The iPhone 5S has been officially unveiled during Apple’s Cupertino launch event, with the iPhone 5 follow-on featuring an integrated fingerprint scanner.
Building on the design of the iPhone 5, the iPhone 5S sports an improved array of specs wrapped within the same 7.6mm thick brushed metal body of its predecessor. The flagship iPhone 5S has been formally announced alongside the new budget iPhone 5C.
See also: iPhone 5S vs Samsung Galaxy S4 and iPhone 5S vs iPhone 5C
“I have the great honor to introduce the new products to you,” Apple Senior VP Phil Schiller said in unveiling the iPhone 5S. Describe the handset as “perhaps the most forward thinking phone anyone has ever made,” he added: “iPhone 5s is the most forward-thinking smartphone in the world, delivering desktop class architecture in the palm of your hand. iPhone 5s sets a new standard for smartphones, packed into its beautiful and refined design are breakthrough features that really matter to people, like Touch ID, a simple and secure way to unlock your phone with just a touch of your finger.”
iPhone 5S Features
The first device to come pre-installed with the new iOS 7 mobile operating system, the iPhone 5S is a relatively large update over the iPhone 5, with the integrated fingerprint scanner sure to be the handset’s key talking point which generates both debate and column inches.
Offering biometric security measures across a range of the phone’s features, the fingerprint scanner can not only make your phone uniquely accessible to you but offer added piece of mind for when making mobile payments.
Dubbed ‘Touch ID’, the iPhone 5S fingerprint scanner incorporates a sensor just 170 microns thin placed within the home button. With a 500 ppi resolution, the sensor scans sub-epidermal skin layers and has a 360-degree level of readability. Meaning you don’t have to press the physical button to active the biometric reader, the home button is encompassed by a stainless steel detection ring.
“Touch ID has been built deeply into iOS 7,” Apple’s design chief Jony Ive said of the iPhone 5S Touch ID. He added: “Since it’s built in, you can make iTunes purchases by using your finger to authenticate.”
Powered by a new A7 processor, the iPhone 5S is said to be more than 50 per cent faster than the iPhone 5, bringing the device more in line with the leading Android likes of the quad-core Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One. The new chipset features 64-bit desktop-class architecture and incorporates over 1 billion transistors.
Lining up alongside the A7 CPU is a new M7 motion core processor which continually measures motion data, utilising accelerometer, gyroscope and compass captured information to allow a range of new fitness apps to offer more precise user data. Confirmed alongside the phone was a new Nike Move app which uses the M7 chip to provide better activity data.
On a camera front the iPhone 5S has come in for a considerable boost despite remaining an 8-megapixel snapper. Boasting a 15 per cent larger sensor for improved shots in even challenging lighting conditions, the iPhone 5S camera adds a 5-element Apple designed lens and an f/2.2 aperture and optical image stabilisation. What’s more, a new ‘True Tone’ flash is incorporated to offer more natural lighting to indoor and previously gloomy shots.
Further enhancing the iPhone 5S camera options, the phone incorporates a new 28-megapixel Panorama shooting mode and a Burst Mode which captures 10 frames per second. More than just a stills specialist, the iPhone can capture Full HD, with 720p HD video possible at a stunning 120 frames per second when shooting in slow-mode mode.
While the iPhone 5S will not feature the vibrant array of colours as the iPhone 5C, Apple has replaced the usual black and white colour schemes with new Slate, Gold and Silver hued options.
In terms of the iPhone 5S battery life, Apple is claiming that the phone will run a 10 hour talk time life with 250 hours of standby time. The phone will launch in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB storage options.
iPhone 5S Release Date and Price
Having now been made official, you will not have to wait long for the iPhone 5S release date with the handset set to hit retailers next Friday, September 20. Although iPhone 5S pre-orders are not currently available, it is expected that lengthy queues will great the phone’s retail launch next week.
While the iPhone 5S price tag has been set at £549 for the 16GB model, £20 more than the similarly sized 5, the 32GB and 64GB iPhone 5S handsets have been priced at £629 and £709 respectively.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
