The new iPhone 5: everything you need to know
On Wednesday, Apple revealed the new iPhone 5 with LTE and a larger screen The Verge was live on the scene covering the event from every angle. We have rounded up all the important details here in this StoryStream, from details on the device itself, price, availability, and all the technologies built into the iPhone 5.
T-Mobile stores now stocking iPhone 5-friendly nano-SIMs for those with unlocked devices
We reported a few weeks ago that T-Mobile had no intention of letting the iPhone 5's smaller nano-SIM card interfere with its newly-bolstered plans to woo unlocked iPhone owners over to its network, and now we've received confirmation that the carrier's stores have begun receiving stock of the new SIM cards. Several T-Mobile stores in New York City informed us that the diminutive SIM cards were delivered today, but if you're interested in moving your iPhone 5 to T-Mobile you would do best to...
Apple now taking iPhone 5 orders for in-store pickup
Do Apple's three to four-week shipping estimates for the iPhone 5 have you down? It turns out you may not have to suffer through that marathon wait after all — assuming there's an Apple Store nearby, at least. As predicted by 9to5Mac, the company is now letting customers buy its latest handset each night between 10PM and 4AM PST and pick up orders as early as the very next day (technically the same day if you're ordering in the wee hours, we suppose).
How quickly you'll receive a phone...
Apple A6 processor examined, confirmed to have been produced by Samsung
Apple and Samsung may be in the midst of some legal battles — and smear campaigns — but that doesn't mean that the Korean company's chipmaking arm isn't still producing internals for Apple's latest devices. An in-depth look at the iPhone 5's dual-core A6 processor from iFixit and Chipworks has confirmed that it is an Apple-designed 32nm chip that was produced by Samsung. The teardown has also confirmed what was heavily suspected: that the iPhone 5 has 1GB of RAM, though on the particular...
iPhone 5 sales exceed five million after first weekend, more than 100 million devices updated to iOS 6
Unsurprisingly, Apple's iPhone 5 had a massive first weekend — the company is reporting sales in excess of five million devices over the first weekend of retail availability. That comes a week after Apple announced that two million customers pre-ordered the device after it became available online on September 14th. The iPhone 4S sold four million devices over its first weekend of availability last October, so the iPhone 5 continues to be a record-setting device for Apple. However, it's...
iPhone 5 owners report scuffs and scratches out of the box
When Apple VP Phil Schiller took the stage on September 12th to talk about the company’s new iPhone 5 hardware he went on at length about the exacting level of precision that goes into its manufacture. But despite Apple's insistence that its tolerances are measured in microns, several iPhone 5 owners are reporting that their new devices are arriving with a variety of scuffs and scrapes out of the box (myself included, pictured above).
The anodized aluminum seems to scratch more easily than...
Apple shows off the iPhone 5 in new commercials
To accompany today's launch of the iPhone 5, Apple has posted a new series of commercials showing off the device. The three ads, which sound like they're narrated by The Newsroom's Jeff Daniels, each focus on a specific element of the new phone: its thinner profile, the panorama photo feature, and the new screen. A fourth spot, simply entitled "Ears," is devoted to the EarPod headphones.
In July, Apple debuted a suite of commercials during the London Olympics that seemed to be a marked...
Confirmed: Verizon iPhone 5 is unlocked, can be used freely on GSM networks (updated)
New owners of the Verizon iPhone 5 are being met with an unexpected but welcome surprise today: the device comes fully unlocked out of the box. That will come as great news for customers that travel overseas and it even allows you to insert an AT&T nano-SIM if the desire strikes you. We've been able to confirm that the Verizon iPhone 5 is fully compatible with AT&T's 3G network — though differing LTE bands will prevent you from achieving high-speed connectivity. You should also be able to...
Thousands queue in the dark as the iPhone 5 goes on sale
Thousands of people across the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and the UK have started lining up for Apple's iPhone 5. The queues, with some people camping out for days, mark the beginning of Apple's latest global rollout. After more than two million pre-orders within the first 24 hours of availability and record breaking AT&T sales, the iPhone 5 has continued a trend of consumer excitement for Cupertino's smartphone.
