Pre-orders for Apple Inc's new plastic-backed, brightly colored iPhone 5C have not been "overwhelming," and supply of both that model as well as a more expensive phone has been disappointing, a source at a U.S. wireless carrier told Reuters on Tuesday.
Apple unveiled two iPhone models - the 5C as well as a more expensive 5S - last week, with the eye-catching 5C marking a departure from Apple's focus on purely premium phones.
Apple began taking online orders on Friday for the iPhone 5C, which comes in blue, green, pink, yellow and white and starts in the United States at $99 with a contract. Both phones go on sale in several countries on September 20.
The level of inventory Apple has said it would provide for the 5S and 5C on launch day and in the week after launch is very disappointing, the source said, adding that supply of phones to all carriers appears to be limited.
Pre-orders are "not overwhelming" either, said the source, who refused to be identified because Apple has not disclosed the number of pre-orders for either of its two new smartphones.
The pricier "5S" begins at $199 with a contract and comes in three colors - gray, silver and gold. The phones will mainly be sold through four major U.S. carriers - AT&T (T.N), Verizon (VZ.N), Sprint (S.N) and T-Mobile (TMUS.N). Representatives from all four carriers declined to comment.
Apple could not be reached immediately for comment.
iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c review: Fingerprint sensor worth the extra cost
Passcodes are such a pain that I've relaxed the security settings on my Android phone. I'm willing to forgo the extra safety, just so I'm asked to punch in the code less often. When I got my hands on Apple's new iPhone 5s, one of the first things I tried was a feature that allows you to bypass the passcode using a fingerprint.
I had a lot of fun unlocking the phone over and over again. Who knew biometric authentication could be such a blast?
The fingerprint sensor alone is worth the extra $100 you'll pay for the iPhone 5s over an iPhone 5c. Both phones will come out Friday. In the week I've had with both, I've also been impressed with the better camera and slow-motion video in the 5s.
The 5c, meanwhile, is largely last year's iPhone 5 with a plastic casing instead of aluminum and glass. This isn't cheap plastic, but a type offering the slippery feel of a shiny ceramic tile. It comes in five colors.
Both phones come with iOS 7, the most radical change to Apple's operating system software for mobile devices since its 2007 debut. Many of the changes are cosmetic, but there are functional improvements such as easier access to frequently used settings and apps.
I will review iOS 7 separately. Many existing iPhone users won't need more than the free update, which is available starting Wednesday. Neither the 5c nor the 5s offers improvements on the screen size, which remains at 4 inches (10 centimeters) diagonally. But new features and new colors may draw you to one of these new iPhones.
iPhone 5s(available in silver, gold or gray; starts at $199 with two-year service contract, or $649 without a contract)
When you set up the 5s, you're asked to tap the home button with a finger several times so the phone can create a mathematical representation of your print. To unlock the phone, you simply tap the home button, and the phone will compare the two taps. You can tap from any angle, even sideways or upside down. This fingerprint ID also works as a way to authenticate the purchase of apps and content within apps.
For security reasons, there are still times you'll need your four-digit passcode, including after 48 hours of inactivity and before adding a new fingerprint. If the phone fails to recognize your print, you can always use the passcode. I had trouble only when my fingers were wet or greasy. One evening, I ordered pizza with an oily pepperoni topping and ate it without a napkin. The fingerprint sensor worked after one slice, but not two. Indian naan bread also threw off the sensor.
Apple says it stores the print data on your phone, in a place that's inaccessible to other apps or to Apple's remote servers. The company also says it's not possible to convert a fingerprint from a police file into something the phone will recognize, as the sensor reads a sub-epidermal layer of the finger. And the finger needs to be live - cutting off a thumb won't work.
I'm convinced Apple has given a lot of thought to security. If you're still uneasy about the fingerprint scan, you can stick with the passcode. The feature is optional.
Meanwhile, the 5S's camera takes better night and indoor shots. Although the main camera remains at 8 megapixels, individual pixels are larger and thus better at sensing light. The camera's shutter also opens wider to let in more light. For flash shots, the camera fires two bursts of light at once, each slightly different in color. The iPhone adjusts the combination of the two colors automatically to match ambient lighting.
