iPhone 5

iPhone 5 is a touchscreen-based smartphone developed by Apple Inc. It is the sixth and most recent generation of the iPhone. It was announced on September 12, 2012, and is scheduled to begin shipping on September 21, 2012. Unlike its predecessor, the new iPhone 5 has a bigger 4-inch screen rather than the traditional 3.5-inch screen and a smaller 8-pin dock connector compared to its predecessor, and is also lighter, thinner and faster. It is the first iPhone that supports 4G (LTE) and has a screen with an aspect ratio of nearly 16:9 (like most HDTVs currently sold, and matching newer content that's delivered in the same aspect ratio). Apple claims it is the thinnest smartphone in the world. The official slogan for the iPhone 5 was "The biggest thing to happen to iPhone since iPhone".

Hardware

There are actually three separate models of the phone available, depending on what mobile format and 4G (LTE) connectivity bands needed to be supported in the country/region the device is sold in.

All versions of the iPhone 5 are 18% thinner, 20% lighter, and have 12% less overall volume than its predecessor, the iPhone 4S. The iPhone features an improved system on chip (SOC), dubbed the Apple A6, which Apple says will achieve twice the performance of the A5. The camera has improved low light performance, and is 40% faster than its predecessor's. The built-in rechargeable lithium-ion polymer battery is rated at 225 hours of standby time and 8 hours of talk time. The display is 1136 × 640 pixels with an aspect ratio of nearly 16:9.

Storage capacities remain at 16, 32 or 64 GB, as the 4S before it. The two color options are black (with black glass and slate-colored metal trim), and white (with white glass and silver-colored metal trim); again the same color options (though differently implemented) as its predecessor the 4S had.

The SIM is a nano-SIM, which is smaller than the micro-SIM fitted to the iPhone 4 and 4S.

Apple Lightning connector

The iPhone 5 (with iPod Touch (5th generation), and iPod Nano (7th generation) as well) feature a new dock connector named Lightning, which replaces the 30-pin Apple Dock connector introduced in 2003 by Apple on older iOS devices. The Apple Lightning connector has 8-pins and all signaling is digital. This new connector is smaller than the previous one allowing the iPhone 5 slimmer form factor. Apple Lightning cables have duplicate pins on two sides of each plug so it will insert in either direction. Various accessories will be available to convert the Apple Lightning connector to the older 30-pin Apple Dock connector or USB,although not all old accessories will work, as not all signals are available, including iPod video and audio out.