]

Re: Lightning?

I'm guessing your Samsung charger can supply UP TO 1.5A; doesn't necessarily mean that's what is being drawn. Good engineering would mean it could then supply the 1A required without breaking a sweat.

On the other hand there's nothing technical stopping a company using a standard connector (e.g. MicroUSB) but allowing it to pass non-standard current or even voltage if the connected device can be detected as able to accept it. USB DeviceIDs should do it. Then all you'd need in the charger is a little smart electronics to detect the attached device and feed it accordingly.

In fact that's exactly what happens when an iPad is connected to a USB port on a (newish) Mac running OSX; the OS queries the deviceID, checks against the driver database and if it's an Apple device that can accept higher current, it boosts the current supplied by the USB port in order to allow it to charge.

[Charles 9]

Re: Lightning?

"On the other hand there's nothing technical stopping a company using a standard connector (e.g. MicroUSB) but allowing it to pass non-standard current or even voltage if the connected device can be detected as able to accept it. USB DeviceIDs should do it. Then all you'd need in the charger is a little smart electronics to detect the attached device and feed it accordingly."

The trouble is that most non-Apple phones these days tell the system that they're basic USB MSDs. They do this for simplicity reasons (as most systems carry Mass Storage drivers built into the system so don't need additional driver support), so it would be difficult to query the device to learn it can accept a higher power draw since USB flash drives and hard drives also report themselves as MSDs.

Apple doesn't have that problem because it actually reports itself being a non-standard device (AND an MSD if you turn the option on), so it's easy to identify an Apple product. But then again, that's ALSO why you normally need iTunes or a similar program to access it, ESPECIALLY if MSD mode is turned off on the device.

[Steve Evans]

@Charles 9 - was Re: Lightning?

The Nexus 7 uses a standard micro USB connector and has a 2A 5v charger.

You're right about the drain though, when connected to a standard 500mA 5V USB socket, the N7 only charges when you have the screen turned off and you leave it alone. If you sit there fiddling with it then it doesn't manage to put any charge back.

[thatBilly]

Re: Lightning?

Analogue audio is possible from microUSB, Samsung devices can switch data pins to line out with an adapter. It's just a pity that there's so little support for it and no accessories etc. using it.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Lightning?

I mildly disagree. Look at the design of the Lightning port and plug and it's clear to me it will be more robust than Micro USB. The contacts on the top and bottom surface away from the bottom of the plug well will mean fluff and paper that so often find their way in to an open port will be less likely to prevent a connection. The notches which are engaged by rounded sprung engagement bars in the plug socket will ensure a positive click with engagement that is likely to remain positive over time. That it can be inserted either way round is a small convenience, but small conveniences add up. Once you have them, going back to older systems tends to be a wrench. Minor points I know but to me this illustrates the problem with mandating standards. Things get stuck.

Also - though there is no need for it to be implemented this way, so this isn't a gripe about the mini-USB standard per-se - I have a minor dislike for the most common implementation of a pressed metal plug socket sheath (complete with gap where the two sides of the metal plate have been bent round to meat each other) found on almost all micro-USB equipped kit. It looks and feels cheap.

The other much cited advantage of a "mandated" standard is said to provide is that you are no longer locked in to having to buy expensive replacement chargers. Only the volume of Apple sales is so high, that's not a problem. In no time there will be many cheap Lightening compatible, non Apple chargers available. This isn't true for many other manufacturers of course. The final advantage often cited is use between multiple devices from other vendors. This is the one argument that I think remains valid. However for me I'm not sure I would want this convenience more than I want the small improvements (partially because I don't any longer have non Apple kit is need of a micro-connection).

People will complain about the change from the 30 pin connector of course, but when you look at the new thinner iPod Nano and iPod touch, it was probably even more a requirement for those to use the new standard. The iPod nano's width is the same as the width of the insertion grip of the new plug! Clearly Apple had to move on from the 30 pin connector.

[JaimieV]

Re: Lightning?

You'll notice the 3.5" earphones connector is on the same end as the Lightning connector... this gives an obvious way to construct an old-style dock adapter that includes line level audio, if the Apple adapter doesn't already do it via the Lightning socket.

[mrfill]

Ars Technica

does that translate as bum gadget?

[Anonymous Coward]

iPhone 4SS

I was going to post a pithy comment about how it won't be long before Apple sues Nokia for putting a camera in a phone but then remembered that it's only Android that Apple wants to kill (for now).

Of course, this iPhone 5 shows why Apple is trying to ban Android, there's no more juice in the old fruit, no wow factor and it looks like the reality distortion field is waning - the emperor's new clothes are starting to be noticed.

[fandom]

Re: iPhone 4SS

Apple sued Nokia back in 2009, they settled in a way that has Apple paying royalties to Nokia so they are not likely to have another go at it.

[Anonymous Coward]

battery life

"Standby time? 225 hours – aka nearly nine-and-a-half days"

three years down the line, i'tll be about 24 hours and far less unless you turn off everything.

and then you'll curse the inability to buy a new battery pack off Amazon. Or perhaps not, if you're the sort to upgrade every 2 years to the latest model.

[Andy 115]

Re: battery life

My iPhone 4 (bought launch day so over 2 years old) has similar battery performance now as when new. I have never wished the battery was removable as a removable battery would have less capacity..

It's kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy, swappable battery has less capacity and so is more likely to need swapping.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: battery life

@Andy 115, yes I agree, same for me with my iPhone 4 but, for sure, that 255 hours standby will be with iCloud switched off. Much less with iCloud switched on.

[Simon Rockman]

Has Samsung got an injunction against it yet?

You can bet their people are on the case. They will have dozens of them in bits the moment they can buy some.

[Chet Mannly]

Re: Has Samsung got an injunction against it yet?

HTC have already said they'll take Apple to court if the iPhone 5 had 4G over patent licensing.

[NoneSuch]

"Apple has no love for The Reg"

...and that's why I love the Reg!!! :-)

[Anonymous Coward]

Let's see:

4" screen makes device too big.

Widescreen not necessary on a phone.

Several different devices all running at different screen resolutions and capabilities. (by my count that's now five different resolutions on six currently supported devices?)

Apps not working properly/consistently on different devices, because of different resolutions, without extra development.

Lack of software updates for recent hardware [ipad 1] dropped from support in favour of new models.

All complaints (slightly paraphrased, but I believe pretty much encompassing the original sentiments) that in the past have been made, with justification, by Apple fans against Android devices on several Apple related forums, but which now appear to apply equally to Apple devices so will be interesting to see if the people who have made these claims in the past as negatives now think the changes are good.

Just an observation. I own and use both IOS and Android tablets and phone so don't consider myself to be in either camp, but the arguments of the haters on both sides amuse me.

[Anonymous Coward]

WOW

You use IPhones, Android phones, iPads and Android tablets!

You must be really important....

Or

An unemployed burglar....

[CarlC]

Re: WOW

lol are you being serious? On my desk in my office I have 3 android tablets, 2 iPads, 2 iPhones, and 2 android phones.

These are needed to check applications for cross platform compliance - Unemployed burglar? no just aware of the divergence of the device platforms people are using.......

Personally I limited myself to 1 android phone and one android tablet.

[Andy 115]

Clearly missed resolution point

iOS has made it childs play to work with the different resolutions...

One change was doubling pixels on both axis - FIX: supply 2x graphics

The other, adding more to one axis only - FIX: follow the existing developer guidelines OR the iOS can letterbox the app automatically.

Contrast with droid which has hundreds (thousands) of different screen sizes.

[Anonymous Coward]

"4" screen makes device too big"

Unless it is made taller so the device is still usable with one hand by the average person.

"Several different devices all running at different screen resolutions and capabilities. (by my count that's now five different resolutions on six currently supported devices?)"

Effectively, from the standpoint of work the developer has to do, only three resolutions when you understand iOS works with a single pixel reference standard across normal res and retina resolution displays. The new iPhone resolution will also be particularly easy to integrate for most apps because of the way apps utilise table views and the fact the width is the same. The new variation has been particularly well thought out from the developer perspective. Compare variations with install base and compare the relative lack of complexity in catering for those variations and the addressable market for each variation is far, far larger and more lucrative than for any given Android variation.