I typically avoid using the flash in any camera because its strong burst of whitish light overpowers whatever's in the room. In a hallway with strong yellow light, for instance, the flashes on my high-end camera and the iPhone 5 made the walls white. The 5s, on the other hand, managed to preserve the yellow. I also got better skin tones on some flash shots taken with the 5s. Using the 5c, faces and arms looked more pale.
Night shots without the flash are also sharper. Sometimes, cameras overcompensate for low light by making the few points of light too bright. The 5s typically has those scenes properly balanced.
Of course, these improvements won't make all photos better. Many shots appear the same whether taken with the 5, the 5c or the 5s. In other shots, differences are subtle.
The 5s can also shoot slow motion video. You can choose the parts you want in slow motion and regular speed, and you can change your mind later. A burst mode lets you snap 100 shots in 10 seconds, compared with 40 seconds on the 5c. The phone picks out the best moments and filters out duplicates. The front-facing camera is better than the one on previous iPhones. It has larger pixels for low-light videoconferencing.
Many of these features are possible because of Apple's faster A7 processor. A companion chip, the M7, handles motion-related data without draining as much of the battery, something useful for fitness trackers. All this power is so new, apps taking advantage of them weren't available for me to test.
iPhone5c(available in green, blue, yellow, pink or white; starts at $99 with two-year service contract, or $549 without a contract)
Plastic colors aside, the 5c is mostly the same as the iPhone 5 it replaces, with the older A6 chip and a main camera that's not as good in low light. Because the chip is slower, it couldn't do slow-motion video or take as many shots per second. But it does have the 5s's improved front-facing camera.
The 5c is for those who really want the bright color. If you can afford the additional $100 and can do with silver, gold or gray, get the 5s instead. The fingerprint sensor will make security less annoying, and the better camera will be more useful in documenting life. A hundred dollars isn't that much when you compare it with the full price of the phone.
Apple had a lot to say about iPhone's yesterday and if you're in the market to upgrade then Apple's actually given you a choice this time. The 5C is certainly more colorful, but the 5S is more powerful. Let's take a look at the key differences between the two to see what's best for you.
The main differences between the 5C and 5S
You can find the full list of features for the 5C and 5S on Apple's site, but above you'll find a breakdown of the main differences between the two. Most obvious are the colors and material. The 5C comes in all kinds of colors with a plastic backing, whereas the 5S sticks with silver, gray, and gold metal. The differences between the two are more than skin deep though.
For the most part, the iPhone 5C has the same guts as the now-discontinued iPhone 5. It's the same basic speed, shape, and has the same camera. While the colors are nice, the 5C is a plastic case, which means it won't have quite the same feel. Otherwise, it's essentially a repackaged iPhone 5 with a $99 or $199 price tag.
The 5S has a few notable improvements over the iPhone 5. The most obvious is the new fingerprint sensor. This allows you to unlock your iPhone with your fingerprint so you don't have to worry about passcodes and passwords. The iPhone 5S gets a new 64-bit A7 chip, which Apple claims is about twice as fast as the iPhone 5 (and subsequently the iPhone 5C). It also has a new M7 motion coprocessor to handle specific motion-based tasks so the CPU doesn't have to work as hard.
The other main addition to the iPhone 5S is the new camera. It's still an 8 MP camera, but it now has a wider sensor and aperture so it can take better low-light photos. The iPhone 5S also gets a new burst mode for quick pictures and True Tone flash for more accurate pictures using the flash. The 5S continues the same pricing scheme of previous years with the lowest cost 16 GB model coming in at $199 and prices going up from there.
Otherwise, everything else is pretty much the same. The screen size hasn't changed on either from previous models, Siri works the same on every device, and both the 5C and the 5S see a small increase in battery life over previous generations.
Who the 5S is for The iPhone 5S is Apple's flagship phone right now and if you're a power user it's the better option currently available to you. It might look the same as the iPhone 5, but it's faster and has enough improvements to the camera to set it apart. So, the iPhone 5S is really better for:
Gamers: The 5S has a much more powerful chip than the iPhone 5C. With the new 64-bit processor, it's twice as fast as the last generation and also comes with a new motion coprocessor called the M7. This is a processor dedicated just to motion controls like the accelerometer, gyroscope, and compass. This is going to run the latest and greatest iPhone games (like Infinity Blade III) better and last longer as a gaming device than the 5C.
