Apple Introduces iPhone 5

Thinnest, Lightest iPhone Ever Features All-New Aluminum Design, Stunning 4-Inch Retina Display, A6 Chip & Ultrafast Wireless

SAN FRANCISCO—September 12, 2012—Apple® today announced iPhone® 5, the thinnest and lightest iPhone ever, completely redesigned to feature a stunning new 4-inch Retina™ display; an Apple-designed A6 chip for blazing fast performance; and ultrafast wireless technology*—all while delivering even better battery life.** iPhone 5 comes with iOS 6, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system with over 200 new features including: the all new Maps app with Apple-designed cartography and turn-by-turn navigation; Facebook integration; Passbook® organization; and even more Siri® features and languages.

“iPhone 5 is the most beautiful consumer device that we’ve ever created,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “We’ve packed an amazing amount of innovation and advanced technology into a thin and light, jewel-like device with a stunning 4-inch Retina display, blazing fast A6 chip, ultrafast wireless, even longer battery life; and we think customers are going to love it.”

iPhone 5 is the thinnest smartphone in the world, with an all-new 7.6 mm anodized aluminum body that is 18 percent thinner and 20 percent lighter than iPhone 4S. Designed with an unprecedented level of precision, iPhone 5 combines an anodized aluminum body with diamond cut chamfered edges and glass inlays for a truly incredible fit and finish.

The new 4-inch Retina display on iPhone 5 delivers even more pixels than iPhone 4S, making the already incredible Retina display even better. By making the screen taller, not wider, iPhone 5 is just as easy to use with one hand so you can tap, type and scroll the same way you always have, while enjoying even more of your content including amazing apps optimized for the larger Retina display, widescreen HD video, a full five days of your Calendar and more of every web page.

iPhone 5 supports ultrafast wireless standards including LTE and DC-HSDPA, so you can browse, download and stream content even faster. To support the latest LTE technology, Apple has pioneered a unique single-radio LTE solution that provides blazing fast speeds while fitting perfectly into the new remarkably thin design. iPhone 5 features dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi support for a wireless experience up to 150 Mbps.***

The all-new A6 chip was designed by Apple to maximize performance and power efficiency to support all the incredible new features in iPhone 5, including the stunning new 4-inch Retina display—all while delivering even better battery life. With up to twice the CPU and graphics performance, almost everything you do on iPhone 5 is blazing fast for launching apps, loading web pages and downloading email attachments.

The 8 megapixel iSight® camera is the most popular camera in the world and with iPhone 5, it’s even better. The new camera is completely redesigned with incredible optical performance, yet amazingly it’s 25 percent smaller than the camera in iPhone 4S. The new iSight camera in iPhone 5 features a sapphire crystal lens cover that is thinner and more durable than standard glass with the ability to provide crystal clear images. The new panorama feature lets you capture jaw-dropping panorama images of up to 28 megapixels by simply moving the camera across a scene in one smooth motion. New video features include improved stabilization, video face detection for up to 10 faces and the ability to take still photos as you record. A new FaceTime® HD front facing camera makes FaceTime calls incredibly clear and can also be used for self portraits and recording 720p HD video. iPhone 5 also allows you to share photos with friends and family using iCloud’s Shared Photo Streams.

iPhone 5 features the new Lightning™ connector that is smaller, smarter and more durable than the previous connector. The all-digital Lightning connector features an adaptive interface that uses only the signals that each accessory requires, and it’s reversible so you can instantly connect to your accessories. The Lightning-to-30-pin Adapter is also available to connect iPhone 5 to legacy 30-pin accessories.****

iPhone 5 introduces new enhanced audio features including a new beam-forming, directional microphone system for higher quality sound, while background noise fades away with new noise canceling technology. iPhone 5 now includes support for cellular wideband audio for crisper word clarity and more natural sounding speech. Wideband audio will be supported by over 20 carriers worldwide at launch. iPhone 5 comes with the new Apple EarPods™ featuring a breakthrough design for a more natural fit and increased durability, and an incredible acoustic quality typically reserved for higher-end earphones.

iPhone 5 comes with iOS 6, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system with over 200 new user features including: an all new Maps app with Apple-designed cartography, turn-by-turn navigation and an amazing new Flyover™ view; Facebook integration for Contacts and Calendar, with the ability to post directly from Notification Center; Passbook, the simplest way to get all your passes in one place; new Siri features, including support for more languages, easy access to sports scores, restaurant recommendations and movie listings;***** Siri and Facebook-enabled apps like Photos, Safari® and Maps; and Shared Photo Streams via iCloud®.

