With the usual stratospherically high expectations, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook once again took to the stage today to kick things off. Here is a summary of the event, including the announcement of the Apple iPhone 5:
- Update on Apple’s retail stores and sales:
- Apple now has 380 stores in 12 countries, promising “best buying experience and the best customer service on the planet.”
- 83 million visitors to its stores last year alone
- 7 million Mountain Lion upgrades downloaded since launch this summer
- Apple notebooks have held #1 position in US for the past three months
- 17 million iPads sold last quarter bringing total since lauch of first iPad to 84 million
- 400 million iOS devices sold across the world up to June 2012
- 700,000 apps now in Apple App Store
- Apple iPhone 5 announced:
- Made entirely of aluminium and glass
- 18% thinner than the iPhone 4 and billed as the thinnest smartphone at 7.6 millimeters
- 112 grams (or 20% lighter than iPhone 4)
- 4-inch 16:9 1136 x 640 pixel Retina Display (326ppi)
- Display sports integrated touch sensors, effectively eliminating a layer and making it thinner and sharper
- Apps such iWork updated for iPhone 5 and the new display. Apps that are not updated will be centered on the display with black borders on sides.
- LTE connectivity as well as HSPA+ and DC-HSDPA
- In Canada, iPhone 5 will run on Bell, Fido, Koodo, Rogers, TELUS, Virgin Mobile
- Wi-Fi upgraded to support dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz on 802.11n
- New Apple A6 offering twice the processor and GPU performance compared to A5. Also 22% smaller
- Improved battery – Promised to last longer than that of iPhone 4S: 8 hours for LTE, 8 hours for 3G talk time, or 10 hours for Wi-Fi or video
- Improved camera with 8MP sensor, f/2.4 aperture, and 25% smaller than that of iPhone 4S
- New camera promises faster image capture, improved low-light performance, new Panormama mode
- HD FaceTime camera
- Facetime over cellular networks now possible (as long as carriers support it)
- Improved speakers are 20% smaller
- New connector called Lightning. 80% smaller, all-digital, and reversible
- Adapter for 30-pin accessories will be available to enable to work with the iPhone 5
- Available in 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB variants
- Available in black or white
- New version of iOS
- iOS 6:
- Updated version of Maps now include search engine for points of interest, turn-by-turn directions, and 3D mode
- Updated Notification Center
- Improved Safari includes fullscreen mode and tab syncing with other devices (such as your desktop)
- New PassBook to manage items like tickets, boarding passes, cards, etc
- Upgrade for qualifying devices will start September 19th
- iTunes
- Revamped iOS design as 66% of downloads now come from iOS
- Facebook integration
- New version of PC version includes revamped navigation and new mini player
- New feature: “Up Next” lets you queue up songs
- New version to be available in late October
- iPods
- 350 million iPods sold to date
- New iPod nano with larger 2.5-inch display (supporting multitouch), new Home button, FM tuner, video support and Lightning connector. Available in 7 colours
- iPod nano includes Bluetooth for the first time
- Revamped iPod touch: anodized aluminium, 4-inch display like on iPhone 5, 5MP camera with 1080p video capture. Powered by Apple’s A5 chip. 6.1 millimeters thick and 88 grams. 5 colours.
- iPod touch also comes with “the loop,” essentially a strap
- Improved wireless capabilities: 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0
- iPod touch now comes with Siri and AirPlay mirroring
- New EarPod headphones
- Three years in the making
- Designed to fit everyone’s ears
- Promise to direct sound right into the ear.
- Standalone accessory available as of today. Will also be included with iPhone 5, new iPod touch, and new iPod nano
The iPhone 5 will sell for the same price as the iPhone 4S did before today. The 16GB model will sell for US$199, the 32GB for US$299, and 64GB model for US$399 (with contract of course). The 16GB iPhone 4S will drop to US$99 and iPhone 4 to US$0 again with contract.
Pre-orders will begin on September 14th with shipments to Canada and the U.S. (and a few other countries) to start on September 21st. By December, the Apple iPhone 5 will be available in 100 countries through 240 carriers.
The iPod shuffle will sell for US$49 and the new 16GB iPod nano for US$149. The 4th generation iPod touch will continue to be offered for US$199 for the 16GB model and US$249 for the 32GB model. The new iPod touch will come with 32GB or 64GB and sell for US$299 and US$399 respectively. They will be available in October.
And that’s a wrap… I guess we now wait for a second Apple event in October for the iPod mini…