CUPERTINO—On Wednesday, September 12, Apple unveiled the much anticipated iPhone 5. The latest iPhone is lighter and thinner with many new and improved features.

The iPhone 5 is 18% thinner and 20% lighter than the previous iPhone, and is the thinnest smartphone ever produced, says apple. The iPhone 5 is “Completely redesigned, and for the first time ever, we’ve increased the size of the display,” said Jony Ive, Senior Vice-President. The new display is taller but not wider, allowing users to see more of their content while still using the phone comfortably with one hand.

Apple’s iPhone 5 is LTE capable for faster downloads over cellular networks, “LTE can actually be faster than the average wifi connection at home,” said Bob Mansfield, Senior Vice-President.

Additionally, within the iPhone 5 is Apple's new A6 chip which the company claims will boost performance while increasing battery life. Consumers can expect “performance up to twice as fast as the previous generation,” says Apple. The A6 chip will also provide more detail, and increased frame rates in graphics intensive apps.

The iPhone’s camera has improved HDR capabilities “for better color and tone and reduced motion blur,” says Apple. Another new feature of the iPhone’s 8MP iSight camera is the ability to take panoramic photos by simply moving the camera through the scene. The new iPhone can also take video in 1080p.

The Maps App that so many of us have relied on for years has also improved with turn by turn spoken directions and a flyover feature that allows users to “See the world from a whole new perspective with photo-realistic and interactive 3D views of select major metro areas,” says Apple.

Other upgrades to the iPhone 5 include increased Siri functions, facebook integration and the ability to use facetime over your cellular network.

The iPhone 5 will be available in select retail locations on September 21^st.

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