Frequent camera users: The megapixels are the same as previous iPhone's, but that's not really the whole story. The iPhone 5S has a larger aperture and sensor, which means the camera has more light sensitivity and should take better pictures. It also gets a new burst mode for action shots and slow motion for video, if that's your kind of thing.
Security minded users: The last big seller of the iPhone 5S is the fingerprint sensor. On the surface, this means you won't have to worry about pass codes and passwords ever again. You can unlock your iPhone with your finger or purchase apps. Theoretically, this should be a more secure way to protect your phone, but we'll have to wait and see how viable of an option it really is.
So, if you're concerned with the security of your passcode, you're looking for a big speed boost, and you take a lot of pictures with your iPhone, then the iPhone 5S is your best choice. It's more future-proof than the 5C, and at least from what we've seen so far, the camera appears to be a pretty solid improvement. If you want a more comprehensive look at the iPhone 5S, check out Gizmodo's post.
Who the 5C is best for As the cheaper model, it's obvious that the 5C is targeted at more budget-minded shoppers. Starting at just $100 with a contract, it's hard not to see the appeal, especially if you don't care that much about doing anything complicated with your phone. Here's who the 5C is best for:
People on a budget: It's pretty clear that the iPhone 5C is targeted toward people on a budget. The cheapest model is just $100, so if that's all you have to spend then this is the phone for you.
People who like color: The 5C is targeted more toward people who are looking for a little color from their iPhone. Not only does the phone come in five different colors, you also have the option for six different colored cases. If color's not your thing, you might as well just grab a refurbished iPhone 5.
People who aren't using resource-intensive apps: Since the 5C has the same guts as the iPhone 5, it's a perfectly capable device, but it's going to become outdated quicker than the 5S, particularly in the realm of resource-heavy apps like games or video. If you don't care about any of that, then the 5C is all you'll need.
Essentially, this time around we're getting the iPhone 5C instead of simply bumping down the price on an iPhone 5. The iPhone 5 is still plenty powerful and capable of running iOS 7, so the 5C should work just as well. The slower processor does mean it'll be slower than the 5S overall, but for casual users it won't be that much of a difference. If you're looking for a bit more info, you can take a look at a comprehensive breakdown of the 5C over on Gizmodo.
Considering the price difference between the two models is only $100, your best bet if you have the cash is the iPhone 5S for future proofing, which is worth considering since you'll have to sign a new two year contract to get the discounted pricing. The 5C's color options are certainly enough to appeal to some, but since it's essentially a repackaged iPhone 5, the 5C just doesn't have the legs of the 5S, so don't be surprised if starts feeling sluggish after just a year or so.
Apple Inc unveiled on Tuesday much-anticipated iPhone 5s and the lower-priced iPhone 5c smartphones.
The entry-level "iPhone 5C" comes in five hues - blue, green, pink, yellow and white - and starts in the United States at USD 99 with a contract, or USD 549 without, signaling prices that may disappoint those hoping for an aggressive assault on China and India.
The pricier "5S" begins at USD 199 with a contract and also comes in three colors - gray, silver and gold - and sports a faster processor, a camera that takes bursts of photos and chooses the best, and the fingerprint-scanner that unlocks the phone with a touch.
iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C headed to China at launch, China Telecom reveals
It's widely known that Apple is hosting an event on September 10 where the company is expected to announce the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5C, but the company has not revealed any details except for sending a colourful invite. However, Chinese telecom carrier, China Telecom seems to have jumped the gun, putting out a post on micro-blogging website Weibo through its official account, advertising pre-orders for the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5C.
The post, which was spotted by the Wall Street Journal was quickly pulled, however, screenshots of the post are still in circulation. The Weibo post said that China would be one of the first markets to receive the new iPhones, and that customers can pre-order it through a page set-up for the purpose. The post linked to the pre-order page that featured pictures of the two new iPhones.
The post did clarify that no details about the phone had been made public but users will get the new iPhones when they start shipping. The images of the phones on the page appear to be mock-ups of the new iPhones as they don't match any of the recently leaked photos. The iPhone 5C is made to look like the iPhone 5 with different coloured back plate complete with white glass strips.
The pre-orders page is still up but has now been turned into a landing page with a message that says "Looking forward to..." and asks consumers to leave their names and telephone number to get notified. The website does not mention the iPhone, but as the WSJ report notes, the last part of the URL of the page reads "iphone5s.asp."
