Apple debuts the iPhone 5s, shipping September 20 starting at $199
In addition to the iPhone 5c, Apple officially announced the iPhone 5s. Billed as "the most forward-thinking phone we've ever created," the new phone introduces a gold-toned option that hit the rumor mill in recent weeks.
The phone will be available in gold, silver and "space grey" backs with white glass for the gold and silver options and black glass for the space grey. It is made of a high-grade aluminum with cut, chamfered edges.
It contains a 64-bit A7 chip which Apple claims is 40 times faster than the CPU and GPU in the original iPhone. The new chip, which is backwards-compatible with 32-bit iOS apps, supports OpenGL ES 3.0 graphics. iOS 7 will support the 64-bit kernel.
The phone also has a motion co-processor dubbed the M7 that measures motion data from the onboard accelerometer, gyroscope and compass. There will also be a CoreMotion API to keep track of user movements. These sensors can operate when the phone is in standby mode, allowing for new fitness and motion-based apps.
The battery life is listed at 10 hours of cellular talk time, 250 hours on standby, 10 hours of web browsing on LTE and 40 hours of music playback.
The camera has a new Apple-designed lens with an f/2.2 aperture, 15 percent larger active sensor area, a new True Tone flash and support for burst mode and slo-mo video.
The iPhone 5s will also have a fingerprint sensor known as Touch ID. The sensor is built into the home button and is 170 microns thin. The steel ring around the button detects your finger as well so you don't have to actually press the button. Touch ID will allow for iOS App Store and iTunes purchasing as well as unlocking the phone.
The iPhone 5s will be 16 GB for US$199, 32 GB for $299 and 64 GB for $399. Cases will be available for $39 each. The phone will be released on September 20 in nine countries, including China -- the first time that country has debut a new iPhone at launch. Preorder info is not yet available.
