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Poll: are you buying the new iPhone 5s or iPhone 5c?
For the first time in the history of the iPhone product line, Apple today unveiled two entirely new products: the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c. Naturally, they're pretty well differentiated, which may make the decision to pick one up (or not) that much more challenging. So, we leave it to you, dear reader: are you planning to equip yourself with one of Apple's newest phones here in just a few weeks? If so, which one? If not, why? Of course, those who've found little to love about iOS have some fairly fantastic options coming their way this holiday season as well. Leave your vote and note below, won't you? And, please, keep it civil -- internet comments are forever, after all. %Poll-84522% Follow our liveblog for all of the iPhone news as it happened. Check out all the coverage at our iPhone 2013 event hub!
Apple iPhone 5s vs. iPhone 5c: which is for you?
We use the term loosely, but the iPhone is no longer a "one size fits all" smartphone. Today's Apple event marked the introduction of the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, and beyond price, the two devices are separated by several unique features. Considering your own desires for gaming, photography, security, style -- and yes, your budget -- it's likely that one phone is a better fit for your needs. So join us after the break as we explore the finer points of Apple's latest smartphones.
Apple's September 10th event roundup: iPhone 5s, 5c and iOS 7
Expected Apple to officially kill the the 30-pin connector today? Not so fast -- the company left the 4s clinging to life as a freebie. The big reveals today, however, were the all new iPhone 5s and lower-cost (and brighter-hued) 5c. You won't be able to get your hands on the latest iDevices until September 20th, so catch up on all of the news from today's event in our roundup after the break. Check out our liveblog of Apple's event to get the latest news as it happens! Check out all the coverage at our iPhone 2013 event hub!
Nike+ Move for iPhone 5s is a gateway to activity apps, won't replace a FuelBand
While Apple was explaining the iPhone 5s' new M7 motion coprocessor, it mentioned a Nike+ Move tracking app that left us wondering about the FuelBand's fate -- is it redundant? In a word, no. Nike tells us that Move is simply an "introductory experience" that generates a Nike Fuel score based on day-to-day movements. Those serious about activity tracking will want to continue using a FuelBand or the Nike+ Running app, the company says. While that news may prove disappointing for some fitness gurus, we wouldn't be too worried at this stage -- there are likely to be at least a few apps that combine M7 support with advanced features.
Apple's iPhone 5s and 5c event video is now available for your viewing pleasure
If you're looking to relive all that went down in Cupertino earlier today, the full-length event video is now online for you to do just that. From a stable of new iPhones to a shiny new mobile OS, Apple packed in the announcements and a viewing sessions affords you the chance to rehash the event in its entirety. Just check the source link below -- and make sure you've got Quicktime installed, of course.
AppleCare+ rolls out to three European countries, but incident fees climb to $79 in the US
While we were busy gawking at the iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s, Apple was quietly expanding the reach of its AppleCare+ extended support program. The service is now available in France, Italy and the UK, giving locals two years of iOS and iPod hardware support (including two accident claims) beyond the European requirements. Customers pay £79 (€99 in Europe) to cover an iPad or iPhone, and £49 (€59) to safeguard an iPod. Unfortunately, the expansion comes at a cost for Americans -- Apple is quietly hiking its AppleCare+ accident repair fee in the US from $49 to $79. While that's still cheaper than regular service, it's expensive enough that some may simply prefer to take better care of their gadgets. May we suggest a case?