While it's known that Apple is now shifting its focus to China, especially with the low-cost variant of the iPhone, the iPhone 5C, as it's said to be holding a satellite event in Beijing, as per an earlier report, it marks a major change in its strategy as the iPhone usually takes months to go on sale in the Chinese market. This would be the first time that China features in the first phase of the iPhone's release, if the post is true.
Apple's been focusing on the Chinese market for quite some time as the world looks to the orient for emerging smartphone users, with little scope for growth left in the developed markets.
Apple iPhone 5S release date, features, price and rumours
When it comes to smartphones, the first few months of 2013 moved the proverbial goalposts.Android handsets flourished with Full HD screens, aluminium or glass unibodies and every feature under the sun.
Apple’s iPhone 5 has been on the scene for a while now but its thunder is in danger of being stolen by the Android Army.
The question we all want to know is what will Apple do next? With Cupertino updating the iPad 3 just months after releasing it, there are reports that aniPad Mini 2 or even an Apple TV could be on the way.
What we know for sure though, is that the company will want to reclaim its smartphone crown. So, T3 has gathered together everything we know about the rumoured iPhone 5S.
Price
While we still don't have a price for the iPhone 5s, we do have a rough idea how much its budget brother, the iPhone 5c will set you back. According to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 5c will retail for between £230 and £320 SIM free.
Interestingly, he also believes that the iPhone 5c won't be the budget phone we're all expecting. Rather it will replace the iPhone 5, with the iPhone 5s taking up the mantle of Apple's flagship handset and the iPhone 4s becoming its true budget smartphone.
Apple iPhone 5S production shots and specs
News reported on 9 to 5 Mac shows what appears to be production shots and specs of the new iPhone 5S. The site says the specs and shots are unverified but "don’t seem out of the realm of possibility".
According to the leaked specs, the iPhone 5S include an NFC reader, a Fingerprint Reader, a 4-inch 1136 × 640 display and a new 12 megapixel backside camera with dual LED flash. The new handset also allegedly boasts 2GB of RAM, a quad-core SGX 554MP4 GPU, an A6 CPU and improved LTE. It also has a bigger battery than its predecessor.
The pictures on the site, it they are to be believed, show that the 5S has identical casing to the iPhone 5.
Apple iPhone 5S casing
What appears to be official images of the iPhone 5C have now appeared online courtesy of Sonny Dickson who has managed to get hands-on with what he believes is the official casing of the Apple iPhone 5C.
The images show a device which takes design clues from the old iPhone 3GS whilst still boasting the new 4-inch screen size found on the iPhone 5.
Another range of leaked images have poured onto the net showing brightly coloured devices reported to be the so-called iPhone Light or iPhone 5C. French website NoWhereElse posted the images that show a device which shares similar physical traits to the iPod Nano.
Its exterior is said to be plastic polycarbonate and much more economical to build suggesting that Apple are aiming at a younger target market or at least consumers with less disposable income.
The devices come in blue, green, yellow, red and white yet Apple unsurprisingly has remained quiet on the subject with nothing being confirmed. Leaked schematics and blueprints also report that the Light is a bit thicker and wider than the iPhone 5.
With two types of chasis being leaked one could come to the conclusion that Apple might retain the same metal design for the iPhone 6 whilst the iPhone 5S will now come sporting this cheaper plastic body
Up until now, Apple hasn’t strayed from the white/black colour scheme for its phones but Topeka Capital Research analyst Brian White has said he believes that along with different colours, the iPhone 5S may arrive in different sizes.
This appears to be backed up by Japanese tech site Macotakara which also believes the iPhone 5S will have three extra colours added to the black or white standard.
If Apple launched three models, for example with 3.5-inch, 4-inch and 5-inch screens, it would allow the company to grab both premium and budget customers.
However, this could be more of a plan for the iPhone 6 with Apple surely looking to compete with the larger handsets out there like the Galaxy Note 2 and the Xperia Z Ultra. At the bare minimum, we’d expect to see a better camera (although don’t expect ultrapixels, HTC One-style) and a faster processor.
Apple iPhone 5S specs
When it comes to the specs of the next iPhone, at the very least we expect Apple to use the A6X chip currently found in the latest iPad. However, the latest rumours suggest Apple could be working on an A7 chip for the forthcoming iPad 5.
