When we envisioned the new iPhone, we landed on a remarkably thin and light design. But it’s nearly impossible to make a device so thin and so light without sacrificing features or performance.
We could have taken the easy way out and designed something more reasonable and less remarkable. But we didn’t. If the technology didn’t exist, we invented it. If a component wasn’t small enough, we re-imagined it. If convention was standing in the way, we left it behind. The result is iPhone 5: the thinnest, lightest, fastest iPhone ever.
iPhone 5 is just 7.6 millimetres thin. To make that happen, Apple engineers had to think small, component by component. They created a nano-SIM card, which is 44 per cent smaller than a micro-SIM. They also developed a unique cellular solution that allows iPhone 5 to support the latest wireless technologies but doesn’t sacrifice speed, battery life or its slim profile. The intelligent, reversible Lightning connector is 80 per cent smaller than the 30-pin connector. The 8-megapixel iSight camera has even more features ? like panorama and dynamic low-light boost ? yet it’s 25 per cent smaller. And the new A6 chip is up to two times faster than the A5 chip but 22 per cent smaller. Even with so much inside, iPhone 5 is 20 per cent lighter and 18 per cent thinner than iPhone 4S.
A remarkably slim design that still makes room for a larger display and a faster chip. Ultrafast wireless that doesn’t sacrifice battery life. And all-new headphones designed to sound great and fit comfortably. So much went into this iPhone. So you could get even more out of it.
Thin, sleek and very capable.
It’s hard to believe a phone so thin could offer so many features: a larger display, a faster chip, the latest wireless technology, an 8-megapixel iSight camera and more. All in a beautiful aluminium body designed and made with an unprecedented level of precision. iPhone 5 measures a mere 7.6 millimetres thin and weighs just 112 grams.1 That’s 18 per cent thinner and 20 per cent lighter than iPhone 4S. The only way to achieve a design like this is by relentlessly considering (and reconsidering) every single detail ? including the details you don’t see.
4-inch Retina display. It’s not just bigger. It’s just right.
More display means more to see.
Anyone can make a larger smartphone display. But if you go large for large’s sake, you end up with a phone that feels oversized, awkward and hard to use. iPhone 5 features a 4-inch display designed the right way: it’s bigger, but it’s the same width as iPhone 4S. So everything you’ve always done with one hand ? typing on the keyboard, for instance ? you can still do with one hand. On a larger canvas that lets you see more of every web page. More of your inbox. More events on your calendar. Even more apps on your Home screen.
It’s more vibrant too.
This isn’t just a larger display. It’s a larger Retina display. At 326 pixels per inch, it has a pixel density so high your eye can’t distinguish individual pixels. And as stunning as the Retina display is on the iPhone 4S, this one gives you 18 per cent more pixels for an impressive 1136-by-640 resolution. Colours get a boost too, with colour saturation that’s 44 per cent greater than before. So with iPhone 5, the games you play, the words you read, the images you see, and the apps you love look and feel incredibly vivid and lifelike. For big-time entertainment, iPhone 5 lets you watch widescreen HD video in all its glory ? without letterboxing.
iPhone 5 is nearly 9 millimetres taller than iPhone 4S, but it’s the same width. So it’s just as easy to type with one hand.
Next-generation cellular and wireless connectivity.
iPhone 5 supports more networks all over the world. That includes advanced networks such as HSPA, HSPA+ and DC-HSDPA. Browse, download and stream content at ultrafast speeds. Dual-band 802.11n wireless connectivity accelerates your Wi-Fi experience too ? up to 150 Mbps.2
Faster CPU performance.
With the new A6 chip, just about everything you do on iPhone 5 is noticeably faster ? up to twice as fast compared to the A5 chip. So apps launch, web pages load and email attachments appear almost instantly.
Faster graphics.
The A6 chip also offers graphics performance that’s up to twice as fast as the A5. So you can power through graphics-intensive apps and games. And enjoy higher frame rates for smoother, more realistic gameplay.
Even better battery life.
Not only is the A6 chip custom designed to be fast, it’s custom designed to work with iOS 6 to be extremely power-efficient. So even at its accelerated speed, iPhone 5 has more than enough battery power to last throughout the day ? up to eight hours of browsing on a cellular connection, up to eight hours of talk time and up to 10 hours of video playback time.3
A breakthrough for ears everywhere.
Just like fingerprints, ears are unique parts of the body. Which means earbud headphones fit differently on everyone. So rather than use the speaker as the starting point for new headphones, Apple designers and engineers started with the ear. They tested over a hundred prototype designs on hundreds of people. All with the goal of creating earbuds that rest comfortably inside ? and stay inside ? a variety of ear types, while also producing quality sound. The result is a breakthrough for earbud headphones: Apple EarPods. They’re unlike anything you’ve ever seen or heard. Watch the EarPods video
Enhanced audio on iPhone 5.
Apple EarPods are just the beginning of the improved audio experience on iPhone 5. It’s designed with three microphones: one on the front, one on the back and one on the bottom. The front and back mics work together to achieve beamforming ? a technique that helps iPhone focus on sound from the desired location for clearer audio. New noise-cancelling technology reduces background noise. So when you hold iPhone up to your ear in a loud room, you hear what matters most: the voice on the other end.
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