Thinking of hopping on a new contract, but lacking that smaller SIM standard that the iPhone 5 will be packing? You’d best pick up one of these, then. UK carriers, including Three and Vodafone, are already stocking up on these nano-SIMs, and they’re also prepping these tiny adapters to ensure the new cards will work across all their devices. These will convert a nano-SIM to both micro and standard sizes, so we’d advise picking one up the same time you visit the phone store. (We’ve included a glimpse of Vodafone’s nano-SIM after the break.)
Apple’s trio of Lightning adapters aren’t the only connections offered for the iPhone 5, 5th-gen iPod touch and 7th-gen iPod nano; there’s also a new microUSB adapter, though you’ll need to be in Europe to get it. The fourth dongle basically connects a regular microUSB charger – or a microUSB cable for sync & charge – to the smaller Lightning port on the new devices, Apple’s workaround to EC legislation about standardized ports.
That decision by the European Community – that all phones must be chargeable via microUSB – has been a thorn in Apple’s side, given the company prefers to stick with its own, proprietary connections. This new Lightning to microUSB adapter, then, is the workaround.
It’s certainly not as convenient as having an actual microUSB port on the iPhone 5, and nor – frustratingly – will it come in the box. The UK store is currently listing the dongle at £15 with availability in three days, with the French and German stores giving the same ship estimate and a price of €19.
There’s no sign of it in the US store, however, and so it seems those outside of the EC’s regulatory clutches won’t be able to get their hands on the dinky dongle, at least not officially.
We do love products that only exist to circumvent the finer points of legislation (hello there, Aston Martin Cygnet), but even better are the ones that actually serve a purpose. To comply with the European Commission’s insistence that all smartphones must have a microUSB connector, Apple is putting out a Euro-specific adapter for its new Lightning standard. It’s turned up in the UK and French stores so far, setting you back £15 / €19 ($25) — and we imagine it won’t be long before some entrepreneurial soul starts buying them in bulk to sell to microUSB users Stateside.
So the iPhone 5 was announced earlier morning with a September 21st rollout for most carriers, and it did sound a little bit underwhelming by Apple’s standards. Verizon will be one of the carriers offering the iPhone 5, and they also mentioned that iPhone 5 owners on Verizon Wireless will be able to take advantage of FaceTime calls over a cellular connection (meaning, without the use of Wi-Fi) without taking into consideration the kind of data plan you have. Needless to say, it is a no-brainer to figure out that one of those “unlimited” data plans or one with a high bandwidth cap will be more ideal than the rest.
As for its bitter rival AT&T, AT&T’s plan will limit the feature to folks who subscribe to the Mobile Share data plan only. I guess FaceTime use will be one of the marketing points that US carriers take into consideration when it comes to data plans, although it remains to be seen how many people would carry out conversations in FaceTime compared to a regular phone call.
Just like Sprint, AT&T, too, will be offering the newly announced iPhone 5 this coming September 21st, although AT&T subscribers (or would be subscribers) will be able to place your pre-orders from September 14th onwards for the latest iPhone, with a slew of flexible data plan options to choose from. As expected, iPhone 5 on AT&T will come in three flavors (capacities, actually), 16GB, 32GB and 64GB which will cost you $199.99, $299.99 and $399.99, respectively. for the 64GB model. While Sprint might come from its position of strength as “Truly Unlimited”, AT&T will bank on their status as the “nation’s largest 4G network” to help it sell the iPhone 5 and perhaps, along the way, poach customers from other carriers.
Ralph de la Vega, president & CEO, AT&T Mobility, said, “We are thrilled to offer iPhone 5 on the nation’s largest 4G network. We’ve worked with Apple since the original in 2007 and this is hands-down their best phone yet. We offer customers the flexibility to keep the iPhone data plans they already have or choose any of our individual or new Mobile Share plans. We’re proud that more customers choose AT&T for iPhone than any other U.S. carrier and look forward to making iPhone 5 the newest addition to our lineup.”
