Apple Unveils New iPhone 5, iPod Touch, iPod Nano, iTunes and EarPods

By Kevin Curry posted on Sep 12, 2012 4:25 pm

It is like Christmas day for Apple folks! Tim Cook introduced a whole slew of new Apple products today including; the new iPhone 5, a new iPod Nano, an upgraded iPod Touch, a redesigned iTunes and more. Here’s a closer look at the loot.

iPhone 5

The rumors were pretty dead on when it comes to the iPhone 5. It’s the thinnest and lightest iPhone ever despite having a larger 4-inch Retina display, an A6 chip for faster performance, new ultrafast wireless technology and an even longer battery life.

The phone made entirely from aluminum and glass and is 18% thinner than the iPhone 4S and 20% lighter, making it the world’s thinnest smartphone. The new 4-inch screen packs in 1136 x 640 pixels which adds another line of icons on the main-screen and more room for emails, etc… inside those apps. The new iPhone supports HSPA+, DC-HSDPA, and most notably LTE.

The specs on the camera are similar to the 4S with a few updates including backside illumination, a 25% reduction in size and the lens is made of sapphire crystal. The camera can record 1080p video and comes with improved video stability, face detection and you can take photos while shooting video.

The iPhone 5 comes with three microphones and a redesigned speaker and earpiece with noise cancelling. The iPhone 5 also includes the new Apple EarPods which feature a design that allows a more natural fit, increased durability and better acoustic quality.

The iPhone 5 also sees the introduction of an all new dock connector, the Lightning connector is much smaller and more durable than the previous version.

The iPhone 5 also comes loaded with iOS 6 which features over 200 new features including: a new Maps app with turn-by-turn navigation; Facebook integration; Passbook organization; and more Siri features.

The iPhone 5 will be available in white & silver or black & slate colorways, and will be available in the US for a suggested retail price with contract of $199 (US) for the 16GB model and $299 (US) for the 32GB model and $399 (US) for the 64GB model. Available in the US on Friday, September 21, and pre-order-able beginning Friday, September 14.

iPod Touch

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The introduction of the 5th generation iPod Touch was easily my favorite Apple product of the day. It measures a scant 6.1mm thin, making it the thinnest and lightest Touch ever. The iPod Touch is made of anodized aluminum and has the same 4″ Retina display as the iPhone 5 and includes an A5 processor. The Touch also gets an improved battery life, and a sapphire crystal f/2.4, 5 megapixel iSight camera with autofocus, flash and 1080p HD video recording.

Another notable feature is the iTouch Loop – a bracelet to secure the device when taking pictures or playing games, not unlike the Wii remote bracelet. The Touch now has a FaceTime HD camera, 720p video, improved wireless capabilities, AirPlay mirroring and Siri.

The Touch also now comes in 5 colors, each with a coordinating loop. The new iPod touch will be available in October for $299 at 32GB and $399 at 64GB.

iPod Nano

The 7th generation iPod Nano features a 2.5″ multi-touch screen, looks like a mini iPhone complete with a home button and it has the longest battery life ever for a nano. The new nano is also 38% thinner, includes Bluetooth and features the all new Lighting connector. Also included is an FM transmitter with live pause and a pedometer.

The new iPod nano will be available in 7 different colors in October for $149 and holds 16GB.

iTunes

Just in time for the release of iOS 6, the iPhone 5 and new iPods comes iTunes 11 with a new streamlined appearance better know as “edge-to-edge” design. Unfortunately, we have to wait until October to give it a go.

If you use the album grid view you can click an album and open a dropdown menu, much like clicking a folder in iOS. There’s also a new feature where artists can share new photos with you — still not 100% on what that means. And there are new modal menus/windows for search and play queue. iCloud functionality has also been expanded to automatically push new purchases made in iTunes to iOS devices (and vice versa).

Another nice feature is that if you have iTunes collapsed into the mini player, you can search for a new track without having to expand the app.

The Worst Announcement of the Day

Apparently Apple is leading some kind of a money-printing racket by charging 30 bucks for the new ‘Lightning to 30-pin’ adapter and 40 bucks for a 0.2m cable version of the adapter. Anyone with an old iPhone accessory, probably most everyone with an iPhone, is going to need one of these. Also great news, you can’t get one until October. WTF?