Apple has officially announced the iPhone 5.
Constructed entirely out of glass and aluminum, the sixth-generation smartphone is the lightest and thinnest iPhone yet. It’s 7.6mm thick, making it 18% thinner than the iPhone 4S, and weighs 112 grams, which is a 20% decrease from before.
It’s the same width as its predecessor, but taller, coming with the long-rumored 4 inch Retina display and 1136×640 screen resolution.
It’s also the first iPhone to feature LTE connectivity, which in non-techie talk means that downloads and updates will come faster than ever before. AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint LTE will all be supported, and LTE web browsing is set to have 8 hours of battery life.
Other features include a new 8-megapixel camera that includes a Panorama mode and a max 1080p resolution, three microphones, HD voice support, and a redesigned, smaller loudspeaker. The processor has been upgraded too, as Apple promises both the CPU performance and graphics of the iPhone 5 will be double that of before.
A new Lightning dock connector has also been revealed, which is only 8-pin (80% smaller than the usual 30-pin) and is said to be much more durable than before.
The iPhone 5 comes in both black and white, and will be available for pre-order on September 14, with shipping starting at September 21. Contracts cost the same as last year’s 4S: $199 for the 16GB version, $299 for 32GB, and $399 for the 64GB variant.