Apple’s press conference in Cupertino kicked off at 10 AM Pacific Time this morning to give us the inside track on their new mobile products for 2013. First Tim Cook spent time updating everyone on the progress they have made with other areas. Covering the iTunes Festival which will have 30 destinations, be available via stream in 100 countries, and also available on demand in many others.
Photo: Engadget
After the concert information Mr. Cook went on to explain that Apple will begin expanding their retail footprint outside of the United States. Before detailing the expansion outside of the U.S. Cook discussed a few upgrades to stores including Stanford, which is geting a massive size upgrade. Bragging about stats and sales, he then detailed that next month Apple will ship its 700 millionth iOS device, making iOS the worlds most popular operating system.
Craig Federighi then replaced Cook on stage to discuss iOS 7. Frederighi detailed features of iOS 7 in a quick recap to let everyone know what they were gaining, and those who weren’t adopting what they were missing. Among many items you get search by pulling down from any screen, improved search and use of Siri, and a male voice is now available. Photos can now be grouped by moments utilizing time and location taken.
Photo: Engadget
iOS 7 will be available starting September 18, 2013.
After releasing all the information on iOS7, Tim Cook took the stage again to discuss iWork
Keynote is the most powerful presentation software ever made. — Tim Cook
He of course, goes on to detail how amazing Pages and Numbers are. Cook then explains how the iPad is great for creating content using apps like iPhoto and iMovie. These 5 apps will all be free on all all new iOS devices. Including: iPhone, iPad, and 5th gen iPod touch.
After applause died down he moved onto the information about the iPhone. Cook explained that the iPhone 5 is the most successful model yet, and because the business is so big they won’t be dropping the price, instead they’ll replace it, and he quickly announced two models!
Phil Schiller then stepped up to announce the iPhone 5c! This phone will hit the market with “more fun and more color”. He also explained that we may have already seen some shots online, and “that’s cool!” The iPhone 5c will release in green, yellow, blue, white and red.
Photos: Engadget
The device featured above is LTE featuring more bands than any other smartphone. It will include an 8mp camera, A6 processor, 4″ Retina display, blue-tooth 4.0, and be crafted out of a solid-body hard-coated polycarbonate. It will be available for $99 @ 16gb, or $199 for 32 gb, both requiring a 2 year contract.
Photo: Engadget
The 5C will also release with specially designed fitted cases that you can acquire for a scant $29. The cases in question are pictured below:
Next the crowd was treated to the iPhone 5s!
Packed with incredible technologies, this is the most forward thinking phone we’ve ever produced. — Phill Schiller
The 5S will release in 3 colors: black, gold, and silver. Made from high-grade aluminum with cut chamfered edges. The phone will have the A7 processor which is the first 64 bit chip. With its release, of course iOS 7 has been updated to 64 bit as well.
Photo: Engadget
The 5S will have backwards compatibility for 32 and 16 bit sotware, as well as Xcode functionality. It is 40x faster than the original iPhone and up to 2x faster than the iPhone 5. The device will run open GL ES 3.0 which makes graphics intensive gaming an even stronger reality. To prove this point Epic Games took center stage to announce Infinity Blade 3. The game will feature 8 worlds, give you control of 2 characters and is completely set to run on the 64 bit architecture.
Here’s an example video of Infinity Blade 3 running on the iPhone 5s.
Video: The LA Times
Usually upgrading to 64 bit is a pain, with Apple it took 2 hours
Schiller retook the stage after Epic to detail more about the iPhone 5S. Using an advanced motion architecture called M7 it can track movement and location much better. It will have phenomenal battery life with 10 hours 3g talk time, 40 hours music playing, and 10 hours LTE browsing time. The new camera has a 5 element Apple designed lenses with an f/2.2 aperture. It also has a 15% larger sensor area. Providing “bigger pixels for a better picture”. iOS 7 will utilize the hardware to take the best possible picture automatically configuring white balance, exposure, and creating a local tone map iOS 7 also includes a “best picture mode” that will pick the sharpest from a series of photos, this will be great when using the burst mode that will take up to 10 per second while you hold down the shutter. The video will also record at 120 FPS giving you great looking slow motion.
Phil then moved onto security. Lamenting at the amount of users not using a password, he showed off the latest feature Touch-ID. The home button for the 5S is also a biometric reader for your finger print, keeping the phones crisp design and added phenomenal functionality.
Photo: Engadget
“It’s not just rampant tech for tech’s sake. Every component and process has been considered and measured to make sure it’s truly useful and enhances the user experience.”
Touch ID uses a sapphire lens that can see many details the eye can’t. It is a great replacement for a password due to convenience and personalization. It is also described as being built “deeply into iOS 7.” It will even allow your finger print to authenticate your iTunes purchases in place of a password!
The 5s will be priced as usual $199 for 16gb, $299 for 32, and $399 for 64gb. The specially designed cases for the device will be $49 each.
It is also important to note that the iPhone 4s will stay in the current line up as a free or $.99 device. Pre-orders for the 5C begin September 13. The 5S and 5C will be available in stores September 20, 2013. That’s next Friday if your calendar isn’t hand). The phone will be avialable in US, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Singapore and the UK. This is the first time that China has received an iPhone at launch.
There you have it folks, you can pre-order your 5C starting September 13, 2013 at your carrier or Apple store of choice. Or you can snag your iPhone 5S on September 20!