New iPhones means new accessories: see the options right here
Welcome to the drama, the dilemmas, the sheer disbelief involved in picking accessories to go with your new iPhone. (Yes, an official 30-pin to Lightning adapter really costs that much). We can't promise to make the choices easy, but we can at least give you a glimpse of some of the bumpers and functional extras that Apple has revealed today, and link you up to the relevant pages on Apple's store (see the Source links below). Starting with the iPhone 5c, it's "unapologetically" plastic to start with, of course, but you can give it extra protection with an additional, colorful mesh-style plastic case. This costs $29 and comes in the same five colors as the phone itself, so you can either match the phone or mix it up with a secondary color. There's also a black option if you want to tone things down a bit. One more thing: the iPhone 5c gets it's own Lightning dock, which comes in plain white and costs $29. Next up: the iPhone 5s, which comes in very different color options -- silver, grey or gold -- and therefore gets a different set of bumper colors. These cost $49 $39 (correction: $49 is solely for the special (RED) charity case, regular cases are $39), they're made of leather on the outside and protective microfiber on the inside, and come in softer colors that are a bit tricky to describe (not least because this writer is red-green color blind): some kinda yellow, some kinda peach, some kinda... or just look at the image after the break. Lastly, Apple's website lists a $29 iPhone 5s dock too, which is cross-compatible with the regular iPhone 5.
iPhone 5s vs. iPhone 5: what's changed?
The iPhone 5s has finally been unveiled. Following an intense buildup of pre-announcement hype and leaks, Apple describes its latest flagship iOS device as the "most forwarding-thinking iPhone yet." Wondering how the specs compare to the regular 'ol 5, though? We're glad you asked because we've laid it all out just past the break. Check out our liveblog of Apple's event to get the latest news as it happens! Check out all the coverage at our iPhone 2013 event hub!
iPhone 5c and 5s coming to 9 countries, including the US and China on September 20th
Apple's new iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s are now in the wild, and here's how you'll be able to grab one. Both will arrive on September 20th in the US, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Singapore and the UK, with iPhone 5c pre-orders starting September 13th. That marks the first time China will get the iPhone at launch, and NTT DoCoMo will get it in Japan for the first time. By December, Apple said the phones will be available in over 100 countries. Stateside, a basic 16GB iPhone 5s model will run $199 for the 16GB version, $299 for 32GB and $399 for 64GB on a two year contract. The iPhone 5c will cost $99 for the 16GB model and $199 for the 32GB model. You'll also be able to grab them at those prices from AT&T, Sprint and Verizon, while an unlocked, contract free iPhone 5c will be available through T-Mobile for $549 (16GB) and $649 (32GB). T-Mobile will also have the unlocked iPhone 5s for $649, $749 and $849, for 16GB, 32GB and 64GB respectively. Though the iPhone 5 will be discontinued, the iPhone 4s will stay on the roster and be free on a two-year contract. The new models will start shipping out on September 20th (there's no pre-order for the iPhone 5s), but if you decide you want one in your hand on that very day, you can also hit Apple stores, of course -- if you're feeling lucky. Check out all the coverage at our iPhone 'Special Event' 2013 event hub!
Apple iPhone 4S now free on-contract in wake of iPhone 5c reveal
Just yesterday, the venerable iPhone 4S sat as Apple's mid-tier smartphone, but now it's moving into a new role as the company's go-to option for budget seekers: an 8GB iPhone 4S is now free on-contract. The news follows this morning's introduction of the iPhone 5c ($99), which brings a dash of color to Apple's mid-range and replaces the iPhone 5. A similar discount is also in effect for the unlocked iPhone 4S, which now sells for $450 outright for the new 8GB model. Alongside the price drop, the continuation of the iPhone 4S brings a reprieve for Apple's legacy 30-pin dock connector, which is an important consideration for compatibility-minded folks. Naturally, you won't find all the latest goodies -- or even LTE -- in this 2-year old smartphone, but living behind the curve sure is easier on the wallet. Check out all the coverage at our iPhone 'Special Event' 2013 event hub!
