For the first time in history, two new models of the iPhone are launching simultaneously.
The phones were formally unveiled after images of them were leaked on the Internet prior to their announcement Sept. 10.
The iPhone 5s is the more expensive of the two models. It features a camera that is upgraded from the iPhone 5.
The processor has also been updated. Apple claims that this processor makes the iPhone 5s twice as fast as the iPhone 5. The new phone also has a coprocessor that continuously monitors motion without great battery drain. This means there will be improved apps to monitor motion and fitness.
One of the biggest features of the iPhone 5s is a fingerprint sensor, which Apple calls Touch ID. Instead of using a password, a user could put their finger to the home button and the phone will unlock. Users can even purchase something via iTunes on their devices and use Touch ID instead of entering their password to complete the purchase.
The iPhone 5s costs $199 for a 16 GB model, $299 for a 32 GB model or $399 for a 64 GB model on contract. It is made of aluminum and is available in silver, gold and a color Apple dubs “space gray.”
The other model is the iPhone 5c. It comes with a four-inch, high-definition Retina screen. The iPhone 5c is made with a polycarbonate shell.
“The iPhone 5c is beautifully, unapologetically plastic,” Apple Senior Vice President of Design Jony Ive said in a video presented at the announcement of the phones.
The iPhone 5c is available at a cheaper $99 for a 16 GB model or $199 for a 32 GB model on contract. It is available in white, pink, yellow, blue and green.
“Recent reports indicate that 20 percent of Android users have switched over to iPhone at some point, although most first-time smartphone buyers were Android users,” said Brent Anderson, founder of app development company Juicy Development and BYU student. “The iPhone 5c should narrow this margin, making the iPhone an attractive first-time phone for anyone interested in a secure, affordable and attractive device.”
Both phones will be available Friday, Sept. 20.
The next version of the operating system that powers the iPad and iPhone, iOS 7, will be available Wednesday, Sept. 18, two days prior to the phones’ release.
iOS 7 brings an updated Siri, including an option for a male voice. A new Pandora-like service called iTunes Radio is also available on iOS 7 devices.
Many of the changes of iOS 7 are aesthetic. The typography is thinner, menus are translucent, there are new color schemes, and a sense of depth has been added to a previously flat operating system.
“I think Apple has set the bar higher for developers with iOS 7, since it prompts you to think a lot more about deliberately designing an excellent experience,” Anderson said. “Whereas before you had many well-designed components that just fit together well, now you have those same components coupled with ideas about depth, motion, color and gestures that will become far more common now than they used to be.”
Apple promises iOS 7 availability for the iPhone 4 and all iPhones released later, iPad 2 and later, iPad mini and iPod touch fifth generation and later.
BYU’s Mobile App will also be updated to take advantage of new features of iOS 7. Much of the behind-the-scenes work has already taken place.
“What we have now is optimized for iOS 7. We just have some little changes to make,” said Dan Clegg, a BYU IT engineer.
The iOS 7-optimized BYU Mobile App should launch within the next couple months.