Pricing & Availability
iPhone 5 comes in either white & silver or black & slate, and will be available in the US for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) for the 16GB model and $299 (US) for the 32GB model and $399 (US) for the 64GB model. iPhone 5 will be available from the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores, and through AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless and select Apple Authorized Resellers. iPhone 5 will be available in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and the UK on Friday, September 21, and customers can pre-order their iPhone 5 beginning Friday, September 14. iPhone 4S will also be available for just $99 (US) and iPhone 4 will be available for free with a two-year contract.****** iOS 6 software will be available on Wednesday, September 19 as a free software update.

iPhone 5 will roll out worldwide to 22 more countries on September 28, including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

* LTE is available through select carriers. Network speeds are dependent on carrier networks, check with your carrier for details.
** Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.
*** Based on theoretical speeds, actual speeds may vary.
**** Sold separately.
***** Not all features are supported in all countries.
****** Availability varies by carrier.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.

Apple's next-generation iPhone liveblog! -- Engadget

Apple's next-generation iPhone liveblog! -- Engadget

Sprint Ramps LTE with 100-City Rollout

Sprint plans to turn on its LTE network in more than 100 new cities in the coming months as it moves aggressively to catch up with Verizon Wireless and AT&T.

The operator said Monday construction was underway in markets including Boston, Chicago, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

Installation of LTE equipment is in "various stages" in every city, Sprint Communications Manager Heather Wong said in an interview. Specific launch dates have not been announced. A full list of the cities is available in Sprint's announcement.

"We're definitely on track in our plans," Wong said. Sprint expects to have its LTE buildout largely completed by the end of next year along with the rest of its network modernization efforts.

The 100-city rollout is a considerable ramp from Sprint's current 19-city LTE footprint. Verizon Wireless' LTE network is available in more than 370 markets and AT&T's LTE service is live in about 60 markets.

Investors are keeping a close eye on Sprint's execution of the complex network overhaul, which has it simultaneously decommissioning its iDEN network and replacing its base stations with new multimode equipment that supports LTE.

The operator, which carries a significant amount of debt on its balance sheet, is hinging its turnaround efforts on network improvements and the LTE deployment.

Report: Next iPhone May Not Have it Easy in U.S.

While Apple has not confirmed an iPhone 5, all signs point to an announcement tomorrow.

Investors in recent weeks have pushed Apple stock to record highs on rumor alone, with shares of the stock trading at $680 last Friday. But do record share prices necessarily portend record sales? Maybe not, at least here in the United States.

Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis for NPD Group, says that the iPhone might be a big hit around the world, but conditions might not be ripe for record sales here in the America.

In a post on NPD's official blog, Baker notes there are a few variables that could leave Apple's iPhone 5 sales just shy of the usual otherworldly expectations heaped upon the company's products.

Baker contends that the iPhone 5's success in this country may have little to do with "the strength of the new product offering, its hardware configuration, its marketing, or even its competition," but rather the simple fact that the U.S. smartphone market appears to have matured.

Key to Baker's argument is the flattening of postpaid smartphone sales recently, which hasn't been the case for past iPhone launches.

According to NPD, overall smartphone sales in the United States have been driven largely by pre-paid smartphones, with total smartphone unit-volume sales rising just 9 percent in the second quarter of 2012, compared to the second quarter 2011. Year-over-year post-paid smartphone unit sales were flat, while pre-paid smartphone unit volume almost doubled, rising 91 percent year over year.