iPhone 5s fingerprint sensor called Touch ID, recognizes your thumb on the Home button: here's how it works and what it does (video)
Apple's brand-new iPhone 5s isn't dramatically different from last year's model, but it has at least one major addition: a "Touch ID" sensor. Us human beings are calling it a fingerprint sensor, and it's built into the phone's main Home button below the screen. Apple's Phil Schiller says, "It reads your fingerprint at an entirely new level" -- it's 170 microns in thickness with 500 ppi resolution. According to Cupertino, it "scans sub-epidermal skin layers," and can read 360 degrees. As expected, the sensor is actually part of the Home button, making it less of a button and more of a...well, sensor. Using Touch ID, users can authorize purchases in iTunes, the App Store, or in iBooks by simply using their thumbprint (starting in iOS 7, of course). Pretty neat / scary! As rumored, the sensor uses a laser cut sapphire crystal cover; it retains a tactile input for those wary of the sensor wearing down after lengthy use. The sapphire crystal, acting as a lens, takes a highly detailed image of your fingerprint, which Apple says is "never stored on Apple servers or backed up to iCloud." According to Apple's official PR on the new phone, Touch ID's fingerprint info is "encrypted and stored securely in the Secure Enclave inside the A7 chip" (the A7 chip is the new processor at the heart of the 5s). Apple hasn't made clear whether Touch ID allows for multiple users on a single iPhone or not, nor has the company said whether you could turn off fingerprint authentication (though we have to presume the answer is yes given previous authentication standards on the iPhone). The fingerprint ID technology was long rumored as heading to 2013's iPhone following Apple's acquisition of Authentec last summer. A render of the iPhone 5s outed the new functionality's name just this week. We'll have more on Touch ID in our upcoming hands-on live from Cupertino, and you can find all our Apple event coverage from today right here. Update: Here's Apple's take on its Touch ID sensor -- video right after the break. Check out all the coverage at our iPhone 'Special Event' 2013 event hub!
iPhone 5s packs M7 motion-sensing chip, CoreMotion API for more accurate tracking
Apple's new flagship iPhone 5s is about to have much more detailed information about how much its users are moving, thanks to a new M7 "Motion co-processor." Unveiled during today's live event, it works along with the new 64-bit A7 CPU to measure motion data continuously from the accelerometer, gyroscope and compass without draining the battery as heavily. It looks like the iPhone 5s will be ready to take over for hardware extras like the FitBit or Nike Fuel wristband, but with a new CoreMotion API, devs for those companies and others can pull the information into their apps. The CoreMotion API specifically works to identify user movement, and offers "optimizations based on contextual awareness." Overall, it's very similar to what we'd heard would be in the Moto X, although we haven't seen all of these extra sensors used for activity tracking quite in this way. Nike was on hand with a new Nike+ Move app that used the M7 and GPS to track users' activities, and we wouldn't be surprised if others follow closely behind. Nike called the Move app an "introductory experience" to Nike Fuel in a tweet, so maybe it's planning to upsell customers on (potentially?) more detailed tracking with its hardware add-ons afterward. Check out all the coverage at our iPhone 'Special Event' 2013 event hub!
Apple details new iPhone camera: slow-motion video, burst shooting, 15 percent larger active sensor area
Now that Apple's announced the new iPhone 5s, it's taking some time to detail the camera, which, as you'd expect, has been upgraded for 2013. The new module includes a five-element, Apple-designed lens with f/2.2 aperture and -- this is important -- a 15 percent larger active sensor area to help cut down on noise. Also, as rumored, Apple is adding high-speed, 120fps video recording so you can make slow-motion videos (in 720p only, it looks like). One rumor that wasn't true: the one about optical image stabilization. Yes, Apple says there's image stabilization here, but it appears to be just the digital kind. Hope we haven't disappointed you too much. Additionally, the camera allows for burst shooting at up to 10 frames per second -- just make sure you're holding down the shutter button. Wrapping up, other features include autofocus matrix metering, with the ability to let the camera automatically pick the sharpest shot. There's also automatic exposure adjustment in panorama mode and a new flash called True Tone. Marketing speak aside, the flash is comprised of 1,000 unique variations in flash tone to reduce clashing color temperatures. Curiously, despite going into good detail about the camera, Apple didn't mention the resolution of the camera -- normally a headline spec -- so we're wondering if it's still capped at eight megapixels. (We're going to go with yes.) If we hear anything else, we'll update this post, but for now, enjoy our liveblog, and get ready for us to revisit these camera tweaks in our eventual review. Update: Now that Apple's posted the complete spec list for the iPhone 5s, we've been able to confirm this is indeed an 8-megapixel camera.
