iPhone 5 Preorder Release: Where to Buy, Price, And Key Details

Culture

Apple's new sixth generation smartphone is finally official. The iPhone 5, measuring 7.6mm in thickness and weighing 20% less at 112 grams in weight, is the thinnest and lightest iPhone that Apple has ever made.

The iPhone 5 is constructed entirely out of aluminum and glass, much more sturdy materials than plastics used by competitor smartphones. The device shown by Phill Shiller on stage is comparable to all the leaks and rumored photos, nearly identical in some cases. Looks like "doubling down on security" definitely didn't work out for Apple after all.

Also new is the 4-inch display. The new screen resolution is stated at 1136 x 640, simply a 16:9 version of the iPhone 4 screen. Apple has updated its own software to fit the new height of the screen detailing a 5 row of icons and extra email and calendar space.

There is also LTE connectivity, with a single chip and radio. Apple describes its antenna technology to be "dynamic", which remains to be seen what that really means. Sprint, Verizon and AT&T are on the board for LTE support, while in Canada, Rogers, Bell, Koodo and Telus.

The A6 Processor in the new iPhone 5 has double the speed and double the graphics power of the iPhone 4. Certainly enabling more graphically intensive games and faster productivity.

The company has also unveiled the iPhone 5's brand new TKTK iSight camera. The iPhone 4S' camera was considered to be the best in class when it launched last year, and the new camera on the iPhone 5 is no different. Where the iPhone 4S camera featured a f/2.4 aperture, five-element lens and backside illuminated sensor, the camera on the iPhone 5 has a smaller, but similar camera.

Here's the price range you'll be looking at: 6GB for $199, 32GB for $299, $399 for 64GB for a two-year contract. You can start to pre-order this Friday, Sept 14. We're shipping one week later, September 21.