Year on year, countless numbers of...
iPhone 5 taken apart in detailed iFixit teardown
Just as we figuratively broke the iPhone 5 open in our exhaustive review, the folk at iFixit have begun to do so for real. Their teardown of Apple's latest and greatest reveals exactly how easy the device will be to repair (with this being a particular source of controversy for previous Apple products) as well as revealing the source of certain components.
iPhone 5 review
Ah, to review the iPhone 5; what a blessing, and what a curse. It's actually funny to think that there was a time not that long ago that the iPhone wasn't even a thing, let alone an iconic part of pop culture. A time when an Apple-made phone was just a fantasy; a blogger's fever-dream; a secret glimmer in the eye of Steve Jobs and his team of engineers and designers.
But the iPhone has become very real. In fact, it's grown up, moved out, and taken over the world. Well, half the world anyhow....
iOS 6 review
A review of iOS 6 is not a review of revolution, but of refinement. iOS has been the gold standard for smartphones and tablets since the day it was first introduced, and Apple's resisted the urge to make any radical changes, instead slowly polishing it with each successive version. That means iOS 6 is recognizably the same basic operating system that shipped on the original iPhone in 2007, while its biggest competitor, Android, looks completely different from what Google started with in 2008.
...
Apple's new Lightning connector sends shockwaves through the accessory market
The Blue Danube. Fragments suspended in air. An iPod speaker dock spontaneously explodes in slow motion, capacitors, speaker drivers and chunks of plastic slowly spinning away from the wreckage. Philips, Sony and Logitech creations, ripped to shreds. Jawbone proclaims: "The dock is dead."
The video is a self-serving jab at rivals, but the wireless audio vendor has a point. Last week, Apple did away with the nine-year-old Dock Connector, replacing the ubiquitous 30-pin jack with a new...
iPhone 5 breaks Apple and AT&T sales records in 'most successful iPhone launch ever' (update)
The iPhone 5 has set a new pre-order record for AT&T, the carrier announced today, selling faster than any previous iPhone. The phone became available to order on September 14th and quickly sold out of its initial stock bound for launch on the 21st, with Apple's site soon telling customers to expect a wait of around 2 weeks. AT&T isn't sharing specific numbers with us, but is already calling this the "most successful iPhone launch ever." Apple, for its part, has been "blown away by the...
The iPhone 5: a secret unkept
When it comes to secrecy, Apple isn't so much doubling down as it is multiplying by zero. The iPhone 5 is a handset of many firsts for the Cupertino company — it moves to a larger screen, an all-new Lightning dock connector, and in-cell touchscreen technology, among other innovations. But it's also the first device to bear the name iPhone whose spec sheet we knew almost in full ahead of its unveiling.
Initially, we learned about the 4-inch display. That came from The Wall Street Journal on...
iPhone 5 now available to pre-order in US, UK, and 7 other countries (updated)
Impressed by the iPhone 5's hardware design, and unconcerned by the conservative software? You'll want to head over to Apple's site, then, where the phone should now be available for pre-order. It's available right now from the iOS Apple Store app, Verizon, and AT&T. The time of 12.01AM PST should be effective in all of the iPhone 5's first wave of launch countries, including the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, France, and Germany. If you're in the US, check out our...
How to buy the iPhone 5
Decided to invest in Apple's latest and greatest handset? That's the easy part — now you need to decide how and where to buy it, and on what carrier. Here's the full rundown.
Can you get upgrade pricing?
If you're upgrading rather than signing up for a new line of service, the first thing you'll want to do is check to confirm whether you're eligible for upgrade pricing. To do that:
On AT&T, you can dial *639# to get a text message with your current upgrade status. You can also go here.
On...
Apple says Lightning to HDMI and Lightning to VGA adapters are on the way
There's been some confusion as to what Apple's new all-digital Lightning connector will be capable of, but the company has just cleared some of that up. An Apple spokesperson told The Verge that Lightning to HDMI and Lightning to VGA cables "will be available in the coming months."
Originally, the fact that the $29 Lightning to 30-pin adapter doesn't support video output led to worries that the Lightning connector itself was to blame, and that Apple would steer customers who wanted to share...
Unlocked iPhone 5 won't be available in the US right away, will start at $649
US customers looking to pick up an iPhone 5 unencumbered by a carrier's contract will have to put those dreams on hold — at least for a little bit. We spoke with several Apple Store customer service representatives today, who informed us that US customers won't be able to sign up for the unlocked variant of Apple's new flagship phone when pre-orders start early tomorrow morning. The unlocked version also won't be available from either the US online or brick-and-mortar Apple Stores when the...