"Lack of software support for recent hardware [ipad 1] dropped from support in favour of new models"

So not the latest two generations of models then - when your lucky to get any updates full stop from Android vendors. In fact the oldest model of iPad no longer purchasable for over a year and a half.

"All complaints (slightly paraphrased, but I believe pretty much encompassing the original sentiments) that in the past have been made, with justification, by Apple fans against Android devices on several Apple related forums, but which now appear to apply equally to Apple devices so will be interesting to see if the people who have made these claims in the past as negatives now think the changes are good."

So no the complaints can't be made equally.

[tony]

An extra few rows of plants for £500 odd.

Hmmmm.

[JP Cavendish]

Here's something odd

That combined backplate design would be ideal to cover a removable battery. It even looks like it's designed that way. So why didn't they give it a damn removable battery, given that the reason cited for not doing it so far is "it would spoil the design"?!?!?!?

Opportunity missed in my book.

[Andy 115]

Re: Here's something odd

Removable batteries have inherently less capacity for the same available space - it is a self fulfilling prophecy of sorts. It makes it more likely that you need to swap out the battery because it has less capacity.

[boatman]

Thinnest phone?

The Huawei Ascend P1 S is 6.68mm thick, the Oppo Finder is 6.65mm, and the ZTE Athena is 6.2mm thick so the iPhone 5 is obviously not the thinnest

[kparsons84]

Apple really needs its fanbois for this turd

What an utterly underwhelming phone. Is a piss poor 4" screen supposed to wow anyone? Along with maps that simply won't be as good or useful as googlemaps and a load of 'innovative' features that android has had for ages. Tabs that sync between safari and a Mac...gee chrome has only had that for a year or so.

Surely one for the fanbois only more than ever. Laughably poor. In fact an embarrassment.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Apple really needs its fanbois for this turd

@ kparsons84

Silly Child Alert.

[Gerrit van Amerongen]

Re: Apple really needs its fanbois for this turd

Methinks thou dost protest too much

[Ilgaz]

Fans (!)

They have fans. The "thumbs down" clowns with too much time in hand. I would reject iphone just not to get associated with such a sick "community".

[JDX]

Question to the Androiders

So we're saying the iP5 is not much of a change. How does this compare to the top-line Android phones then... both how they differ from the iP5 and how they improved on the previous generation.

Let's focus on the Galaxy SIII - how does it compare to the iP5 and how is it revolutionary compared to the SII?

technical discussions only, try not to use the phrase "walled garden" I want to know about the capabilities only.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Question to the Androiders

@JDX

you'll not get sensible discussion on here.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: you'll not get sensible discussion on here.

no, just a bunch of anonymous astroturfing dicks....

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Question to the Androiders

From the launch event in San Francisco, Cook said: "Only Apple could create such amazing hardware, software and services and bring them together. Apple has never been stronger."

Promising a camera that makes "the ocean look bluer" and "kids look happier"

Yeah, you better try and move the conversation away from the iPhone to other devices, noone on here is buying that bullshit...

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Question to the Androiders

I know the US is different (school kids having to present to the class "What I achieved this week" using Powerpoint, according to my spy), but in this country if the CEO of a company starts using the word "Amazing", we sell the shares quick (or short them if we work in a bank). "Never been stronger" - it's going to say that on the SEC filing, is it?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Question to the Androiders

WOW a whole extra rows of icons, Apple fanbois will be wetting their pants with such innovation!

Same old, same old boring, take a look at the Nokia Lumia 920 for something new, 4.5” screen, wireless charging, NFC, image stabilised camera.

I think engadget sums things up

http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/12/iphone-5-vs-the-competition-fight/

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Question to the Androiders

Some of us (rather a lot I suspect) don't want a bigger phone. The 3GS I have is pretty much at the limit.

Q: Why do tech dorks obsess about BIGGER.

A: Because they aren't

[esterill]

Re: Question to the Androiders

And the obvious point to come out of that comparison table is that the iPhone5 is smaller (especially thinner) and lighter than the competition. That alone has sold it to me. it is, after all, a phone that people like to carry around in my pocket. I think what the fanboys (in both camps) are missing is that these products are used by a wide range of non-techie people who look beyond the endless acronyms and specifications and focus on usability.

[Chet Mannly]

Re: Question to the Androiders

"Galaxy SIII - how does it compare to the iP5 and how is it revolutionary compared to the SII?"

Don't own an S3, but auto screen wake/dim based on whether you are looking at the phone, quad core processor (report makes it sound like other ipad/iphone chips), wireless charging, two apps operating on the screen at once...

They are more revolutionary than I've seen announced here with the iPhone 5 (which genuinely surprises me, I thought Apple would have tried to really wow people given this is the first post-jobs announcement...)

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Question to the Androiders

Well, JDX, I can't see anything exciting that it feels like my S3 is missing. It's fast, has a gigantic screen, nice nippy GPU and I get a couple of days on a charge (using on-board power management options only). Google maps offline mode runs really nicely, the camera works (it's a bit underwhelming, but then, I usually carry a camera, so eh).

I suspect that if I did have an iPhone 5, I would run roughly the same things on them anyway (barring having a decent choice of browsers), so it's not really a huge issue either way. I suspect that I am happier with the S3, with the SD slot, get a surprising amount of use out of the oddly good FM tuner.

It'll probably be a month or so before it gets its Android 4.1 ("Jellybean") update, which will make a good device even nicer.

I'm sorry, maybe you were looking for more meat here. I'm sure either are perfectly viable devices, I would use either, I would root either. I'd probably miss Firefox and Adblock Plus on the iPhone, I suppose.

We don't know how fast the CPU etc. in the iPhone 5 is yet for sure, but I am sure that performance will be broadly compatible with fairly high-end Android devices (that's sure to cause angry rants from both sets of insecure platform weenies).

(As regards the S2, my brother has one, it's perfectly nice, but the S3 is faster, feels thinner, has a vastly superior GPU. Anyone with a S2 in good condition would probably be good for a few years though, it doesn't suck)

[JDX]

@AC 21:07

Thanks, that's all I was looking for.

Love downvotes on my question for simply asking a question. Those wacky Android shills, they're so cool.

[Anonymous Coward]

Expensive No Doubt

Thunderbolt and Lightning, very very frightening!

[frank ly]

Re: Expensive No Doubt

This seems like a subtle clue that they're getting ready to use the Galileo satellite navigation system.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Expensive No Doubt

I don't think they could figorout how to do that.

[Barry Scott Here]

Re: Expensive No Doubt

Magnifico? No No No No No!

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Expensive No Doubt

But I'm just a poor fanboi and nobody loves me!

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Expensive No Doubt

Mama... I sued a man...

[Chris 171]

Revolutionary my arse

What happens when the share price starts to slip? Seems a majority of the Media is underwhelmed too, interesting times ahead.

And those headphones that took 3 years to design? Long.

[thatBilly]

From an android fan

I honestly would have expected much more from the iPhone 5, even though I hate iOS and would never want one of their products.

I expect to see the iPhone hardware set the bar for android to aspire to. I would have expected NFC, despite the leaks; a fancy new design from Mr Ives and perhaps induction charging. This iPhone is a joke. No wonder Apple have to litigate to compete these days.

[Jonathan White]

Re: From an android fan

'I honestly would have expected much more from the iPhone 5, even though I hate iOS and would never want one of their products.'

Seems a bit unlikely they'll be worrying what you think about their new phone then, huh?

[thatBilly]

Re: From an android fan

I don't think they're bothered about what their existing customers think either.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: From an android fan @thatBilly

You hate iOS, now that's a big statement from a little man.

Oooooh you have so much rage!

Personally I find it hard to hate a piece of software. Hate the designers, the programmers, hate the CEO, even hate Steve Jobs, not that he would care then or now, but don't hate the little bit of code.

[thatBilly]

Re: From an android fan @thatBilly

Okay, forget the rage. I really dislike the interface and many other aspects of iOS. Little man?! Have I upset the little fanboy?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Personally I find it hard to hate a piece of software.

Try developing in bloody webworks for Blackberry os6.

[Paul Webb]

Order now to avoid disappointment...

By actually playing with one first.

<-- Puts wallet back in coat.

[Dave Oldham]

Nothing to see here...

