Today Apple finally responded to the months-long series of rumors and speculation by holding a major press event at its Cupertino Calif. headquarters where it unveiled the iPhone 5S alongside the low-cost iPhone 5C. As with all major press events from the tech giant, the new devices showcased are already receiving mixed reactions.
There were four major things that separate the iPhone 5S from its predecessor. The first is its aesthetic appeal. The iPhone 5S will no longer be available in black. Instead, for those who wish to have a dark-colored iPhone, the company will replace black with a "space grey." In addition to the white and space grey options, Apple unveiled a gold "champagne" color option for the iPhone 5S.
New colors aren't the only way the company changed the outward appearance of the iPhone. The device's home button received a new look as well. This is in order to make room for the second major feature from the company debuted at the press event on Tuesday. The device's Home button has lost its trademark square in the center. This has been done to make room for the new "Touch ID" fingerprint scanner. The new device will allow users to touch their finger to the phone and have it recognize the user and unlock the phone accordingly. However, some are already wondering if this feature is any better for the average iPhone user than the standard four-digit code currently implemented. While the fingerprint scanner allows Apple to tout the new iPhone as the most secure phone on the market, is it really necessary? That will all depend on just how fast the fingerprint scanner is.
The third improvement to the device was its camera with an improved LED flash that can adjust to changing light and select a flash based on the kind of light that it needs to mimic. For example, a shot outdoors will need a different flash than a shot indoors. Now the iPhone 5S can adjust to that. However, as the live podcast hosts of CNET's coverage of the event mention, the real problem with smartphone cameras, particularly the iPhone, is that the flash is far too close to the lens. In other words, although the new specs are improvements, the iPhone is still a far cry from anything other than a "call phone camera."
One feature that most reviewers seem pretty unanimously on board with is the inclusion of the new A7 processor. This will allow the iPhone family to continue its tradition of increasing in speed. However, this is one of the more drastic speed increases users have seen in quite some time. The company promises the device will be 2x faster than the original iPhone 5 thanks to the new chip. The device will be available from retailers on Sept. 20. Unforutnately the company doesn't seem to be letting people pre-order the iPhone 5S so set up your tents now. The device will run customers $199 for the 16GB version, $199 for the 32 GB version and $399 for the 64GB version with all with-contract
Tell us what you think. Are you pleased with the new iPhone 5S? Will you be sticking to your Android device? Perhaps you're not willing to part with your iPhone 5 now that it's a bit of a collectors item. Comment and share you thoughts below.