In years gone by, Apple has previously worked with Samsung to produce processors for it's iPhone range. But, given the recent legal tussels between the two companies, many speculate that Apple will want to distance itself from the Korean company. Some rumours have hinted at an Intel chip being included in the next iteration of the iPhone.
Some purported images of iPhone 5S prototypes appear to show a change in the hardware configuration that suggests Apple is moving things around to make space for a bigger battery or extra features such as NFC.
Apple famously decided to withhold NFC for the iPhone 5 and since both theSamsung Galaxy S3 and Samsung Galaxy S4 have arrived toting the new connectivity, Apple may want to incorporate it this time around.
Recent reports from Taiwan and tech website NFC World indicate that manufacturer Chipbond has won a major contract to build components for the iPhone 5S - including NFC. What's more, other rumours suggest that Apple will go further and include a fingerprint scanner in the iPhone 5S, adding in extra security.
In terms of storage, there is the strong possibility of Apple launching a new phone with 128GB storage – similar to the latest iPad upgrade.
Meanwhile Jeffries analyst Peter Misek told Business Insider that he believes the iPhone 5S will feature a “Super HD screen” along with a range of colours similar to the iPod Touch range. Considering all the top Android handsets feature Full HD displays, we reckon its unlikely Apple will launch the iPhone 5S with anything less than a 1,920 x 1,080 pixel resolution.
Apple iPhone 5S budget model
While every iteration of the iPhone thus far has improved on the specifications of the previous model, plenty of internet airtime is being devoted to the rumour that Apple has a budget version of the iPhone 5S in the pipeline.
Many have suggested that the budget iPhone (or iPhone Light) could even become a new Apple product line in its own right, stepping out from the established iPhone canon in the same was as the iPad mini did from the original iPad.
Hard facts on the statistics of a budget iPhone are hard to come by. However, the suggestion is that it will feature a 4-inch screen and a plastic chassis - with a design similar to the iPod Touch with speaker grills, a headphone socket and Lightning port at the bottom.
Still in keeping with the iPod Touch comparison, Apple is rumoured to be readying the budget iPhone to launch in five different colours and some have speculated we may see it as soon as September.
The clearest evidence yet that Apple is manufacturing this new device is a video posted on YouTube by a user called DetroitBORG who appears to have got hold of a prototype:
Apple iPhone 5S camera
It’s well known that one of the key battlegrounds of smartphone warfare is the specifications of the on-board camera. The Sony Xperia Z and Galaxy S4 arrived sporting 13MP cameras while HTC upset the apple cart by including a 4MP “ultrapixel” camera into its HTC One handset.
Apple has consistently upped the camera specs in each of its models and its no stretch to think that the company will do the same for the iPhone 5S. According to iLounge, Cupertino isn’t planning to go down the HTC route and will instead launch the 5S with a 13MP camera – putting it in league with the Sony and Samsung handsets.
Of course, hardware is only half the story and if Apple can come up with some killer in-house apps to take advantage of the camera in new ways it will give them a good start on the competition.
Apple iPhone 5S pictures
A few interesting pictures have leaked out onto the web regarding the iPhone 5S. One of the first to emerge was the back of an unspecified type of iPhone that was leaked to Nowhereelse.fr.
There’s not much to go on here, but – as expected – the casing and design looks almost identical to the iPhone 5. Tellingly though, the serial numbers underneath the iPhone moniker aren’t listed.
While it would certainly fit with the design of the current iPhone it doesn't yet confirm whether the 5S will come in a range of colours - much like it did with the iPod Touch - or whether the company will simply stick to the black/white variants.
This second image (pictured at the start of this article) apparently shows stripped-down iPhone 5S casing next to a current iPhone 5 teardown image. The snap was initially uploaded to iPhone4Parts and looks very similar to Apple’s current design – except with a few screws lost along the way.
Other leaked images have focused on the new (and still rumoured) champagne gold iPhone 5s option. Some of the latest images show the champagne gold option with the rumoured dual-flash.
Apple iPhone 5S release date
We now have an official invitation from Apple, that seems to all-but-confirm the existence of the new iPhone 5s. A white background plastered with coloured dots invites us all to come and see something on September 10th that will "brighten everyone's day".
The different coloured dots appear to indicate we could be seeing multiple colours of a new iPhone, although it could be referring to the Apple iPhone 5c that Apple is rumoured to be releasing on the same day.