... Move on.

[Warren Sealey]

Ican sum up an entire day's tech launch hype

Meh.

[AlexS]

Bah!

Still no native FLAC support!

They really lock you in.

[Bad Beaver]

Re: Bah!

There is so much to complain about and THAT is your choice? ;) What's wrong with ALAC?

[AlexS]

Re: Bah!

Two thumbs down for a statement of fact.

So I shall now write the word "arse" in an atttempt to get even more thumbs down.

[Steve Evans]

Sorry, say that again...

"$199 for 16GB, $299 for 32GB, and $399 for 64GB, all with a two-year contract."

You owe me a new keyboard!

If I cough up that amount of cash, I'd expect it to be mine instantly and delivered by Swedish identical twins who deliver it wedge between their ample cleavages, and then stay for a coffee.

[Steve Evans]

Addendum

SanDisk Mobile Ultra 64GB Micro SD XC Memory Card Class ...

£59.99 - Play.com

And that's not the cheapest.... Now I wonder why Apple don't install a slot.... Hmmm...

I think I'll wait for the first tear down and then see if the missing RAM can be added... I have reflow and hot air soldering equipment and I'm not afraid to make a huge profit converting 16GB to 64GB models!

[eSeM]

Re: Addendum

"SanDisk Mobile Ultra 64GB Micro SD XC Memory Card Class ... £59.99 - Play.com"

£38 on Amazon :)

[Steven Raith]

Coffee? At those prices I'd expect sex.

Oh, wait, I see what you did there!

[Anonymous Coward]

It's a phone, not a super computer...

...fandroids will want a nuclear powered phone next that will give you a million years battery life you can replace. Yeaaaa, but it'll zap off ya nads. Na, that don't matter. Complications don't bother them.

[Anonymous Coward]

I love it

I love the iPhone 5, I loved the iPhone 4s as well. Neither were much of a difference to my iPhone 4 and so I've saved yet another £500 as Apple have produced another phone that's not worth me upgrading to.... My other half also saved £78,000 today by not buying me a Porsche so I'm quids in already.

Seriously though, if I as a tech gadget freak, with a high disposable income just burning a hole in my pocket, that's desperate to spend it now on some over priced phone, can't garner any enthusiasm, then Apple is in a bad way.

Looking at the recent innovations from Apple, we've had the retina display on the Macbook Pro. Kinda nice but my god its expensive, before that we had the Apple TV 3 which is so good that eBay are selling Apple TV 2's at a 100% premium. The Imac range is nice but nothings changed on them for a year or so (addition of SSD notwithstanding), the Ipad3 is a little better than the iPad 2 but nowt major. The Macbook airs have had little speed and memory bumps and thats it. The Mac mini is now very long in the tooth, oh we have a new range of iPods, big deal, I still have my 16GB nano which plays video (unlike the last but one model). The Mac Pro is the top of the range computer (in terms of memory and CPU's) and still doesn't have USB3 or Thunderbolt. Not only that I can't even buy a 3rd party Apple card to add this functionality. Mountain Lion is what Lion should have been but wasn't. IOS5 is OK, but Android is making the running on clever things here. If only Google could get their fragmentation of OS's in order they'd be in even better shape,.

So no Apple Television screen, no funky glasses for 3d viewing from an iPhone/IPad/Ipod, no gesture based media stations, nothing radical or innovative at all from Apple and not for quite some time. Mind you they are quite innovative in their legal dept in how they claim the rights to all sorts of complete bollocks.

I don't blame Tim Cook, things started going quiet on Steve Jobs watch. If I was running a large investment fund I'd start looking to see if Apple stock is such a good long term hold now, perhaps other companies are worth a punt as Apple could be slowing down and be unable to keep their place at the top of the market.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: I love it

Buy the Porsche. It will still be around in 30 years time and people will still make rude signs at you out of sheer envy. Electronic gadgets - not so much.

[Bad Beaver]

Return of the old order

Nokia – building impressively innovative phones with unique features

Apple – building shiny thing pretty No. 32

I am really not too keen on WinPhone but it cannot be missed: While Nokia just did away with wires completely in a phone you can operate with gloves on, Apple merely reinvented the plug and found a new way of selling you a chunky $29 adaptor. There is nothing new or impressive about the iPhone 5. It's the same thing but a little slimmer and a little faster. And no NFC in 2012? Hello? It is like they are not even trying. I am used to better things from Cupertino but maybe those days are over.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Return of the old order

This is a very insightful post. Perhaps being in Finland gives Nokia a different perspective, and the 920 isn't quite there yet (too heavy, no SD card) but both they and RIM look like being significantly technically ahead of Apple before the iPhone 6. And Apple know this.

My suspicion is that the new iPhone is actually cheaper to make than the 4s, and that is the real reason behind a lot of the changes. Less material, less cost. No glass back. Small screen with low res by the latest standards. Smaller, simpler and cheaper connector. This is so that when the next generation of Androids, the BB 10 and the next high-spec Nokia come out, Apple can undercut them in a price war. With loads of cash, they can probably kill both Nokia and RIM, severely damage HTC, and see off Huawei in the US market for a year or two. But, ultimately, the combination of Huawei and Samsung will probably finish off Apple - after its executives have built up masive retirement pots and simply don't care any more.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Return of the old order

"low res"?

There comes a point beyond which screen resolution is irrelevant. It has for all intents and purposes been reached.

The screen can still be thumbed corner to corner with one hand. Unlike the slabs which need two hands to operate.

bigger != better

Dweeb

[slideruler]

Missing the touch of Banquos ghost?

I'm a fairly happy 4S user, but one who's progressed through 3G, 4 and then 4S. Call me a fanboi at your peril though. I've no time for their ethics or legal tactics, but I'm prepared to buy kit from any manufacturer as long as it does what I want, and is well designed, built and supported. I have to say that I'm pretty disappointed here. I wonder if Apple seem to be directionless under Cooke, or whether Ive is really are running out of ideas without Jobs dictat.

Changing the dock connector was both needless and stupid, thereby pissing off every owner of a third party dock. We can use their "adapter". Spend money on an expensive hi-fi dock or car kit, and welcome back the days of ram-pack wobble... The move to a proprietary 'nano sim', hidden in the fine print, is another anti-competitive measure. Until the clever chinese fab-labs get a 'nano to micro' adapter available for a tenner on ebay, forget any idea of doing a temporary sim swap to a standby phone. Once again, no capacity bump. 64gig is your limit. No NFC, just when contactless payments are starting to pick up.

I wonder if its me or Apple who have lost the plot. I don't want a 'bigger screen'. I find it big enough, thanks. I can zoom if I need to. Thinner and bigger just means that it's more likely to get damaged when I stick it in my back pocket, and then sit down on the damn thing. I don't want Apple branded maps when Google worked fine, more farcebook and twatter integration, video calling, panoramic pictures or any 'cloud' related bollocks, many of which are present and remain unused on my 4S. I've got a bunch of apps that do what I want, in a phone platform that I've genuinely had no problems with. All of the usability and software improvements and fixes are available in the IOS 6 drop, on my existing phone.

Much as I'd hate to go back to the days of rattly Nokia N95's, I'm starting to think that the market for phone facilities and capabilities has matured - and all the manufacturers are trying to flog us stuff that we don't want, need or use.

I for one won't be in the queue this time. Like most people who've bought into iphones, I'm not likely to jump ship to Android or Windows. I might buy the next one (or more likely, the one after), but for the meantime, I'll stick with what I've got thanks.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Missing the touch of Banquos ghost?

Indeed, I was looking forward to the iPhone 5 as a nice excuse to upgrade and give my iPhone 4 to a relative.

If nothing else it was going to have a better camera and faster processing. And now, Apple-branded turn-by-turn directions.

But instead of being a straightforward upgrade, now I have to contend with the new dock connector, so it wouldn't work in the alarm clock that was bought for me as a gift and I would have to keep two sets of charging/sync cables around the house because I have an iPad too. And the new SIM card format is an extra inconvenience for traveling, just as the world was getting used to Apple's last SIM card format.

I also think the iPhone 5 looks ugly. I'm not digging the two-tone backplate, and am I the only person who's bothered that the camera lens is positioned right next to the metal plate in a completely asymmetric fashion?