For app developers, iPhone 5's bigger screen is a mixed blessing
It happens every year. Apple announces a new iPhone and iOS, and developers have about a week to update their apps to work on the new hardware and software. Most years, the process isn't too difficult — but some years, Apple updates the iPhone's display and developers need to put in extra legwork to prevent their apps from looking pixelated. In 2010 it was adapting to the retina display, and this year it's adapting to the iPhone 5's taller screen. No one wants their app enveloped by ugly...
Apple taking iPhone 5 pre-orders on September 14th starting at 12:01AM PT
We already knew that online pre-orders for the iPhone 5 were going to start on September 14th, but now Wired has confirmed that Apple will begin accepting your money at exactly 12:01AM PT / 3:01AM ET. If you prefer going directly through the carriers, new and existing customers can pre-order the iPhone 5 from Sprint at the same time and Verizon will be jumping the gun a minute earlier at midnight. AT&T has not announced its plans, although it will likely line up pretty closely with the other...
The iPhone 5 forecast: a predictable 73 degrees and sunny
The weather icon on the iPhone's homescreen always reads a pleasant 73 degrees and sunny. It has since the original iPhone was released, a comfortable, inoffensive temperature that matches the comfortable, inoffensive homescreen on iOS.
The prevailing opinion after the iPhone 5 announcement is that it's boring, but still pretty great. The hardware is without a doubt impressive from a technical and engineering standpoint, but iterative on previous designs. The software is as competent as...
Cricket to offer prepaid iPhone 5 from September 28th
Cricket Wireless has become the first US prepaid carrier to announce availability of Apple's recently-unveiled iPhone 5, with the company planning to sell the device from September 28th. While the carrier has not yet released pricing information, and Apple itself has not released US pricing for unlocked devices, it is likely to fall in line with that of the 16GB iPhone 4S, which sold for $649 unlocked, or $499 with Cricket's subsidy.
When Cricket secured the iPhone 4 and 4S back in June, it...
Sprint says its iPhone 5 won't have HD Voice support
One of the new iPhone 5 hardware features announced yesterday was support for wideband audio — or HD voice — which increases the fidelity of voice calls. In the US, the only carrier that has publicly announced support for the HD voice protocol is Sprint, but Phonescoop has learned that the iPhone 5 won't work over Sprint's version of HD voice. As for the technical details, Sprint's HD Voice protocol runs over its 1x CDMA network, whereas the iPhone 5's HD Voice support uses GSM-based...
Official Apple list shows international availability for each iOS 6 feature
As iOS 6 features such as turn-by-turn navigation and Siri become increasingly localized, it can be difficult to keep track of exactly what is available where. To help ease confusion in the wake of the iPhone 5 announcement yesterday, Apple has published an official list, navigable by feature, showing availability from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.
The most restricted aspect of the OS is the new Maps app's 3D Buildings functionality, which, according to Apple's list, is only available in the US....
Apple iPhone 5 introduction event video now available online
You've read all of the coverage, but want to see Tim Cook and company show off the the latest and greatest iPhone for yourself? You're in luck, because Apple has just posted video of the entire event. It's available for streaming on Apple's own website, and covers the iPhone 5, the new iPod touch, as well as the iTunes revamp and the new iPod nano. You'll even get to see the special Foo Fighters concert that closed the event, so check out the source link below to watch it for yourself.
Phil Schiller on the iPhone 5: Apple 'started from scratch'
At Apple's iPhone 5 event today, I had a chance to spend a few moments chatting with Phil Schiller, the company's senior vice president of marketing.
Schiller bounced out of a holding area near the iPhone 5 demo tables with a big smile on his face, surrounded by Apple PR flacks and a variety of handlers — but he was all too happy to talk about the new phone. "What did you think?" he asked before I could get a question out. After telling him I thought the new device was handsome and...
iTunes 10.7 available for download, adds support for iOS 6 devices and new iPod Nanos, Shuffles
Ahead of an October launch for the completely revamped "new iTunes," Apple has served up iTunes 10.7 for Mac and Windows, which "adds support for iOS 6 running on compatible iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch models" and "adds support for the latest iPod nano and iPod shuffle models. It doesn't seem like much else is new in the update, even though 10.7 sounds like a whole lot more than 10.6.3, the latest version of iTunes. The new app is available directly from Apple, but doesn't seem to be showing...
Apple iPhone 5 to be available in separate GSM and CDMA versions
Apple's just-announced iPhone 5 will be available in two separate models when it hits shelves on September 21st. According to the official specs page from Apple, there will be separate CDMA and GSM versions of the phone, a break from the iPhone 4S which packed both wireless protocols into the same chassis.
