by
Mark Ollig
As
customary, the Apple Store was taken offline before another highly anticipated
presentation event to introduce its latest products.
Last
Tuesday’s venue was Apple’s Town Hall auditorium, located in Cupertino, CA.
As
Apple’s CEO Timothy Cook walked out onstage, the usual audience fanfare greeted
him.
When
it came time to announce the iPhones everyone had been anxiously waiting to
hear about, Cook introduced Philip W. Schiller, senior vice-president of
worldwide marketing at Apple Inc., to come onstage to do the presentation.
The
first smartphone Schiller talked about was the newly-designed, less expensive
iPhone 5c.
This
new iPhone has a 4-inch glass Retina display screen, and is encased in a
hard-coated polycarbonate (plastic).
It
includes many of the features found in the iPhone 5, which was introduced a
year ago.
The
iPhone 5c operates via the new iOS7 platform (set to be released Sept. 18) and
uses the Apple A6 processor.
Schiller
stated the battery inside the iPhone 5c is slightly larger than the one inside
the iPhone 5, and will provide extended operating time in-between charges.
The
iPhone 5c also includes an 8 megapixel iSight camera, and Apple FaceTime HD
(high-definition) camera for high-resolution video calls.
Colors
available for the iPhone 5c include: blue, white, pink, yellow, and green.
The
iPhone 5c comes in two storage sizes: 16 GB and 32 GB.
Pricing
for the iPhone 5c is:
•
16 GB: $99; (with two-year carrier contract).
•
32 GB: $199; (with two-year carrier contract).
Apple
posted an informative video about the iPhone 5c you can watch at:
http://tinyurl.com/bytesiPhone5c.
Next,
Schiller presented the iPhone 5s, which includes the much-rumored fingerprint
identity sensor called Touch ID.
This
identity sensor is located on the iPhone’s circular Home button.
Touch
ID is designed to protect access to the iPhone by requiring the owner’s thumb
or finger print to be scanned in order for the iPhone to be unlocked.
The
demonstration showed the thumb being used because it is located near the
circular fingerprint sensor when holding the iPhone 5s.
If
you are not comfortable using a thumb or finger print, you can also unlock the
iPhone 5s by entering a coded password.
Individual
parts which make up the Touch ID sensor of the Home button include: a laser-cut
sapphire crystal, stainless steel detection ring, Touch ID sensor, and a
tactile switch.
Users
of the iTunes Store, App Store, and iBooks Store should like how the new iPhone
5s will allow them to quickly complete purchases by simply placing their
finger/thumb on the Touch ID sensor.
The
Touch ID sensor is capable of reading multiple finger- prints.
All
fingerprints are encrypted and stored inside the iPhone 5; not a database
somewhere in the Internet cloud.
Its
sleek, smooth case is made from high-grade aluminum, with diamond-cut chamfered
(beveled) edges, giving it a seamless look yours truly liked.
“The
5s is the most forward- thinking phone we’ve ever created. In fact, perhaps the
most forward-thinking phone anyone has ever made,” Schiller said during his presentation.
The
iPhone 5S utilizes Apple’s new A7 64-bit processing chip (it holds 1 billion
transistors), making this the world’s first smartphone employing a 64-bit
architecture.
By
using the A7, Apple states performance rates will be doubled when completing
tasks such as saving video and playing games.
Apple’s
new iOS 7 software operating system is also used on the iPhone 5s.
Another
new chip is the M7 co-processor, which supports the iPhone 5s built-in
accelerometer, gyroscope and compass.
The
M7, it is said, will also increase the battery life of the iPhone 5s.
The
iPhone 5s has an 8 megapixel iSight Camera, which takes advantage of the new
image signal processor built into the A7. This allows for up to 2x faster
autofocus, photo capture, and higher video frame rates.
The
iSight includes “continuous burst mode.” This feature allows the user to take
up to 10 pictures per second when photographing fast-moving action.
For
more information about Apple’s iSight, visit: http://tinyurl.com/bytesiSight.
A
new CoreMotion framework application program interface (API), is able to
receive motion data information from the accelerometer, gyroscope, and compass.
This
API will make it easier for app developers to create new health and fitness
applications for the iPhone 5s.
An
example is Nike’s new Nike+Move app. This app will make use of the CoreMotion
API and A7 co-processor.
The
iOS 7 Maps app for the iPhone 5s will be able to quickly change from street
driving to walking directions after you park your car and begin walking to your
destination.
The
new iPhone 5s is available in an impressive-looking gold, along with silver,
and a new “space gray,” which is a darker, black-slate color option.
The
iPhone 5s comes in three storage sizes: 16 GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB.
Pricing
for the iPhone 5s is:
•
16 GB: $199, (with two-year carrier contract).
•
32 GB: $299, (with two-year carrier contract).
•
64 GB: $399, (with two-year carrier contract).
Details
about the new iPhone 5s can be found at: http://www.apple.com/iphone-5s.
Apple
has introduced two new iPhones, both of which are eye-catching, well-designed,
and technology-packed.
The
complete Apple video presentation can be viewed here:
http://tinyurl.com/bytesapple.