Watch our iPhone 5S video below for more on the latest Apple smartphone.
Apple iPhone 5S release date, features, price and rumours
When it comes to smartphones, the first few months of 2013 moved the proverbial goalposts.Android handsets flourished with Full HD screens, aluminium or glass unibodies and every feature under the sun.
Apple’s iPhone 5 has been on the scene for a while now but its thunder is in danger of being stolen by the Android Army.
The question we all want to know is what will Apple do next? With Cupertino updating the iPad 3 just months after releasing it, there are reports that aniPad Mini 2 or even an Apple TV could be on the way.
What we know for sure though, is that the company will want to reclaim its smartphone crown. So, T3 has gathered together everything we know about the rumoured iPhone 5S.
Price
While we still don't have a price for the iPhone 5s, we do have a rough idea how much its budget brother, the iPhone 5c will set you back. According to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 5c will retail for between £230 and £320 SIM free.
Interestingly, he also believes that the iPhone 5c won't be the budget phone we're all expecting. Rather it will replace the iPhone 5, with the iPhone 5s taking up the mantle of Apple's flagship handset and the iPhone 4s becoming its true budget smartphone.
Apple iPhone 5S production shots and specs
News reported on 9 to 5 Mac shows what appears to be production shots and specs of the new iPhone 5S. The site says the specs and shots are unverified but "don’t seem out of the realm of possibility".
According to the leaked specs, the iPhone 5S include an NFC reader, a Fingerprint Reader, a 4-inch 1136 × 640 display and a new 12 megapixel backside camera with dual LED flash. The new handset also allegedly boasts 2GB of RAM, a quad-core SGX 554MP4 GPU, an A6 CPU and improved LTE. It also has a bigger battery than its predecessor.
The pictures on the site, it they are to be believed, show that the 5S has identical casing to the iPhone 5.
Apple iPhone 5S casing
What appears to be official images of the iPhone 5C have now appeared online courtesy of Sonny Dickson who has managed to get hands-on with what he believes is the official casing of the Apple iPhone 5C.
The images show a device which takes design clues from the old iPhone 3GS whilst still boasting the new 4-inch screen size found on the iPhone 5.
Another range of leaked images have poured onto the net showing brightly coloured devices reported to be the so-called iPhone Light or iPhone 5C. French website NoWhereElse posted the images that show a device which shares similar physical traits to the iPod Nano.
Its exterior is said to be plastic polycarbonate and much more economical to build suggesting that Apple are aiming at a younger target market or at least consumers with less disposable income.
The devices come in blue, green, yellow, red and white yet Apple unsurprisingly has remained quiet on the subject with nothing being confirmed. Leaked schematics and blueprints also report that the Light is a bit thicker and wider than the iPhone 5.
With two types of chasis being leaked one could come to the conclusion that Apple might retain the same metal design for the iPhone 6 whilst the iPhone 5S will now come sporting this cheaper plastic body
Up until now, Apple hasn’t strayed from the white/black colour scheme for its phones but Topeka Capital Research analyst Brian White has said he believes that along with different colours, the iPhone 5S may arrive in different sizes.
This appears to be backed up by Japanese tech site Macotakara which also believes the iPhone 5S will have three extra colours added to the black or white standard.
If Apple launched three models, for example with 3.5-inch, 4-inch and 5-inch screens, it would allow the company to grab both premium and budget customers.
However, this could be more of a plan for the iPhone 6 with Apple surely looking to compete with the larger handsets out there like the Galaxy Note 2 and the Xperia Z Ultra. At the bare minimum, we’d expect to see a better camera (although don’t expect ultrapixels, HTC One-style) and a faster processor.
Apple iPhone 5S specs
When it comes to the specs of the next iPhone, at the very least we expect Apple to use the A6X chip currently found in the latest iPad. However, the latest rumours suggest Apple could be working on an A7 chip for the forthcoming iPad 5.
In years gone by, Apple has previously worked with Samsung to produce processors for it's iPhone range. But, given the recent legal tussels between the two companies, many speculate that Apple will want to distance itself from the Korean company. Some rumours have hinted at an Intel chip being included in the next iteration of the iPhone.
Some purported images of iPhone 5S prototypes appear to show a change in the hardware configuration that suggests Apple is moving things around to make space for a bigger battery or extra features such as NFC.