The A1428 GSM model and A1429 CDMA model both support LTE, HSPA+, and DC-HSPA, but they do so on different bands for the various carriers that the iPhone 5 will be available on. Apple also...
iPhone 5 hands-on pictures, video, and impressions
This is the iPhone 5. We've just gotten our hands on the new Apple flagship, complete with that 4-inch Retina display, LTE, and new Lightning connector. What's most noticeable about the new device isn't any of that, however; it's how thin and light it is. The 7.6mm, 112-gram chassis is incredibly sleek, and exceptionally light... it feels almost too light in the hand. This isn't just in comparison to the relatively heavy iPhone 4S — sure, the iPhone 5 may not be the thinnest phone out there...
Sizing up the new iPhone 5 against its Android and Windows Phone competition
With the iPhone 5, Apple has finally tackled key areas where its Android competition previously held an advantage: a larger display, high-speed 4G LTE networking, and an improved camera are all inside the new flagship iOS device. The company has also pushed forward its reputation for stellar build quality with a unibody aluminum shell that should scale back the number of Genius Bar visits for shattered rear casings — a particular problem for the fragile iPhone 4 / 4S. But how does the...
New redesigned iTunes announced for Mac and PC, available in October
iTunes hasn't been a fan favorite in recent years, adding in layers of cruft and slowness as Apple has packed in new features into the software. Apple itself began the process of lowering the app's importance with the release of iCloud and the ability to sync iOS devices directly to the cloud.
In addition to all of the new enhancements to the iTunes App Store on the iPhone and iPad that we saw back in June, the iTunes desktop app for Mac and PC is getting a visual makeover that brings it more...
iOS 6 update due on September 19th
Apple kicked off its iOS 6 beta program at WWDC earlier this year, and the company is announcing today that the final copy of the software will be available on September 19th. Featuring over 200 new features, iOS 6 will be available at no extra cost for existing compatible devices — iPhone 4S, 4, 3GS, iPad 2, new iPad, and iPod Touch.
iPhone 4S drops to $99, iPhone 4 now free; Apple discontinues the 3GS
To make room for its latest iPhone, Apple has just announced new prices for the rest of the line — and the iPhone 3GS isn't part of the mix. Cupertino followed a similar strategy to what it used last year, with the 16GB iPhone 4S dropping to $99 with a two-year contract, and the 8GB iPhone 4 now available for free when subsidized by a mobile carrier. It's an improved value over last year's price drop, however, when both of the non-flagship models were stuck at 8GB of storage.
Gone from the...
iPhone 5 supports HD voice, will work on 20 carriers at launch
Apple's iPhone 5 supports wideband audio — commonly known by many carriers as HD voice — which provides a higher-fidelity call quality than subscribers are typically used to. The company says that it's got 20 carrier partners ready to deliver HD voice at device launch, thought it hasn't named them.
The technology has been around for many years and has been deployed by a handful of carriers around the world, but a lack of supported devices has prevented it from taking off — an iPhone,...
iPhone 5 includes smaller 'Lightning' dock connector design
One of the more persistent rumors around the iPhone 5 was related to a smaller dock connector design. Apple has now revealed that its new iPhone 5 will include a smaller version of the typical 30-pin dock connector — breaking compatibility with existing first- and third-party accessories. The new connector, dubbed Lightning, is 80 percent smaller than the old design with an 8-pin connector that is reversible for easier use. Apple has a solution to combat the accessory woes though, the...
The iPhone 5's new iSight camera is 25 percent smaller, 40 percent faster, features new panorama mode
During Apple's big press event today, the company unveiled the iPhone 5 and its brand new 8-megapixel iSight camera. The iPhone 4S' camera was considered to be the best in class when it launched last year, and the new camera on the iPhone 5 is no different. Where the iPhone 4S camera featured a f/2.4 aperture, five-element lens and backside illuminated sensor, the camera on the iPhone 5 has a smaller, but similar camera. The new camera is 25 percent smaller than the iPhone 4S shooter, yet it...
The Apple A6: a smaller processor for the iPhone 5 with twice the performance
Apple's new iPhone 5 has some fresh muscle inside: The Apple A6. The new system-on-chip is 22 percent smaller than the A5, and Apple says it has twice the CPU power and twice the graphical power inside.
