The new iPhone 5 is possibly the most dramatic outward change in the five-year history of the iPhone. Previous models have gone from a curved plastic back to flat glass, but they've always stayed the same shape and size.
Want to see exactly how much the iPhone has changed? Here's your chance. Click through the photos above to see Apple's latest toy compared with the iPhone 4S.
The iPhone 5 is significantly lighter than the 4S, weighing 112g compared to its predecessor's 140g bulk. It's thinner too, measuring a slender 7.6mm thick.
The iPhone 5 has stretched out the traditional shape: it's the same width, but is now taller, so the screen attains a 16:9 aspect ratio. That means an extra row of icons on the home screen when you hold it in portrait mode, and it means films and TV now properly fill the screen with fewer black bars when you turn it sideways.
The dock connector is now significantly smaller (it's called the 'Lightning' port, don'cha know), creating space for the headphones to move to the bottom of the phone. Instead of a micro-SIM, you plug in an even smaller nano-SIM, which means you'll need another new SIM card before you can upgrade. That's annoying.
All these space-saving measures however means there's room for a slightly bigger battery and a 4G radio. Yes indeed, the iPhone 5 will work with EE's (formerly Everything Everywhere) 4G network in the UK.
Modest upgrades then, but important ones. Let me know what you think of the iPhone 5's new look in the comments below or on our Facebook wall.
Photos by Jason Jenkins
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Comments 42
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anonymous 12 September, 2012 22:00
What a joke! It looks ridiculous.. SGS 3 kicks it's ass in design!
anonymous 12 September, 2012 22:01
personally i think it's a big let down, nothing revoluntionary, nothing spectacular, it's basically a 4s upgrade
anonymous 12 September, 2012 22:06
Yeah and this is progession how? All these functions have been available on Android for some time, often at a cheaper and more easily upgradeable level. I dont see how anybody could class this as "new" technology. Eugh.
anonymous 12 September, 2012 22:07
well. I'm not excited. it seems strange to change the ratio of the screen, now all those thousands of apps are going to face the same problem android apps have on different phones.
I guess the forward facing camera is an improvement but other than that, I'm extremely underwhelmed.
Guess I'll wait to see what's next around the corner with the Windows phones.
anonymous 12 September, 2012 22:08
screen size is bigger, so an extra row of apps. yawn. I can see the beginning of the end. This is capitalism for you. Apple innovated very well. But every feature they deliver in iPhone 5 is something you have heard/seen before on android phones. So, Apple should exercise its patent over "rectangular shape" now, to make money. Lol.
jempuk 12 September, 2012 22:09
a lot of anonymous's here- and all saying the same thing, hmmm. Anyway, I'm going for this rather than an S3:)
anonymous 12 September, 2012 22:17
Don't get me wrong the phone looks good and I'm sure many people will buy it regardless but the reveal has been by and large predicted from all the leaks. Last time Siri was their secret weapon but this year not much to see here. I think some competitors have some very compelling phones on display. Not very much to separate the apex phones anymore.
Mark Anderson 12 September, 2012 22:19
Well, jem, I'll say the same thing.
It's a huge disappointment that fails to even match an Android phone that's been out for three months.
anonymous 12 September, 2012 22:20
Jempuk go for the iPhone 5 if you want but if you own an iPhone already this will be a real disappointment. I have both the iPhone 4s and recently a Galaxy S3, I have to say that I am blown away by how good the S3 is and Android. I am selling my junk iPhone on eBay this week. I wish you luck with the iPhone 5!
Stuart Perchard 12 September, 2012 22:22
sounds like an iflop to me, another promise unfulfilled, a partial upgrade like the 4S was, pointless upgrading, come on we want something radical, £500 for £100 worth of upgrades, rubbish!
anonymous 12 September, 2012 22:22
Don’t buy this phone. I have 3 gens of the IPhone. They are nice and easy to use, really for no brainers, but for the smart choice, either go for the S3 or Note 2. Both of which will be available with 4G and bigger better screen. I am not really that surprised the new IPhone is disappointing really. I think they have ran out of ideas and this is where I say R.I.P IPhone for me. Go into a shop, use a Note 2 when it comes out then try the Iphone 5 and then see what I mean :) .Note 2 4g Here we come:)
anonymous 12 September, 2012 22:22
@ jempuk Why would you choose this over S3? It has no NFC but S3 does. I have 64 GB micro sd that makes my S3 a 64+16GB. you would have to buy a whole new iphone for that. Motion sensor is the best. When I see someone with iphone, i'll make them cry with my S3's motion sensors. List goes on.........
Chris Noakes 12 September, 2012 22:26
Is this the best you've got to offer apple. You obviously don't listen to the public!
Where's the external memory support. Still not prepared to get in line with the rest of the world regarding the micro usb connection. Shame on you! No doubt a long list of apple docks are to follow this release.