Apple famously decided to withhold NFC for the iPhone 5 and since both theSamsung Galaxy S3 and Samsung Galaxy S4 have arrived toting the new connectivity, Apple may want to incorporate it this time around.
Recent reports from Taiwan and tech website NFC World indicate that manufacturer Chipbond has won a major contract to build components for the iPhone 5S - including NFC. What's more, other rumours suggest that Apple will go further and include a fingerprint scanner in the iPhone 5S, adding in extra security.
In terms of storage, there is the strong possibility of Apple launching a new phone with 128GB storage – similar to the latest iPad upgrade.
Meanwhile Jeffries analyst Peter Misek told Business Insider that he believes the iPhone 5S will feature a “Super HD screen” along with a range of colours similar to the iPod Touch range. Considering all the top Android handsets feature Full HD displays, we reckon its unlikely Apple will launch the iPhone 5S with anything less than a 1,920 x 1,080 pixel resolution.
Apple iPhone 5S budget model
While every iteration of the iPhone thus far has improved on the specifications of the previous model, plenty of internet airtime is being devoted to the rumour that Apple has a budget version of the iPhone 5S in the pipeline.
Many have suggested that the budget iPhone (or iPhone Light) could even become a new Apple product line in its own right, stepping out from the established iPhone canon in the same was as the iPad mini did from the original iPad.
Hard facts on the statistics of a budget iPhone are hard to come by. However, the suggestion is that it will feature a 4-inch screen and a plastic chassis - with a design similar to the iPod Touch with speaker grills, a headphone socket and Lightning port at the bottom.
Still in keeping with the iPod Touch comparison, Apple is rumoured to be readying the budget iPhone to launch in five different colours and some have speculated we may see it as soon as September.
The clearest evidence yet that Apple is manufacturing this new device is a video posted on YouTube by a user called DetroitBORG who appears to have got hold of a prototype:
Apple iPhone 5S camera
It’s well known that one of the key battlegrounds of smartphone warfare is the specifications of the on-board camera. The Sony Xperia Z and Galaxy S4 arrived sporting 13MP cameras while HTC upset the apple cart by including a 4MP “ultrapixel” camera into its HTC One handset.
Apple has consistently upped the camera specs in each of its models and its no stretch to think that the company will do the same for the iPhone 5S. According to iLounge, Cupertino isn’t planning to go down the HTC route and will instead launch the 5S with a 13MP camera – putting it in league with the Sony and Samsung handsets.
Of course, hardware is only half the story and if Apple can come up with some killer in-house apps to take advantage of the camera in new ways it will give them a good start on the competition.
Apple iPhone 5S pictures
A few interesting pictures have leaked out onto the web regarding the iPhone 5S. One of the first to emerge was the back of an unspecified type of iPhone that was leaked to Nowhereelse.fr.
There’s not much to go on here, but – as expected – the casing and design looks almost identical to the iPhone 5. Tellingly though, the serial numbers underneath the iPhone moniker aren’t listed.
While it would certainly fit with the design of the current iPhone it doesn't yet confirm whether the 5S will come in a range of colours - much like it did with the iPod Touch - or whether the company will simply stick to the black/white variants.
This second image (pictured at the start of this article) apparently shows stripped-down iPhone 5S casing next to a current iPhone 5 teardown image. The snap was initially uploaded to iPhone4Parts and looks very similar to Apple’s current design – except with a few screws lost along the way.
Other leaked images have focused on the new (and still rumoured) champagne gold iPhone 5s option. Some of the latest images show the champagne gold option with the rumoured dual-flash.
Apple iPhone 5S release date
We now have an official invitation from Apple, that seems to all-but-confirm the existence of the new iPhone 5s. A white background plastered with coloured dots invites us all to come and see something on September 10th that will "brighten everyone's day".
The different coloured dots appear to indicate we could be seeing multiple colours of a new iPhone, although it could be referring to the Apple iPhone 5c that Apple is rumoured to be releasing on the same day.
Watch our iPhone 5S video below for more on the latest Apple smartphone.
Pre-orders for Apple Inc's new plastic-backed, brightly colored iPhone 5C have not been "overwhelming," and supply of both that model as well as a more expensive phone has been disappointing, a source at a U.S. wireless carrier told Reuters on Tuesday.