If they had kept the same dock connector, SIM format, and made it look a little nice, then I would have bought it no question. But now I'm extremely lukewarm on the idea of purchasing it. Which is not good for Apple because given their product cycles that means I probably won't buy a new iPhone for another 2 years.

[Steve Medway]

o.k. so it's got a Broadcom 8960 just like all the decent Android phones to follow in the next six months - check. wifi upgrade is nice - check, but whooooa Lightning Bolt port? - It's not on the check list but I'll take it thank you.

Who would have thought something from AMD would never turn up in an Apple product? Maybe in a Mac but an iPhone5 first?!

iPhone5 has a Lightning Bolt port = USB3 over DisplayPort :-) But why didn't the bastards give this years notebooks the same?

(

that was a rhetorical question btw ;-)

[Equitas]

Would you believe it? ....

Truly a first -- "backside illumination" -- obviously designed for the anally retentive! :-)

Paris, because even she isn't THAT dumb!

[Jediben]

Re: Would you believe it? ....

Hey, if you are a Crapple user, this couldn't come soon enough. After all, they were already fully dependent on the sun shining out of Mr Job's arse...

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Would you believe it? ....

You are Webster Phreaky, and I claim my five pounds. I wondered where you'd got to. Congratulations kid, keep it up. All insult, no value. One day you might get half a brain cell to keep the other one company...

[Anonymous Coward]

Where's the white one?

That's what I want...

[CCCP]

Apple! You just bricked my Zeppelin FFS

The whole fracking point was that all the apple kit fitted in the dock beautifully. Even the iPad, though it blocks the speakers and looks ridicoulus. But you can if you want to. Everything from my gen3 iPod forward...

Then there are the two, TWO!, cars with the old apple dock...

I sound like a fanboi, but as a family we're already migrating. Both wife and older offspring run android phones.

A screen that looks like it's had a p***s extender applied to it. Really? Fuck you apple.

[Jonathan White]

Re: Apple! You just bricked my Zeppelin FFS

Err... how well does the dock on your Zeppelin fit an android phone? And why don't you just keep the phones you've got? What do you stand to gain from swapping that's worth binning a perfectly good bit of sound kit for?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Apple! You just bricked my Zeppelin FFS

@cccp

You really expected anything else? What? Loyalty, commitment? HAHAHAHAHAHA.

Maybe your offspring have already grown further then their father?

[DaeDaLuS_015]

Re: Apple! You just bricked my Zeppelin FFS

More fool on you for investing in a sterio and cars that have proprietory connections.

[davemcwish]

Re: Apple! You just bricked my Zeppelin FFS

As it's only just been announced, you can't even place an order yet let alone have one in your hands. So no, they've not bricked it as you still have all the other iDevices that work.

[Mark .]

Re: Apple! You just bricked my Zeppelin FFS

It does seem bizarre how an entire audio industry has built up around "let's make connectors only for Apple devices". I guess it stems from the Ipod, but it does seem frustrating that the less popular Iphone platform is supported over more popular platforms like Android.

The bizarre effect of this is that TVs now provide far better audio support if you aren't locked into Apple. My new LG TV can happily stream music from any device, using open standard. All the audio devices for this that I saw advertised only told me about what Apple protocols they worked with, or would require physically connecting in an Apple-only product (and even if I had an Apple tablet, the idea that I would play music by having to walk over and physically connect it is quite comical - with my Windows laptop and LG TV, I just play it remotely, and it just works). Why can't we see more support for open standards, both wireless, and for physical connectors (e.g., USB).

So if Apple have now broken compatibility, they've given up one advantage that they had.

[the-it-slayer]

I'd hoped this was the progression of the iPhone...

Getting that ugly void between the glass and aluminium edge and using some more metal within the product has made it perfect in my eyes. The black especially is a sexy product I will be adopting as my new phone in March if there aren't any antennagate stories again.

Great steps and advances in this phone customers will need and aren't spare parts of want. This makes the SIII look like lost soul and with no direction apart from "let's make this phone suited for people 6"+ tall and the partially sighted by accident".

[miknik]

Re: I'd hoped this was the progression of the iPhone...

>let's make this phone suited for people 6"+ tall

In my opinion all phones should be made suitable for people over 6 inches tall. Anyone shorter should make do with an iPod nano.

[kparsons84]

Re: I'd hoped this was the progression of the iPhone...

My condolences for your poor confused mind.

[Daniel Barnes]

Re: I'd hoped this was the progression of the iPhone...

To be honest, even being 6'6" with proportionate sized hands, the Galaxy S3 felt too wide (bought outright and sold a few days later), I went back to my iPhone 4. I'm looking forward to upgrading to the iPhone 5 when my contract runs out in December.

[the-it-slayer]

Re: I'd hoped this was the progression of the iPhone...

Thank-you. A man with some common sense rather than being technologically stubborn. Okay, customers may want a wider 4" phone but they don't necessary need it or can make use of it properly. Always said this and will always be true. Let's which manufacturer follows in Apple's footsteps to make the phone taller. Place your bets!

[thesykes]

Re: I'd hoped this was the progression of the iPhone...

"Let's which manufacturer follows in Apple's footsteps to make the phone taller."

Please tell me this is a piss-take? You do realise that just about every other smartphone has a 16:9 screen, and they have done for years? Apple copy the rest of the world and you think they invented wide-screen displays on mobile phones?

[the-it-slayer]

Re: I'd hoped this was the progression of the iPhone...

Shame most of those require two hands to hold. If you can find another phone with the same tall 4" profile (with the same width profile of 3.5" phones) as the iPhone 5, please give me a call. I'd be happy to know.

Do some research before you do a piss-take.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: I'd hoped this was the progression of the iPhone...

You seriously don't get it do you? It's the RATIO that's important - 16:9. Of course the iPhone 5 has the same 'width profile' as the previous 3.5" screen, they've extended it from 4:3 ratio to 16:9. One 4" screen with a 16:9 ratio is exactly the same size as any other! Your argument is comparable to moving from an old TV to a widescreen and trying make a virtue of the fact you now have a more screen, yet with the same height as the old one! Well of course you do, it's a different shape. The point is, ALL other phones already have this ratio and now Apple have finally caught up.

The S3 has a 4.8" screen, but it's the same ratio. This makes it both wider AND taller than the iPhone 5. As it happens I do find the S3 too big, I have a HTC One S with a 4.3" screen which is pushing what I find comfortable to use, I certainly wouldn't want it to be any bigger.

[Anonymous Coward]

OK here's the plan

people who like Apple things and who need a new phone or just fancy something new... buy an iphone5

everyone else... do what you want to do

wow yeeaahh maybe it will all quiet down for a bit, yeaaaaaahh

or maybe not <sigh>

[OrsonX]

"another row of apps"

AWESOME!

[Kristian Walsh]

Rare mis-step

Changing the dock connector is a nasty pill for a lot of users to swallow: I don't think Apple have realised how much people have invested in iPhone docks (actually, I do think they realise, I don't think they give a shit - but that attitude costs customers in the long run). Some of these docks (or worse, in-car fittings) cost serious money, and now, at a stroke, they've all been EOL'd. Doing this also severs one of the ties that keep people on iPhones. If you're going to have to get an adapter for your docks when you upgrade to the next iPhone, you're really no better off than if you change to some other type of phone.

Apart from that sideways (or backward) step, there's no hardware feature worth mentioning, and as a hobby photographer, I'm a bit insulted by the idea that over-saturated colour from the camera is being touted as a product "advantage" - I happen to like subtlety in my pictures, even when I use a phone camera. Maybe it can be turned off, but it couldn't on the 4 and 4S.

[CTU Kyoto]

Re: Rare mis-step

I think there will undoubtedly be some pain in this connector transition, but on the other hand, they’ve been using the 30-pin connector since (I believe) 2003. It was a replacement for FireWire 400, and was much thinner, allowing iPods to become thinner than ever. This new one seems to be doing the same thing, and I don’t think Apple would go through with it unless it was necessary. Put it this way: I think they’ll stick with Lightning for as long as possible as well, and they’re also realising that docks and suchlike are increasingly moving towards wireless solutions anyway.