Also, Baker argues that Samsung and Apple have already chewed up most of what they can take from Research In Motion and Nokia's market share.

"There is no clear #3 player to steal market share from, Samsung/Android and Apple have run away from the pack in the last year," Baker wrote.

Finally, Apple will be launching this latest model less than a year since it introduced the 4S, leaving many consumers trapped in 2-year contracts with little or no subsidy on an upgrade. Supposing the next iPhone costs $200 on contract, AT&T customers who bought into a contract with the iPhone 4S would have to pay $450 for the iPhone 5, which is what that carrier calls an "early iPhone upgrade discount."

To be sure, the iPhone 5 will be met with applause from Apple's loyal fans, but Baker appears to be asking the question for how long that base can afford to support Apple's record sales number with every successive device.

"Apple will have a highly successful launch, of that there can be no doubt," Baker wrote, "but the inevitability of easy market share gains in the U.S. is not quite so apparent this time around, as it has been in the past."

Apple is expected to unveil the next iPhone at an event in San Francisco tomorrow, with a launch later this month. Is expected that the new iPhone will have a larger screen, as well as LTE connectivity. -Andrew Berg of Wireless Week

iPhone 5 faces U.S. market share challenges, says analyst

The iPhone 5 may have a tough time carving out a greater chunk of market share in the U.S., says NPD Group analyst Stephen Baker.

Expected to launch tomorrow, the new iPhone is already being touted as a blockbuster product by many analysts. But in a blog posted today, Baker said he thinks the iPhone 5 faces a different and more challenging enviroment than the one encountered by the iPhone 4 or even 4S.

BlackBerry sinks to zero sales in 'a meaningful number' of stores

Research In Motion has several things to worry about. But who knew shelf space was one of them?

Pacific Crest analyst James Faucette told All Things Digital in an interview published today that his retail checks indicate "BlackBerry sales were largely unchanged in August versus July; however, we detected meaningfully lower inventory levels versus a month ago." Translation? Carriers are content with fewer BlackBerrys, since they might not sell many of them.

T-Mobile Launches Campaign to Lure iPhone Users

T-Mobile USA, the only "Big 4" phone company that doesn't sell the iPhone, now wants to snag used ones from AT&T.

Starting Wednesday, when Apple is expected to reveal a new iPhone model, T-Mobile will start advertising that AT&T iPhone owners who are out of contract can switch to T-Mobile.

"We expect that consumers will start trading in older devices," said Harry Thomas, T-Mobile's director of marketing. "For every person waiting in line for the next model, a lot of them have to find a secondary market for that older device."

Apple Inc. hasn't said anything about a new iPhone, but it is expected to announce the iPhone 5 at an event it has scheduled in San Francisco on Wednesday. Sales would likely start later this month.

Signing an iPhone up for T-Mobile service has been possible for years, and the company says it has more than a million iPhones on its network. But they suffer a big penalty in data speeds, taking about 50 times longer to download files than on AT&T Inc.'s network.

This year, T-Mobile is reshuffling the frequencies on its network, which will let it match or even exceed AT&T's data speeds on iPhones. For now, that will be evident only in a few spots here and there in such cities as New York, Seattle, Las Vegas and Washington.

Sprint and Verizon iPhones of the "4'' model won't work on T-Mobile's network at all. The later iPhone 4S will work if it's been hacked, but that's not something T-Mobile wants to get into.

AT&T iPhones have to be unlocked using codes that AT&T will supply after the customer's contract is up.

T-Mobile, the U.S. cellphone business of Deutsche Telekom AG of Germany, has bought 3,000 iPhones and spread them out in its stores, so salespeople can demonstrate the iPhone working.

T-Mobile's pitch will center on its unlimited data plan, which it reintroduced last week. AT&T stopped signing up new customers to unlimited plans two years ago, and now slows down service drastically for the rest of the billing cycle once those still on old unlimited plans reach a certain level of data usage.

In Atlanta and New York, T-Mobile will be giving away $100 gift cards to customers who sign their iPhones up for two-year contracts.

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