I hope that people realise this is nothing special
Galaxy S3 here I come!
CaptainPicard 12 September, 2012 22:48
Its a good phone, not as GREAT as HTC One X and the Galaxy S3 though; Most of the features on this phones I've already seen over the past year on other phones and it didn't really live up to the hype. How the iPhone 4S still costs more than the S3 on contracts is beyond me. I would get an iPhone 5, but my first and second choice would be the S3 followed by the One X.
anonymous 12 September, 2012 22:53
One word I would not use for this design change:
Dramatic.
Stuart Perchard 12 September, 2012 22:57
think I'll be checking out the new
Sony Xperia T
itsjudear 12 September, 2012 23:19
So much Android haters, Its disgusting, find something else to talk about oops YOU have NOTHING to talk about. I'm in love with the iPhone 5, and I'll be buying it on the 21st.
anonymous 12 September, 2012 23:42
@Mark Anderson you are funny obviously you just dont like android. Its funny the android haters. I dont hate the iphones there just boring now and have been for a while but cant stand apple.
anonymous 12 September, 2012 23:45
itsjudear I hope you go on and enjoy polishing your device. Don't rub too hard, the fruity logo may rub off!
anonymous 12 September, 2012 23:51
allow the damn iphone 5 . I am happy with my 4s and i ll upgrade to ios 6 and i am sure then it ll pretty much match the the iphone 5. Steve Job died and with him Apple Died . R.I.P APPLE !!
anonymous 13 September, 2012 00:05
RIP Apple
anonymous 13 September, 2012 00:54
THE BIGGEST SECRET Apple doesn't want you to know "The Lightbulb Conspiracy" on youtube---you will be shocked
anonymous 13 September, 2012 01:16
What the iPhone has always had is a visually slick UI and gorgeous looks. It feels Premium, and that will probably still be true with the iPhone 5, but as we all move along in this smartphone era, we expect more. And when your paying £500, you deserve more.
The iPhone 5 is what the Nokia 8600 Luna was, a luxury phone that doesn't offer enough for the price tag.
anonymous 13 September, 2012 02:00
Did the apple design team sit around with their fingers up their arse, i am an iphone 4 owner which from the 3gs was a big design and hardware change this iPhone 5 design looks well, THE SAME apart from the extra length, useless apple, me thinks you need to go back to the drawing board, Goodbye apple Hello Samsung
anonymous 13 September, 2012 05:25
It does not like a lot difference but when you hold it and use it , you will see that it is much much better phone. BTW, no matter what apple does there will be always disappointed people. It is not about design or features , but about expectations.
Anyway, i am going to order it in 2 days. I love it already.
It is good that we have choice: IPhone, Android , Windows Phone.
anonymous 13 September, 2012 05:26
i meant:"it does not look like there are a lot of differences"
anonymous 13 September, 2012 08:46
I think i'll wait for iphone 6
anonymous 13 September, 2012 08:51
Nothing New. I hope this model will give an edge to Samsung,By the way who is going to take the Nano SIM ?
anonymous 13 September, 2012 09:10
I don't think Apple products have ever been great value for money but what they do offer is a premium brand, construction and great phone ergonomics along with great, and sometimes groundbreaking tech.
Go buy your 5" plastic slabs packed with tech - I'll go with this and be very happy: this is my next phone. Just as I'd prefer to buy a BMW or Mercedes as opposed to a Ford or a Honda which is packed out with tech gizmos; I'll take the premium brand with all of its benefits and flaws.
PS
Looks very much like the A6 is the 1st A15 mobile processor - if so then all you fandroids can bleat on as much as you like because, really, that IS cutting edge.
anonymous 13 September, 2012 09:40
crApple have probably made more from the $1+ billion payout from Samsung than they will from selling this iPhone 4S+. Sadly, this seems to be their new business model - release outdated hardware, accuse other companies of copying, sue them, grab the payout, rinse & repeat.
I just feel sorry for the poor saps who have fallen for the sleazy marketing once again, and will shell out hard earned cash for what is little more than an over-priced, hipster-friendly, minor update to two year old technology.
Once innovators (to a minor extent), now horrendously arrogant, I can't help but feel that this may be the beginning of Apple's demise as far as the smartphone world goes, which, let's face it, with all the other great options out there, won't be a great loss.
anonymous 13 September, 2012 09:47
@anoymous 9:10 - agreed that iphones are well built and look premium however what is the point of something premium if what runs it is old hat? andorid is far superior when it comes to OS and the S3 & One X are far superier when it comes to power, anyway enjoy your bmw/mercedes with its 800cc engine ;)
anonymous 13 September, 2012 10:13
The iPhone looks so dated now compared to the new Android and Nokia phones
anonymous 13 September, 2012 10:36
As far I can see it's between IP5 vs S3, that's the competeition, these two are best and will be the most popular high end smartphones.