But yes… Like many, I now face a situation where I have a fair amount of cables and dock-type things that I won’t be able to use with my new phone. Pity, but should be a move for the best in the long run.

[Bernard]

I scrolled through 3 pages of comments

And apparently I'm the only person that sniggered at the addition of 'backside illumination'.

Do I win some kind of award?

[Equitas]

Re: I scrolled through 3 pages of comments

No you weren't the only person to snigger -- there are at least two other comments on the subject. But then it's an important feature, which suggests a recognition that the phone must be crap! :-)

[uhuznaa]

The day

such articles will only draw a handful of comments Apple will have lost it.

[Anonymous Coward]

As someone who still doesnt own a single "Smart" phone, the i5 launch left me feeling completely whelmed, if I had the money (and an excuse), right now, I would buy a Samsung or HTC I think.

[Andrew Moore]

So, for developers...

...we now have to program for 3 screen resolutions. I remember that 'different screen resolutions' was one of the big reasons a lot of iOS App developers crowed over why programming for their device was easier than Android.

[Justin Cottrell]

Stealing AMDS hardware name now

So now they cant even come up with their own name for a socket now. AMD have been using this name since Jan, but as far as i can tell, its not the same product. You would think they would check their material thoroughly before they use it. I have lost count how many inaccurate comments they have made in their keynote, that at best means they havent researched their material thoroughly, which is inexcusable for a company predominately dealing with marketing, and at worst means that they have blatantly lied about specs and used other company's codenames for parts to sell the iphone , which as far as im concerned is unethnical. Its funny how Nokias launch was the other week and predominately was about their camera tech, and how they could take photos in low light, and anti shake, and Apples speech covers the same, yet didnt even have any demonstrations of these two components.

As far as i can tell, apples announcement is just a mish mash of other companys announcements.

[Anonymous Coward]

It's so funny

Seeing all the fanboys defending a phone with so much missing compared to its competitors. The same comments time and time again - why do you need x, I would never use x therefore it's not necessary, it's about the total experience not the features, it doesn't need that its just a gimmick so I'm glad they left it out, that screen is too big etc

Until they include it in the next iphone, or the one after that at which point they do a complete u-turn and declare it to be the best thing ever, look how innovative Apple are being with this new must have feature. When questioned about it the only response you can get is 'well it's Apple so it's better'. Press a bit further and you get the classic 'IT JUST IS' and then they walk away in a huff because in their mind that should be enough to win the argument.

They then look over jealously when you do something with your phone that they can't like bluetooth a file to someone or pay for something with your phone and then pretend they don't want those features anyway because they can't bring themselves to admit that they overpaid by a long way for something that just isn't as good as the alternatives.

[toadwarrior]

Not surprisingly Apple haters don't like the iphone 5. I can now go to bed knowing the world is alright.

[Mr_Bungle]

Notice you're not trying to defend it though. Not even the most blinkered, deluded and brainwashed of Apple apologists can talk up this overpriced, under-featured garbage.

[JDX]

Please do feel free to grow up. You're just an embarrassment.

And no I don't own an iPhone or shill for Apple.

[Ian Johnston]

Oh goody. A new iPhone which looks like every other iPhone for the past few years. The boys in the Apple design studio must have been working overtime on this one, Or maybe this is what happens when you paint and patent yourself into a corner.

[Lallabalalla]

The dock is a dealbreaker

I use my iPod touch and phone4 to play movies and music via the hifi dock, so nice as it might be to change up my wife's 3GS for a 5, it'll be a 4S at best.

Cue slow migration to android...

[The Original Steve]

Could be in Nokia's interest

Nothing even slightly outstanding in terms of innovation, creativity or being "revolutionary". Compared to how good the Samsung Galaxy range are, the dated feel of iOS, WinPho8's different UI and the features Nokia have stated for the new Lumia's it could be turning point in making the phone market much more interesting. Customers won't be flocking too it as there's nothing luring them in, plus if you have any previous accessories now you have to pay for / carry an adaptor.

Personally I think the new MS UI on the XBox, Win8 and WinPhone works well for touch. Throw in the wireless charging, camera and screen (not that I care, but a bigger PPI than Apple's "retina" screens) I'm tempted to go for a Nokia Lumia.

Galaxy S III is a bit sexy too though...!

[JDX]

Re: Could be in Nokia's interest

Why's it need to innovate, iPhone is popular and this version is a bit sexier and a lot faster with some upgrades on the OS. If you like iPhone, you'll like iPhone 5.

Something big and new is ALWAYS a gamble so you only make it when you need to. Like the Lumia, they have nothing to lose so gambling makes sense.

[Mark .]

Re: Could be in Nokia's interest

Nokia had the number one smartphone platform until early 2011, when they were overtaken by Android. This was when they announced the WP transition. They have everything to lose - I'm not saying it was the wrong decision, but certainly Nokia are taking a bold risk here. In the mobile market, Nokia are still in second place, ahead of Apple who are in third. The idea that Apple are the popular ones and Nokia have nothing to lose makes no sense.

I'd also add that Nokia are only a phone company, unlike Apple or Samsung, so in that sense, they also have a lot more to lose if things don't go well for them in phones - they have nothing as a backup.

Android is way ahead of Iphone in terms of market share. If Apple's attitude really was that they don't need to innovate, then they deserve to lose.

[CaptSmegHead]

The first rule

The launch of a new iDevice is a call to invoke the iPrimeDirective

iPrimeDirective :

1. open wallet,

2. pay for new iDevice

[nsld]

brace yourself

because at those prices for such an underwhelming offering you are about to get roared up by the ghost of Jobs using sand for lubricant.

Don't forget to offer thanks afterwards......

[rvt]

As a non phone gadged freek...

I dont own a smartphone, but i do have a tablet.

I do read a bit of what's going on in the phone world, and read once a while about specs, and the new phones of various brands.

All i can say, what I see from this iphone and difference between Apple's older versions is quite similar any other brand's updates. Bigger screen, other connector, brighter screen, more connection posibilities, new software ( well, Android seems to be stuck forever at any 2.x version, even for new devices), faster processor, faster graphics, more pixels, better camera, yada yada yada.

Really, all phone manfucturer are doing the same. May be other brands experiment with different styles, like Nokia, which I like in looks.... But really, all manufacturers are doing exactly the same thing.

I have no idea where the hate comes from, what is it with that? Are you guys feel offended by anything, i dont get it, it's just a god damn phone, nothing more and nothing less!!

[Andy ORourke]

Re: As a non phone gadged freek...

Look, since you don't come here too often, it's like this:

Window$ (Winblow$ or some other representation which must include non alphabetic characters) devices are, without doubt the very worst things in the whole world and NO ONE in the commentary section can understand why anyone would EVER use them (even though these same devices keep many of them employed!)

Apple Lovers are sheep who will buy whatever Apple Sells (no matter what), have more money than sense and are only concerned with looking cool at Starbucks

Crapple (see, humerous spellings are a must here) haters are of the opinion that ANYTHING Apple have ever done was stolen from the phone / laptop / desktop / server that they used to program in assembly language 25 years ago

Andriod Lovers are technical demi gods who get their new phone / tablet / whatever and then take great pride in compiling their own custom ROM because, well, just because you can

Fandroid (see, there's that whit again) haters think that all android users are like that weird guy in their IT department, you know, the one in the far corner of the office with the beard and sandals and the questionable personal hygiene

Such is the diversity of the El Reg comments section that I can guarantee that even though I flag this as a joke there will be downvoters and outraged commenters aplenty, it's just the way the (El Reg) world works. I commend your optimism but there are generally only polar opposites in the comments section of the latest IOS / Android / Winphone reviews section

(Disclosure, the iPhone 4 is going to eBay to be replaced by the Huawei G300 or whatever it's called, the tablet is stopping at iPad2 and the desktop is staying Windows 7 so you can see, I'll be hated by all three factions!)

[pepper]

Re: As a non phone gadged freek...

No love for the N900(maemo) users? :(

I know, il go get my coat.

[Windrose]

Re: As a non phone gadged freek...

"No love for the N900(maemo) users? :("

Mmm-mm. Maemo on the N900 - best darn mobile computer I EVER had. Why Nokia didn't keep to that track, but do the hardware updates we now see I'll never grok (of course, it could NOT have ANYTHING to do with their new CEO. Of course not. We're not CYNICS after all)

But, then again, that IS why I got two of them ... and I've yet to find anything better. Yep, that's lookin' at you iOS. And Android.