iOS 7 will be 64-bit, just like the iPhone 5s' new A7 chip
In addition to announcing its new 64-bit A7 chip, which will power the flagship iPhone 5s, Apple also revealed that iOS 7 itself will be 64-bit. This means a native 64-bit kernel, along with 64-bit libraries and drivers. Accordingly, all of the native apps that come baked into iOS have been retooled to serve up faster performance (don't worry, iOS 7 will still run 32-bit apps from third-party developers). For devs who do want to make the switch, Apple is promising a "seamless" transition, though details are light at the moment. In the meantime, between the A7 chip and this software tune-up, Apple is promising the CPU performance will be 40 times what we saw in the original iPhone. Then again, comparing the new iPhones to the one that came out in 2007 isn't a very helpful comparison -- you might just have to wait for our initial hands-on and, later, a full review. Check out all the coverage at our iPhone 'Special Event' 2013 event hub!
Apple unveils A7 chip, brings 64-bit processing to the iPhone 5s
Apple has just laid claim to a world first: 64-bit processing inside a real, ready-for-sale smartphone. The new A7 processor will power the iPhone 5s with a "desktop-class architecture" consisting of over 1 billion transistors. That's twice as many transistors as were squeezed into the A6 and, for the sake of context, it's not a million miles away from the 1.4 billion transistors found in a current Intel Ivy Bridge desktop-class PC chip. In other words, while ARM's own 64-bit mobile chip design, the Cortex-A57, is still being developed by chip- and phone-makers, Apple's in-house team has pipped them all to the post. Largely as a result of the extra transistors and 64-bit architecture, the A7 is claimed to be twice as fast as its predecessor, both in terms of CPU and graphics performance. Speaking of graphics, Apple also promises that its newly added support for the OpenGL ES 3.0 standard will enable "breakthroughs in performance" for visually intensive games such as Infinity Blade III. And it won't just be games that benefit -- iOS 7 will be 64-bit too, naturally, and Apple's own built-in apps will be "re-engineered" to exploit this next-gen processing capability. (The A7 and iPhone 5s will also be backwards compatible with existing 32-bit apps.) Finally, it's interesting note that the iPhone 5s has a secondary processor, the Apple M7, which is tailored for processing motion and other sensory inputs and is presumably designed for unburdening the main chip and allowing the iPhone 5s to work as a fitness tracker and accomplish other sensory-based tasks without excessive battery drain. Check out all the coverage at our iPhone 'Special Event' 2013 event hub!
Apple introduces the iPhone 5s, launching September 20th starting at $199
Ladies and gentleman, the moment you've all been waiting for. As expected, this afternoon's day-brightening news (or part of it, at least) arrived in Cupertino in the form of a brand-new handset. CEO Tim Cook took to the stage at Apple HQ to introduce the world to the iPhone 5s (lowercase "s," mind), the second of two handsets announced today. The new phone follows the number- / letter-naming scheme set in place way back in twenty 'o nine with the introduction of the 3GS and carried on with 2011's 4S. As with those handsets, the new device's name implies that this round is something of an iterative update to last year's iPhone 5. According to Phil Schiller, the handset is "the most forward-thinking phone we've ever created." As expected, it's set to arrive in three colors: black, silver and gold. The 5s is crafted in high-grade aluminum with chamfered edges. What the the "s" stand for? Well, inside, you'll find a 64-bit A7 processor that features twice the number of transistors as its predecessor, clocking in at more than 1 billion, according to Schiller -- the CPU and GPU, meanwhile, promise speeds twice as fast. There's OpenGL ES 3.0 on board, but the next-gen handset still promises, thankfully, to remain compatible with the 32-bit apps of yesteryear. The 5s also rocks the new M7, which monitors motion data in real-time, with help from the accelerometer, gyroscope and compass -- a feature that'll work nicely with fitness apps like the new Nike+ Move.