Mind you, that's apples-to-apples comparison with the iPhone 4S, and not necessarily the third-generation iPad's A5X. The latter chip had a dual-core CPU with quad-core graphics, and we were expecting either a shrunken A5X or a new quad-core CPU for Apple's new phone. With twice the...
iPhone 5's LTE carriers include AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, and more
In the wake of the iPhone's support for LTE, carriers are immediately coming out of the woodwork to announce that their networks will be able to take advantage of it. In the US, AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint will all offer it; in Canada, Bell, Rogers, Telus, Fido, Virgin Mobile, and Koodo are on board. In Europe, the UK (on the just-announced EE network) and Germany will have it through T-Mobile. In Asia, Apple has announced Japan's SoftBank and KDDI, Korea's SKT and KT, Hong Kong's SmarTone, and...
iPhone 5 contains a 4-inch, 1136 x 640 resolution Retina display
Just as predicted, Apple's brand-new iPhone 5 comes with a 4-inch display with a 16:9 aspect ration and an 1136 x 640 resolution. That's good for 326 pixels per inch, exactly the same as the Retina display in the iPhone 4 and 4S. The OS now allows for a 5th row of icons, and Apple has updated all of its first-part software to let users take advantage of the bigger display. As for third-party apps, those will initially be displayed at their previous resolution with black bars on either side...
iPhone 5 to come with LTE worldwide
Apple has confirmed 4G LTE on the iPhone 5, promising better performance across a swath of carriers. The company touted its LTE iPhone, which will support voice and data over the network using one radio chip and a "dynamic" antenna. The phone will also support HSPA+ and DC-HSDPA. Altogether, three models for different carriers are planned: two GSM versions and one with CDMA. Apple isn't breaking hugely new ground with this announcement — LTE has been standard for the last year on many...
Apple announces iPhone 5-optimized apps
At its big iPhone 5 reveal today, Apple announced that a number of apps will be optimized for the new handset's screen resolution and size. Apple has updated its core apps to take advantage of the iPhone 5's extra screen area, and as rumored, has added a fifth row of icons to the home screen. The email and calendar apps now show more events and information, and Apple says it has updated the Keynote, Pages, Numbers, iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand apps as well. Apple says the iPhone 5 will...
Apple announces 4-inch iPhone 5 with LTE, Lightning connector, September 21st release date
The new iPhone is finally official. Apple has named its sixth-generation smartphone the iPhone 5 and Phil Schiller has detailed its full set of features, specs, and release details. Measuring 7.6mm in thickness and 112 grams in weight, this is the thinnest and lightest iPhone that Apple has ever made, and is constructed "entirely" out of glass and aluminum. The new iPhone looks pretty much identical to all the leaks and mockups we've seen in the past few weeks — evidently Apple wasn't able...
Live: The Vergecast Special Edition at the iPhone 5 event
Apple has an exciting day ahead, and our official iPhone 5 liveblog is the best place to go for up-to-the-second news from our own Josh and Nilay, who are on the ground in San Francisco. Minutes after the liveblog ends, however, you might want to plug in some earphones and tune in for a very special episode of The Vergecast for a deeper dive into all the major stories. Ross Miller and David Pierce will be hosting the broadcast live from our studio in New York, and you can expect fun,...
iPhone 5 with LTE, new iPod touch, and iPod nano leaked through Apple search results
We're just a few hours away from Apple's event, but it looks like iPhone 5 will be the name of the company's new flagship phone. 9to5Mac discovered that a search on Apple.com clearly reveals PR and product pages for the iPhone 5, though the links themselves are still dead. While it's not exactly surprising to see the iPhone 5 name after Apple tipped it on its event announcement last week, it's still a bit of a shock to see a company that's so focused on secrecy let these details leak out...
Official: Apple holding iPhone 5 event September 12th, and we'll be there live!
The industry has been abuzz with rumors that Apple was planning a reveal of its next iPhone in mid-September, and now we know the truth. The company has just mailed out invitations to an event in San Francisco on September 12th at 10AM PT at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts — where Apple has historically launched new products. The Verge will be there covering the event live, with minute-by-minute updates on everything and anything announced.
The next iPhone has been heavily rumored over...
iPhone 5: making sense of the rumors
We're almost a year on from the iPhone 4S' launch, and the world seems to agree that the time is right for a successor. We've been tracking some of the rumors about what many have dubbed the 'iPhone 5,' but we don't blame you if you feel a little overwhelmed — there's a lot out there and it's hard to know who to trust. With that in mind, we thought we'd sift through the most compelling rumors and let you know how we think Apple's next phone will shape up.
design
This time last year the...