[Mark .]

Re: As a non phone gadged freek...

Probably because Apple get by far the biggest amount of hype and coverage from the media.

I agree, they're just doing what other companies do. I'd be happy if everyone realised it, and reported about them just like any other company. (Also I'd add that most of the "hate" in the comments seems to be coming from existing Iphone users who are now annoyed by the announcement - which is certainly interesting if this is an indication of consumer reaction in general.)

[Mr_Happy]

Not a world phone then

There are at least three models being released all supporting different LTE bands, of which none of them will support the frequencies being used by Vodafone and O2 for their new networks. It will only support the bands used by EE

[Ilgaz]

Nfc

I can't understand why they don't put nfc. My cheap (really cheap) Huawei has nfc built in.

[Jonathan White]

Re: Nfc

Serious question : How often do you use it? I rarely see anyone doing 'payment by bonk' and I'm wondering if this is something that's caught on in some places but not in others.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Nfc

Indeed, I would like to be able to do it but I don't know how and to my knowledge I've never seen anybody else do it. I'm pretty sure nowhere I go to supports it.

[thesykes]

Re: Nfc

There's more to NFC than just payments, though. Android uses it for Beam, for sharing files between phones, and Nokia have announced that they are using it for pairing with speakers to stream music. Haven't I read somewhere that one of the TV manufacturers has announced an NFC chipped TV that allows a quick bonk to pair with a phone/tablet to instantly negotiate pairing to stream video? Sony use it for Smart Tags, a tap against a tag and your phone switches to a customisable setting, turning on or off wi-fi, changing volume settings etc. Have a NFC chip in the centre console of a car, pop your phone on it when you get in, Bluetooth and GPS turned on, pick it up when you get out, and they switch off again (make the console with an induction charging loop and the new Nokias suddenly look a very good idea). In fact, of all the ideas I've seen so far for NFC, using my phone to pay for things is the only one that doesn't interest me.

Early days for the technology, but I'm sure there are boffins beavering away in bunkers around the world trying to get things working.

For the sake of a few pence to pop a chip in there, leaving the competition another year to develop ideas and get people used to using their phones to do a lot of things quickly and easily, seems a rather short-sighted option for Apple to take. It's not as if the iPhone is a budget model.

[Brangdon]

Re: How often do you use it?

I wouldn't have much opportunity to pay by NFC today, but I expect that to change over the next 2 years. (My current phone doesn't support it, and I'm unlikely to buy an iPhone regardless.)

There's a chicken and egg problem here. I think NFC would be a good thing, but the infrastructure needs to be distributed, and small retailers don't have much incentive to get the scanners unless there are lots of people with NFC-capable phones. For that reason, iPhone 5 not having it is a set-back.

(Wireless charging is another technology I would have liked to see, both for myself and for getting the gear widely distributed.)

[DiViDeD]

Re: Nfc

Well, it's taken off big time in Sydney, and it makes a huge change in the coffee shops.

In the old days, you had to wait for someone to swipe their card *and* put in their PIN.

Now it's just "There you go!"<bonk>

"Oh no, hang on, it's this way round, isn't it?"<bonk>

"Well no, it was working yesterday"<bonk>

"maybe if I try it like this . . ."<bonk>

"How do you mean, incompatible?"<bonk>

"Hang one, I've got change somewhere"<jiggle, jingle>

"Um excuse me, you wouldn't have 20 cents I could borrow, would you?"<Bzzzzrt!>

[turnip handler]

Re: Nfc

You've got to save something for the iPhone 5S...

[Anonymous Coward]

Boring!

Looks like I'll be sticking with my trusty 3GS for another year or so then. Nothing in the 5 that's worth upgrading for and Apple's introduction of yet another bloody connector which renders all previous ones obsolete is just taking the piss. How many times have they done this over the years, with their laptops? Now it seems the iPhone is next.

Neither can I understand Apple's manic compulsion with making each new iteration [of everything they make!] thinner than the one before. To my way of thinking, "thinner" means even more fragile. Maybe Apple should concentrate their efforts on making phones of the current dimensions more rugged and able to withstand the odd knock or drop, rather than this fetishistic pursuit of shaving a fraction of a mm off the waistline, every time.

As for iOS6, the only thing that caught my eye was Photostream sharing, "which doesn't count against your iCloud storage limit", which could possibly be interesting, if said images don't have to also reside on your iGadget to remain shared.

Apart from that, nothing!

The fact that a new Maps app is the headline news says a lot. No-one outside of Google or Apple cares a fig about that. It's purely a manifestation of the spat between the two companies.

And FacePuke integration "throughout the OS"... that's being touted as a feature, is it? I'd actually pay for an app which stripped all FacePuke related shite from the OS.

If Apple want to jump aboard the ArseFace bandwaggon train crash, maybe they could "integrate throughout the OS" a FriendFace stock ticker, which allowed you to enjoy watching the share price continually plummet, without having to leave your current app.

Then I might be interested.

[the-it-slayer]

Re: Boring!

If you don't see any huge jumps, then you're clearly tech blind. Denser pixels per inch, better wi-fi/LTE chippery, faster in general etc. Completely ditching the older connector? You can get an adapter for a measily £15 to keep using your older 30-pin accessories. Doesn't render every device incompatible eh?

The Facebook thing is annoying, but I'm hoping I can just turn that off and use the seperate app. I'm sure that integration can be taken out as quickly as it was put in if FB were to belly flop badly.

You better read the Apple iPhone 5 launch page again. Have fun.

[FatGerman]

44% this, 33% that

Shouting percentages at me will not impress me. What I want to know is, can I hold it in my left hand without having to buy an "optional" extra case for it? If I can't do that then your phone design is shit, mate. End of.

[Windrose]

Re: 44% this, 33% that

"What I want to know is, can I hold it in my left hand without having to buy an "optional" extra case for it?"

The design is shit if your hand is small? Well, yeah, I could see how it would be innovative to have a design that could compensate for hand size ....

[CloudDog23]

Why would an existing iPhone owner upgrade?

I own an iPhone 4S after rage quitting my HTC Desire when it became apparent that HTC don't have any after sales support and there was a fundamental design flaw in that the internal memory was so small that it was impossible to install or update (after Flash, Facebook, YouTube and PDF Reader) that couldn't be run on the SD Card. However, I also own a Nexus 7 and would seriously consider a Nexus phone as my next choice.

I see no reason to buy an iPhone 5, in fact the redundancy of my existing accessories would hold me back. If I'm buying new accessories anyway, I think I'll take a look around and see what phones suit me better.

[David 138]

Port????

I thought the new port was because they had to follow EU ruling on standard chargers to prevent waste from proprietary ones!!

If im right the EU should ban it from import.

Also how can Apple say that the Samsung Galaxy S2 copied them, when they call this a "Whole New Design" It looks like the iPhone 4 im not sure Apple are a competent judge on what looks the same.

[thisisnotthe......your lookingfor]

“I have something here for you. Your father wanted you to have this when you were old enough, but your uncle wouldn't allow it. He feared you might follow old Obi-Wan-cookie on some damn fool idealistic crusade like your father did. It's your father's ericsson T29 . This is the weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as amazing or as random as a android phone, but an elegant phone for a more civilized age. For over a thousand generations, the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic. Before the dark times, before the evil geniuses Empire.”

[Dan 55]

This is not the phone you're looking for

Surely some mistake, the elegant phone for the more civilised age was the Nokia 6310i.

Rumour has it it could go for more than a day without a charge.

[Kurtis]

RAM??

"In the US, the phone will be available at three prices and RAM levels: $199 for 16GB, $299 for 32GB, and $399 for 64GB"

Hmm...64GB of RAM on a phone!!?! .. Not sure the author means RAM lol!

[Ilgaz]

Going backwards

That is the state of "IT media" today. Recently saw an Android app review where author says he doesn't know what Usenet is. Idiot could at least check wiki.

[Richard 81]

I declare this to be the most ground breaking development in phone technology of 2011!

[Chika]

No it isn't.

Wait! Is this the right room for an argument?