iTunes Radio launches September 18th alongside the release of iOS 7
We heard rumblings a few weeks ago that Apple's streaming service was due to launch this month and now it seems those reports were true. The folks in Cupertino just announced that iTunes Radio will launch on September 18th in tandem with a redesigned iOS 7. The ability to create custom stations based on individual music tastes and personal iTunes libraries will hit Apple devices in a week's time. Of course, you'll need a $25-per-year iTunes Match subscription to keep listening to sessions ad-free, otherwise you'll be prone to regular interruptions of that Yacht Rock station every few minutes. Check out all the coverage at our iPhone 'Special Event' 2013 event hub!
Apple announces the iPhone 5c: 4-inch Retina display, plastic design, available in five colors starting at $99 on-contract
And then there were two. Apple has for the first time announced a second new iPhone model: the iPhone 5c. As rumored, the device has a colorful new polycarbonate design, which Apple says is made from a single part save the front panel -- the whole of which is a multitouch surface -- and reinforced with a steel structure that's said to be made using a new construction method. It's "beautifully, unapologetically plastic," according to Apple's Jony Ive. As for specs, you'll get the same 4-inch Retina display as the iPhone 5 (full sRGB), plus an A6 processor, LTE, Bluetooth 4.0 and dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi connectivity, a higher capacity battery and an 8-megapixel, backside-illuminated camera with a 5-element lens. A new front-facing camera also promises better performance in low light. Available in blue, white, pink, yellow and green, the 5C will set you back $99 on a two-year contract for the 16GB version, or $199 for the 32GB (off-contract options run $549 and $649). Those looking for a bit of added protection can also opt for one of the new cases that Apple has designed to match the phone -- they'll set you back $29 apiece. Pre-orders will open up on September 13th, with the phone set to ship alongside the iPhone 5s a week later on September 20th. Check out all the coverage at our iPhone 'Special Event' 2013 event hub!
Apple's iWork, iMovie and iPhoto will now be available for free on new iOS devices
Today at Apple's next-generation iPhone event, Tim Cook revealed on stage that the iWork suite of applications -- Keynote, Pages and Numbers -- will be available for free on all new iOS devices. That's not it, however, as the Apple CEO also announced that iPhoto and iMovie will follow suit and be up for grabs at no cost. Apple only mentioned that this will apply to "new" devices and the 5th-gen iPod touch -- we're looking into which other iPhone and iPad models can also take advantage of the company's now-free productivity apps, so stay tuned to this post as we'll be updating it as soon we find out. Update: As some you, our dear readers, have pointed out, below is the official footnote displayed on Apple's website. iPhoto, iMovie, Keynote, Pages, and Numbers are free on the App Store for qualifying iOS 7 compatible devices activated after September 1, 2013. See www.apple.com/ios/whats-new/for iOS 7 compatible devices. Downloading apps requires an Apple ID. Check out all the coverage at our iPhone 'Special Event' 2013 event hub!
iOS 7 arrives on Apple devices September 18th
The wait is over. Apple's overhauled OS will be available for download on qualifying devices next week. Control Center, retooled notifications, redesigned calendar and improved Siri functionality alongside numerous other tweaks and thinner typography will soon be a mere download away. In order to take advantage of the update, you'll need an iPhone 4 or later, iPad 2 or later, iPad mini or fifth-generation iPod touch. As always, this is a free download for device owners which means that grouping photos by moments and iTunes Radio are set to arrive in just over a week. Check out all the coverage at our iPhone 'Special Event' 2013 event hub!