Will it be Sprint or AT&T (or other carriers) for you when it comes to the iPhone 5, or would you want an unlocked model instead? [Press Release]
A mobile carrier could be said to be off tangent if it does not want to carry the iPhone 5, considering how Apple’s products are highly desirable in the eyes of many. Having said that, we have word that Sprint will be making the iPhone 5 available to the masses this coming September 21st, touting to be the only national carrier that offers customers “Truly Unlimited 4G LTE data, text and calling”, although folks are able to place their pre-order for the iPhone 5 on Sprint from 12:01am PT onwards this coming Friday, September 14th.
Sprint CEO Dan Hesse has this to say, “iPhone 5 is packed with amazing new features and we are proud to offer Truly Unlimited data to iPhone customers so they can enjoy everything iPhone 5 has to offer on our 4G LTE network. Whether it’s finding a nearby restaurant with Siri, using Passbook to get organized or surfing the web, Sprint’s truly unlimited data plans provide incredible value for iPhone customers, meaning customers can make the most of iOS 6 without worrying about costly overages on their monthly bill.”
Will you jive with Sprint’s iPhone 5 based on your past experience? After all, $79.99 for Truly Unlimited data, text and calling to any mobile sans throttling, metering and overages does sound to be rather tempting. [Press Release]
So Apple is moving towards the slimmer form factor without increasing the screen size of its iPhone 5 by too huge a margin, but is that what customers really want? I am quite sure that the iPhone 5 will still perform incredibly well in markets where it is released, but will the battery life be able to hold out with 4G LTE connectivity thrown into the mix? The Lenmar Meridian iPhone 5 Battery Case might be able to help you out here, where it virtually doubles your iPhone 5’s up time so that you are able to chat a little bit longer, surf a few more websites than normal, or perhaps clear more levels during your commute without worrying about battery life.
Available in a trio of colors, Rubberized Black, Glossy White, and Metallic Red, the Lenmar Meridian iPhone 5 Battery Case will also include a rechargeable 2200mAh Lithium Polymer battery, an on-off power button, and an LED power indicator, where $69.99 will net you this puppy with a one year warranty as it arrives later this December.
If you’ll recall, AT&T was quick to inform users after WWDC that it would not be supporting FaceTime over Cellular on all of its data plans (you’ll need a Mobile Share plan for it to work) when it launches as part of iOS6 on the 19th. Now Verizon has responded, confirming in its iPhone 5 press release that the feature is welcome on any data plan allowance. Of course, your usual data restrictions will still apply so we wouldn’t leave those 720p backside illuminated cameras streaming for too long. If you’re the type to set your watch by iPhone launches, the press release also mentions Friday at 3AM ET is the time when they’ll be available for preorder on the website, check the rest of the details after the break.
It’s time to have a chat about what the iPhone 5 didn’t bring to the table this week now that the dust has settled – somewhat – after the big Apple reveal. Two features you might be wondering about – and one that you might never have heard of – for the iPhone 5 that we’ve had questions about are these: NFC, Wireless Charging, and Localized Haptic Feedback. We’ve discussed the first two extremely briefly right after the press conference was complete, while the third has still been weighing on our minds even without a lot of your questions for us on the device in the end.
One of the main objectives the designers of the iPhone 5 had in mind was the overall thinning of the device. The final product is, as the video you’re about to see will show, precise down to tiny, tiny details throughout the iPhone 5′s hardware build. The features we’re about to speak about here are not included on the iPhone 5 for their own unique reasons, but the technology being… well… fat – is one of the main reasons why they’re not included on this device.
NFC
We’d heard some weeks ago that NFC was set to be included on the iPhone 5, and even heard a rumor that said an iPhone 5 with NFC embedded was created – but the final word is this: the infrastructure surrounding NFC as a technology being used in the wild just isn’t strong enough. Even more important than the fatness of the architecture that’d be needed for the iPhone 5 to work with NFC is the idea that the technology just isn’t mature enough.