[chiller]

Does this really justify an 'event'?

Tefal are holding an event in New York next month unveiling their latest can opener, getting giddy thinking about it!!

[Glostermeteor]

It seems to me Samsung is doing a much better job of innovation with slimmer screens, nice curves. This new iPhone is nothing more than a r-hashed version of the 4S. The iPhone design is looking increasing old and tired, I was expecting them to get rid of the 'box' look but it's still there in all its glory (or not).

[rgbrgb2001]

retrial

Samsungs lawyers must be laughing there t1ts off given the impending appeal to that yanky doodle dollar mistrial. I am sure the new thinner larger I-no-inovation screen will get presented along with Samsung models it has now "copied" given the precedent of the last trial. You can't have one rule for one and another for the rest.

Personally, the same old smug idiots will buy the iPhone regardless along with there organic water. Fine by me keeps the Android supreme, lean and mean while still outselling the iphone.

[A Butler]

Pricing and not pretty

To test the Apple fanbios wallets:

iPhone 5 UK Sim free pricing

16GB £529

32GB £599

64GB £699

iPhone 5 German Sim free pricing

16GB €679

32GB €789

64GB €899

Not pretty in this global recession.

[h4rm0ny]

Re: Pricing and not pretty

Bloody Hell! I paid £160 for my Lumia 710 SIM-free and it already does pretty much everything I want. Admittedly, I don't play games on it so that might be an issue. But seriously? £700 for a phone? Ouch!

[Richard 81]

Re: Pricing and not pretty

...and I just paid £200 for a Nexus 7. £500-700 is utterly ridiculous for a phone.

[Piro]

I tried to find the magic..

.. and failed. It's just an incremental upgrade, with the same uncomfortable design, no microSD, and with it, obscenely high price deltas for cheap flash upgrades.

It's actually remarkable.. in that it is entirely unremarkable. Feels like a bit of catch up to me.

[Anonymous Coward]

What a load of shite!

Apples magical and revolutionary device does not look so revolutionary now. It looks like regurgitated bollox. Apple, this has to be the worst device you have every released. It really is just a poor show. The fannies will defend the shite, which is worse than the tat it's self.

[the-it-slayer]

Found him!

I wondered when you were going to turn up. I was getting worried and thought about putting out a search party. I bet your head had a wonderful day yesterday caring a little about the launch more than you're happy to admit.

Smile!

[Anonymous Coward]

not a leader now

Cook is a bean counter, and this is a bean counter's phone. Safe, boring...

They have not come up with a new look like every other iphone increment did. Instead, they just got the last one and stretched it a bit, made it a little thinner. Cook clearly doesn't have an eye for design, so he's going safe and sticking with Job's last efforts.

I expected iOS to come up with some improvements, something akin to widgets or live tiles, because rows of static icons really is a bit naff these days.

Even if they'd done that, they'd still just be bring themselves back level with the other OSs. As it is, they're squarely behind both Android and win phone now.

I got a Galaxy Nexus earlier this year on a really good deal unlocked from a local retailer at about 60% of the iphone 5 price, and I see nothing that puts this phone even close to the best Android phones. Even the lumia 920 looks better, aside perhaps from the present lack of apps.

[Anonymous Coward]

Lets hope for the fannybois sake, the joke that is iOS6, looks better the the FUGLY iOS5. Or maybe looks like its a 2012 OS, instead of the joke that it is. (Thats why their fannybois like it!)

[Toothpick]

FUGLY iOS

Please tell us then what, in your opinion, is an OS that looks like a 2012 OS?

Come on. Let all the El Reg readers and commentators know.

I know, and probably everyone on here knows, you will not reply. Why? Because you are expert at slagging stuff off (always Apple), without substantiating your "argument".

So come on. Why do you think iOS is ugly? Why do you think iOS is a joke, and what OS should we all be using?

[Windrose]

Re: FUGLY iOS

"Why do you think iOS is ugly?"

P'nally I couldn't comment, since I've never laid eyes on iOS.

Oh, I've seen loads of screenshots of the APPLICATIONS that run on it, but I've never seen the *OS*.

Pet peeve: people who comment on a tech site and can't tell the difference between an *operating system* and the *applications that run on it*.

[Ed 13]

Gggsnerk

He said "backside illumination" with a straight face?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Gggsnerk

Yes, he's American. It's a different language. He would have had to say "fanny illumination" to get a laugh.

[Equitas]

Re: Gggsnerk

American English has its limitations. However, it's a classic example of American stupidity. At least Rolls Royce, when considering the name "Silver Mist" stopped in time, when they realised that "mist" in German means "dung".

If a blunder such as Apple have made can get through to final release of advertising material, it shows very serious incompetence and insularity.

Paris, because even she isn't quite that dumb.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Gggsnerk

Used to be some companies didn't care what their products meant in another language.

What does RR Merlin translate to in German?

[davemcwish]

Meh

The new iPhone specs were pretty much as expected/leaked (no NFC though) so as thers have said Im unclear how this is a real significant change; more like marketing imho.

Interesting that Apple had to show the fanbois how to hold the new device and use the keyboard (with your thumb apparantly).

There's nothing here that will tempt me to change by N8 joining the ifans or even their fandroid competitors.

[DaeDaLuS_015]

Ha...

This release was completely underwhelming.

It looks more like Apple are playing catchup on things Android have already done rather than "innovating" but then, lets face it their last innovation, "SIRI", hasn't exactly gone down well has it.

Funny stuff.

[ThomH]

Re: Ha...

"I once did a hundred takes and still couldn't say the word 'incorrigible.' Great! NOW I get it! Siri, bring Jessica Tandy back to life." ?

[Anonymous Coward]

memory pricing ....

Apple fanbois - make sure your vaseline stocks are large enough, because Apple is going to f*k you big time. $100 for memory upgrade from 16GB to 32GB. Further $100 for memory upgrade from 32GB to 64GB. It's breathtaking.

Of course Apple could finally add microSD slot, but that would hurt its corporate profits!

Anon only because of rude language used - there is no other way to describe my feelings.

[robin thakur 1]

Definite day 1 purchase

I like the look of the new iPhone it looks well made, and hopefully the build quality, touch responsiveness, ergonomics and screen quality will be better than the SGS3 which it is replacing. Going back to iPhone, as I don't have the time to spend sorting out my phone so that it works as I wish using hacked together tools and would like to see what's new in iOS 6. If and when Google issue an improved Maps app, there won't be anything holding me to the SGS3 now there is turn by turn navigation built into the 5. Having tried Jelly Bean on my Nexus 7, Google seem to have a different definition of "Buttery Smoothness" than me as I *still* find scrolling down a web page in Chrome jerky as all hell. It's more like Frozen Margerine. The OS just looks really bargain basement compared to iOS with weird spacing and rubbish little icons, so for me iOS wins on looks with polished richly coloured larger icons and proper full-fat buttery smoothness. Even Google's app icons look better on iOS, bizarrely.

[phatstorage]

Re: Definite day 1 purchase

I don't think chrome is jelly bean and also needs to load images from the net rather than local storage, hence not as quick.

HTH

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Definite day 1 purchase

Funny, it's not in the shops yet and you know how responsive the UI is?

[CTU Kyoto]

“Hype"

I don’t have any particular comments on the new iPhone. Looks nice. However, I always get a bit irked when technology sites say things like this line in the article:

"In all of recorded gadget history, few product announcements have had as much pre-event hype as did today's iPhone 5 roll-out at an event in San Francisco hosted by Apple CEO Tim Cook.”

Maybe I’m just being pedantic, but isn’t hype something that has to issue forth from the product manufacturer? Every year, tech sites certainly froth themselves into a frenzy over every part leak and blurry photo from a factory in China over a six-month period before September, but for Apple’s part, all it has done for every iPhone generation is invite the press to an event with a couple of weeks’ notice, then hold the event and launch the product. It’s admirably restrained in a way (although of course the tone of their videos and advertising during and after the launch is definitely hyperbolic).