IP5 will be a big hit but S3 has caught up and the margin is not that big, as it used to be with Iphone vs S1/S2.
For me, have not bought a smpart phone yet, still using basic keypad phone with excellent battery life. Now could get I5 or S3, which is huge phone! Glad Apple have not made the screen on IP5 huge, it won't fit in your pocket.
anonymous 13 September, 2012 10:40
Apple never just casually moves on to the next thing. It doesn’t release new products for the sake of releasing them. Instead, it keeps its product line focused, and meticulously refines it year after year, making everything a little bit better. Which means by four or five generations in, especially when it comes to industrial design, Apple’s products tend to hit a sweet spot, where changing them isn’t going to improve them. It might even make them worse. (Hello, third-generation iPod shuffle.)
Apple has little reason to shake things up once it has a product really nailed down. With the iPhone, in its sixth iteration, things have gotten so good that Apple does not change very much anymore. And so you get the iPhone 5 — which basically looks like a longer, thinner version of the iPhone 4.
And, for that matter, it looks a lot like other phones from other manufacturers too.
To a large extent, Apple design fatigue can also be blamed on Apple’s competitors. Everyone copies Apple. MacBook Air knockoffs are so commonplace that they have become an entire product category in the ultrabook. I mean, uff!! have you seen the new HP Spectre One? It’s possible that you have but just didn’t realize it because it looks exactly like an iMac. And for that matter, basically every phone and tablet in Samsung’s lineup, and a whole heck of a lot of HTC models, bear a, er, striking resemblance.
And then there’s this: Maybe smartphones themselves are becoming boring. We’ve seen the future, and it’s glass and watches and augmented reality and all manner of other devices. The most purely exciting phone right now is the new Nokia Lumia 920 (in yellow!), both because it’s such a departure from the iPhone and (let’s be honest here) because Nokia is in disastrous trouble
Apple is going to shake things up again. It’s likely going to do something amazing in the home entertainment space. It would be great to see it getting into car dashboards or connected home devices–the Internet of iThings would probably be pretty rad.
But the iPhone? It’s boring. And it’s probably going to remain that way for the foreseeable future. It’s not bad, it’s just the march of time and technology. Revolution becomes evolution. And that phone in your pocket–or more to the point, in the store window–becomes just a part of your life. It’s something you use, something you rely on. And then completely forget about. And in its own way, that’s actually kind of mind-blowing.
anonymous 13 September, 2012 11:23
@ anonymous 9:47
Sure the flexibilty of android is great but until JellyBean becomes the norm it will always be a clunky and glitchy OS unlike iOS and windowsphone.
As for talking about the raw grunt of the handset, if the A6 is A15 architecture then any old A9 processor is going to be weak by comparison unless it gets run at a high clock speed which will rape batteries.
anonymous 13 September, 2012 12:30
lol @ most of you, makes me laugh, i mean come on, They call this an upgrade? looks the same and probably a tad faster, oh yay! il grab me the S3 oneday thats a classy upgrade!
anonymous 13 September, 2012 12:46
S3 vs iphone 5 = iphone 5 vs 3210. No competition apple has died RIP em i mean go to hell
anonymous 13 September, 2012 14:36
hahah ^^ yes!!!!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXr1kmuqGcU
anonymous 13 September, 2012 15:02
Why does something have to be radically different for it to be classed as a good product?
The new iphone will do the job it is supposed to do and what people who buy it will want it to do. Is there really anything more needed?
Bigger/massive screens does not mean a better product, it just means you have a big screen and look like a fool when you actually hold it to your ear and use it as a phone.
The new iphone looks good, will more than likely be a doddle to use and price wise not million miles away from other so called top end phones. people will buy it and enjoy it, like they will with any other product they buy. Like I said earlier, what else really matters.
Stuart Perchard 13 September, 2012 17:12
What nobody has mentioned (I think). This ground breaking A15 mobile Dual processor in the 5, is this better the Tegra mobile Quad processor that is going to be in the next gen Androids?
Anybody?
anonymous 13 September, 2012 18:51
what's the point of this bigger screen when all you have is black empty space to fill that bigger screen?
jempuk 17 October, 2012 01:16
Had my iPhone for 3 weeks now and I love it. It's much better than the iPhone 4S I had before. The lightness and the longer battery life. And the camera's better too. I sold my iPhone 4S for a decent price too:).
Someone (anonymous) asked why I didn't go for the s3. Simple really, it didn't feel very comfortable to hold and I didn't like the blueish screen. I've got a friend who loves his S3, but it's just not for me. Different people like different things (and unlike some people i'm not going to call someone who chooses a different phone an idiot or whatever- life's too short).