Tuesday afternoon, the highly-anticipated new release from Apple delivered what was rumored for months, with a few new gems as well.
New Processing System â€" iOS 7
iOS 7 will be available for download beginning on September 18th for FREE. The new and improved operating system, originally announced in June [1] will support the iPhone 4 and later, 5th generation iPod Touch, iPad 2 and later and iPad Mini. New features include Airdrop, which allows you to share photos and documents with another iOS 7 user that is nearby, and Control Center, which allows you quicker access to things like your Settings with just one swipe.
More Free Stuff
The new iOS 7 update will also include several free applications to help you continue to create great work on your phone. When you download your new update, it will include apps such as Keynote, a presentation creation app, Pages, a document creator/editor, and Numbers, a spreadsheet design software. iPhoto and iMovie will also be among the new free apps included.
Now on to what you really want to know aboutâ€"the iPhones.
iPhone 5C
The “C†does indeed stand for “color.†The new iPhone 5C comes in 5 color options: white, blue, pink, yellow and green.
“The entire back and sides are made from a single part, its front one glass, multi-touch surface…you wont see joints or seams,†explained Phil Schiller, senior vice president of worldwide marketing at Apple during the live release event broadcast. “The 5C is beautifully, unapologetically plastic.â€
We certainly hope that means it will be more durable too.
Apple has also announced a new line of custom cases for the 5C, taking on some of the huge accessories business that always follows new releases. They’re soft, with holes cut out, allowing a bit of the phone’s color to pop through. They will retail at $39.
iPhone 5C will be listed at $99 for 16GB model, $199 for 32GB (each with 2-year contract).
iPhone 5S
The iPhone 5S features an array of additional options not available on the 5C:
A7 and M7 processor
- The new 64-bit A7 processor chip in the 5S is 2 times faster than its 32-bit predecessor and 20 times faster than the original iPhone from 2007.
- The M7 motion processor includes measurements such as a compass, accelerometer and more. These new capacities will make way for a new generation of fitness apps (or Big-Brother-style government tracking, however you prefer to think of it) which can identify and track user movements, whether walking or driving, even counting the number of steps a user takes in a day.
Improved camera functions
Touch ID
The 5S’ new security feature will read fingerprints to unlock the phone. The 500ppi fingerprint sensor is built right in the 5S’s home button and can read multiple prints from any orientation. Sorry ladies, no more going through your man’s phone while he’s in the shower.
The 5S will be available in silver, gold and ‘space grey.’
iPhone 5S will be listed at $199 for 16GB model, $299 for 32GB and $399 for 64GB (each with 2-year contract).
iPhone 5C available for preorder 9/13. iPhone 5S available for preorder 9/20.
If it’s been a while since you’ve upgraded, your screen is cracked to all hell and all of this 5C/5S hoopla doesn’t impress you, the iPhone 4S will now be offered for free (on a 2-year contract) as well. Also, surprisingly, the iPhone 5 will be discontinued with the release of the 2 new phones.
Sorry guys, no new iPad or iPod updates this time and looks like we’ll be waiting a bit longer for that rumored new “iWatch [2] †too. Thanks to this new release, though, there’s certainly plenty to keep you busy until then.
Still not sure which new iPhone to get? Compare the new phones and their features [3] on Apple’s site.
Feature photo: ibtimes.com
All other photos courtesy Apple Live Launch Event stream 09/10/13.
Links
- ^ announced in June (www.apple.com)
- ^ iWatch (www.techradar.com)
- ^ Compare the new phones and their features (www.apple.com)
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