It feels like people attribute this stuff to Apple and use it as evidence to show they’re just a marketing company. Am I just being a knob here? Do we now count buzz and speculation by third parties as hype? I really want to see what people think, and if I’m in the minority I’ll gladly shut up about it :D

[the-it-slayer]

Re: “Hype"

Although I'll happily defend Apple to the hill, they've annoyed me by allowing leaked parts to go out through door as if they were happy for it to happen. Cook should never of made that comment last year by claiming Apple would get tougher and hold more secrets. This time round, you could almost build the phone with the amount of parts pushing around the black market. For me, the excitement had gone and hoping they'd pull off a bigger surprise just only mounted to a huge splat of disappointment. Are they going to chance after the part leakers? Probably not.

I like the design even more now I've seen proper photos of it but if the next generation (after we have a 5S) doesn't pose a totally new design, then I'd start getting worried. For now, the current design is perfect for todays market.

[davemcwish]

Re: “Hype"

@CTU Kyoto "Every year, tech sites certainly froth themselves into a frenzy over every part leak and blurry photo from a factory in China over a six-month period before September, but for Apple’s part, all it has done for every iPhone generation is invite the press to an event with a couple of weeks’ notice, then hold the event and launch the product. It’s admirably restrained in a way"

@the-it-slayer "they've annoyed me by allowing leaked parts to go out through door as if they were happy for it to happen."

Apple's policy is to provide regular, albeit small, changes to their product lines. The tech, other media and celebtities provide them with vast amounts of free advertising to such an extent that regardless of what changes they do, the sheer volume of Apple centric articles has, up to now, has sold iDevices without the average consumer having looking at potential alternatives.

Because of this, if you look at third party products in the home and in-car, Apple devices are perceived as de-facto standards as media players and are now self-sustaining.

[Windrose]

Re: “Hype"

"Apple devices are perceived as de-facto standards as media players and are now self-sustaining."

Luckily we have Bluetooth and A2DP. I'm not replacing either car or phone for the sake of Apple's infrastructure and lack of format support.

Phew.

[Anonymous Coward]

"defend Apple to the hill"

Hahahaha! That's a really good one! Have you thought about becoming a comedian?

Or maybe you are just too stupid to understand the meanings of the words you use...

[OrsonX]

Re: "defend Apple to the hill"

too stupid me thinks

[Andy Fletcher]

Hurrah

I love iPhone release day. The boss doesn't come into work because he's standing in a queue outside CarPhoneWarehouse or similar for most of the day.

[Nifty]

nano sim - deal breaker

Members of our family use iPhones 90% around the house in WiFi range and the other 10% when traveling further afield. We buy the phone and use best deal Pay As You Go SIM, cut down as needed in our little SIM cutter press.

iPhones have been specially handy abroad, when we pop in an alternative SIM

This user model seems busted for the iPhone 5 since Pay As You go operators are tardy indeed issuing official cut down SIMs, let alone the latest Apple bespoke design twists.

[Andy 115]

Re: nano sim - deal breaker

Just like micro sim cutters were available on eBay for £5 within weeks (days?) of the iPhone 4 launch in 2010, so nano sim cutters will be available before the end of the month....

[Piro]

Re: nano sim - deal breaker

NanoSIMs are thinner than full-size, mini and micro SIMs..

[Mika Peltokorpi]

Re: nano sim - deal breaker

SIM connector pads are ordered so, that you can not cut Micro SIM as Nano SIM. Hurrah, Apple tech won the Nano SIM standard! Other manufacturers supported different Nano SIM standard that did not have this issue. It was also tecnologically more advanced than this Apple version.

[Andy 115]

Re: nano sim - deal breaker

That info doesn't tie up with the story I saw of a micro sim with snap-out nano sim....

However to imply that the alternatives were all contact compatible and the apple design stood out for not being is misleading in the extreme - the Nokia design had them all along one edge!

[Gareth Perch]

My 3G (not even S) is finally starting to fall apart (a cracked back, dead pixels measuring a third of the screen width by a few rows / the rubber seal coming out / most recently the silent switch broke, so I can't go silent), so I was hoping for another revolution like the original iPhone (well, the 3G one anyway) not this evolution.

Underwhelmed.

So it's a case of:

1: Stick with my iPhone 3G until it actually does literally fall apart (or until something else impresses me). I have dropped it (a lot) and the o/s is so slow it's not even funny any more - unless I want to use the basic phone functions, which are also pretty slow. If I didn't have the iPad 2 I'd probably have updated it by now.

2: iPhone 5 (or an older / cheaper model)

3: Windows Phone 8

4: Android / Samsung

[the-it-slayer]

Did you actually watch the iPhone 4 presentation? That was the revolution from the original/3G/3GS. The denser DPI screen was the biggest change on its own and do you not agree the underpinnings and DNA of the iPhone 4 is still a great design?

You seem to have abused your 3G over its life time (3 - 4 years tops?). That's pretty good going for ownership of a single smartphone. Just dump the disappointment and get a 4 or 4S at a discounted price.

[Mark .]

Increased resolution is not "revolutionary" - and it only looked a big step, because earlier models had appallingly low resolutions (e.g., Nokia had higher 640x360 much earlier). The main advantage of the Iphone 4 is that they had finally added in all of the basic features that other platforms had had for years, so finally it was a viable choice for mainstream use (and indeed, it was with the Iphone 4 that sales finally rose, and became comparable to some other platforms). But that's not a revolution, rather just finally catching up.

[the-it-slayer]

I didn't mean in general terms (by the way, the only way the resolution was higher in Nokia's phones was a taller screen I believe? - in DPI terms, the iP4 was revolutionary). I mean't in the timeline of the iPhone. I refused to get the 3G/3GS because there was hardware better (marginally) than it as you say. However, the software in general in phones around at the time was poor. That includes the initial Android offerings, RIM and Nokia (especially the 5800 XpressMusic phone - how many more option menus did anyone want!?). In fairness, you could say the iPhone from the original to 3GS was the learning time Apple needed to understand and shape the market how they wanted.

This is why I like hardware/software combo coming from one company. Most techies don't understand why that's so beneficially and will never do. I mean, look at Nokia. All their original candy phones (from the famous 3210 upwards) were made from scratch. Made it simple to use and customers understood how it all worked whatever product they picked up. As soon as the hardware/software departments started to segregate and battle for their own turf within Nokia; you only have to look at the consequences of that.

Naturally, most neutral customers (minus fanbois) will want to continue along the iPhone line of products because they understand the companies values and devices. No messing them about with nice tweaks to iOS which still looks as new today as it did from the original iPhone.

[Anonymous Coward]

Siri

From what I understand, Siri is a service provided by a server on the Internet - so how is it relevant to say that a new handset constitutes an improvement to this?

[Mark Allread]

Acronyms FFS

"GPRS, EDGE, EVDO, HSPA, HSPA+, and DC-HSDPA"

Of those, only EDGE is an acronym. FFS people, learn something today - learn what acronym actually means.

[ThomH]

Re: Acronyms FFS

You've never heard anyone exclaim 'GPRS Creepers!'?

[Charles 9]

Re: Acronyms FFS

Nope.

Listen, how do you say each of those ALL-CAP words above? If you say it as a word (EDGE is spoken "edge"), THEN it's an acronym. LASER and RADAR are acronyms because they're spoken as words. If they're spoken letter-by-letter (like LTE--spoken "L-T-E"--and most of the rest), it's not an acronym but rather an initialism (TV is an initialism; so's DVD).

[Mika Peltokorpi]

Beauty, no brains

iPhone 5 is really minuscular evolutionary step. Surprisingly even Nokia Lumia WP8 products beats iPhone5 even with display ppi. Puremotion bests RetinaDisplay. To add bonk-to-play music, NFC and Wireless Qi charging Nokia has stepped up with most desireable products for X-mas season. For very long time I see Nokia product, Lumia 820 with JBL wireless charging speaker, most desireable mobile product of 2012. I think the previous Nokia product to generate such exitement was Nokia 9200 communicator. Or maybe Nokia E65. None of N-series never were.

You really have to ask: Apple, WTF? Are you really expecting to rip premium for aluminum covers? Nokia tried it with Nokia Booklet 3G and you are following that business model? Insane.

[Mika Peltokorpi]

No headset?

Did you notice, that none of the reviews had wired headset. Is the location of HS-connector even worse than expected?

[Christian Berger]

I like the reviews here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdIWKytq_q4

[CarlC]

Re: I like the reviews here:

Love it - that is so funny