New Delhi: Following a string of leaks and rumours (with most turning true) Apple has finally announced the launch of its much-anticipated iPhone 5s and the lower-priced iPhone 5c smartphones in a number of colour options.
Apple iPhone 5c
The iPhone 5c will come in five colours - yellow, pink, green, blue, and white. CEO Tim Cook calls it "more fun and colourful" than any other iPhone. The iPhone 5c has a 4-inch Retina display and is powered by Apple's A6 chip. It also has an 8 megapixel camera, live photo filters and a rear cover that lights up.
The iPhone 5c will cost $99 for a 16 gigabyte model and $199 for a 32 gigabyte model with a two-year wireless contract.
The Apple iPhone 5c will come with more LTE bands than any other smartphone in the world, says Apple. The iPhone 5c also includes a new FaceTime HD camera.
Apple says the iPhone 5c is made of hard-coated polycarbonate body with a steel reinforced frame for a sturdy feel. Apple has also created soft, matte, microfiber-lined cases for the iPhone 5c.
Apple iPhone 5s
The Apple says the iPhone 5S is the "world's first and only smartphone" with a 64-bit chip. The new iPhone 5s also introduces Touch ID, the rumoured fingerprint sensor for the iPhone. Built into the home button, Touch ID uses a laser cut sapphire crystal, together with the capacitive touch sensor, to take a high-resolution image of the user's fingerprint and use that to unlock the device.
It also has a 4-inch Retina display. iPhone 5s, Apple claims, delivers 10 hours of talk time on 3G networks, up to 10 hours of web browsing on WiFi and LTE networks and up to 8 hours on 3G networks, and up to 10 hours of video playback and up to 40 hours of audio playback.
Apple designed leather cases in six rich colors for the iPhone 5s - beige, black, blue, brown, yellow and red.
The iPhone 5S will be available in three colours - Sliver, Slate, and Gold. The iPhone 5S will cost 16GB for $199, 32GB for $299 and 64GB for $399 with a standard two-year contract.
The camera in the 5S received some major upgrades, including several automatic features designed to produce better photos. It has larger pixels, which helps capture more light. The phone also has a two-tone flash feature that is designed not to clash with the colors in the room or a person's skin color - something Schiller said has not been done on a phone before. iPhone 5s also includes a new Burst Mode, Slo-Mo video with 120 fps, a new FaceTime HD camera for an improved low-light performance and audio-only FaceTime calls with iOS 7.
The camera, called iSight, has "auto image stabilization," which helps avoid blurry pictures, and a slow-motion camera for video.
The 5S also includes Touch ID, which reads fingerprints at a "detailed level," Schiller said. He said it is "fun and easy" to teach the 5S about your fingerprint and once you do, you can just touch the home button to unlock the phone. The company said fingerprints will not be stored on its servers.
Tying the fingerprint scanner to payments could also open new revenue channels for Apple.
These two new smartphones will be available in India before the end of this year.
Apple also said its next mobile operating system, iOS 7, will be available as a free download on September 18.
Craig Federighi, head of software at Apple Inc., said at an event at the company's Cupertino, Calif., headquarters that "downloading iOS 7 is like getting an all new device."
The new system can be downloaded on the iPhone 4 and later models, as well as on the tablets beginning with the iPad 2.
Apple also says it expects to ship its 700 millionth iOS device next month. Apple CEO Tim Cook predicts that iOS 7 will become the most popular mobile operating system in the world.
Investors seemed unimpressed. Apple's stock price fell $3.17 to $503.10 during the event, which also featured Elvis Costello. The singer performed a new song from a record coming out next week.
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