If there’s any shadow of a doubt that a feature will not be usable in a short amount of time after it’s included on an Apple product, it will not be included. One example of this is the MacBook and its inclusion of HDMI-compatible hardware. You didn’t see HDMI compatibility on Apple products until a large enough cross-section of media-makers and hardware developers adopted the technology – and no, I nor we know any specific numbers in this situation.
Wireless Charging
If you keep up with all the gadgets and gizmos that get released no matter what manufacturer makes them here with SlashGear, you know that Nokia released a couple of devices recently – the Lumia 820 and 920 – that work with wireless charging. This technology is another one that requires some bulk and weight – and of course, an added cost for production. When you weigh these simple elements against the positive factors involved in wireless charging, they simply do not add up – not for the iPhone 5, anyway.
One of the biggest reasons for this is simply the fact that you cannot charge your device wirelessly and hold your device while using it at the same time. At the moment, Nokia’s chargers, while awesome in an of themselves, are certainly larger than a simple USB-wired charging solution. It’s not as if this concept is new – the idea that you can hold your device while charging if it’s not wireless – but it still holds true through the iPhone 5.
Localized Haptic Feedback
If you’ll look way back to March of this year you’ll find an Apple patent outlining Localized Haptic Feedback for their iPhone line. To keep it simple: this technology connects an array of piezoelectric actuators to the device’s display, each of them able to give you vibrations localized to the point where you’re touching your screen. This is just one of several different ways you can do this, but the end result is the same.
Apple simply isn’t going to include a system like this unless it’s necessary for the device to function. More important than that, Apple won’t include a system like this because it’d simply weigh too heavily on the battery – why use up battery time for a system that shakes your finger so precisely it seems like magic? At the moment, the ends do not justify the means.
Have a peek at our Apple portal for more info on the iPhone 5 and let us know what you think of these features – especially what it means to you that they’re not included in this release. Also be sure to check out our iPhone 5 hands-on experience to get close – real close!
Apple’s conference was full of small and big announcements and very dense. Between the announcements of the iPhone 5 and the updated iPodline-up, it is hard to keep track of all the details. It is now time to look back and read our coverage of what Apple showed to the press today.
The iPhone 5
Of course, the biggest announcement was the unveiling of the iPhone 5. The rumors were true — the device sports a 4-inch display, comes with a new dock connector called Lightning (adapters are available), LTE and 802.11n dual-channel 5GHz Wi-Fi and a nano-SIM slot.
It will be available on September 21 for $199 for 16GB, $299 for 32GB or $399 for 64GB — pre-orders open on Friday. Previous iPhone models will be sold at $99 or even given away with a two-year contract. Read the hands-on and watch Apple’s video.
New iPod Touch
The iPod Touch was updated as well to keep the device on par with the latest iPhone. It uses the same 4-inch screen and powerful system on a chip but is at the same time the thinnest and lightest iPod Touch ever produced. Like the iPod Nano, the device now comes with several color options — grey, black, blue, green, and red. Read all the details and the hands-on.
New iPod nano
The iPod nano was updated as well with a bigger screen. Once again, the iPod nano is Apple’s playground for testing new designs. They are not afraid of changing everything with each generation. Read all the information and our hands-on.
EarPods
EarPods are the new Apple earbuds. An update was highly overdue and it’s available now. If you want to know how they sound, read our first impressions after trying them.
As with every keynote, Apple gave us a few impressive numbers to make the company shine. It sold 84 million iPads, 400 million iOS devices and more laptops than any other manufacturer. 83 million people visited at least one of the 380 Apple retail stores in the world. 700,000 apps are now available in the App Store. Even more important, 90 percent of them are downloaded every month.
But don’t take our word for it and watch the video of the event and see what Jim Dalrymple, John Gruber and others had to say.
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