iPhone 5s

Why it’s an iPhone 5s and not an iPhone 5S

Apple has again changed the way the iPhone's name is spelled out on paper. If you can remember, back when the first incremental upgrade to the iPhone line was released, Apple typed it out like this on paper: iPhone 3G S. Yes, there was a space between the "3G" and the "S" — Thankfully, Apple eventually caved in, or just didn't care enough to make a big deal out of it when we refused to spell it that way. The iPhone 4S lacked the space between the number and letter, and all was well with the world.

Now, on the day of the unveiling of two new Apple devices which both sport a suffixed alphabetical character, debate ensues once again. This time, though, the argument isn't about spaces, it's about cases. And I'm not talking about the hideous swiss cheese cases it's trying to push on unsuspecting iPhone 5c adopters, I'm talking about textual case — the upper and lower variety.

Apple has ditched the upper case call letters in favor of a lower case letter. That means that the iPhone 5C isn't the iPhone 5C at all, it's the iPhone 5c. That also means that the iPhone 5S is now the iPhone 5s. Apple's even gone retroactive on us and replaced the iPhone 4S with the iPhone 4s (same device, different name on paper).

The question is, why? Why would Apple go through the process of confusing us bloggers, (because let's face it, we're probably the only ones who care about this type of stuff) and go and change it again? The answer to that question is probably a lot more straightforward than it first appears.

Check out these gorgeous photos taken with the new iPhone 5s

Apple likely disappointed spec-watchers everywhere when it announced today that it kept the camera on the iPhone 5s at 8-megapixels. This means that, on paper at least, the handset is inferior to those with 12, 13 and 41mp sensors.

But as you'll see in these sample photos, taken with an actual iPhone 5s, that's just not the case. With its five-element Apple-designed lens, F2.2 aperture and 15% larger active sensor area, the 5s will hold its own among the best of them...

iPhone 5s tech specs

The iPhone 5s might look like an iPhone 5 on the outside, but a few things have changed on the inside, making it, as you've probably guessed, the best iPhone yet.

Apple usually doesn't brag too much about specs because, as my wife says, "it's not about the size of your processor, it's about what you do with it." All jokes aside, even though Apple dropped a few tech specs today, we wanted to gather them up all under one roof.

More importantly, we have listed the iPhone 5s tech specs below for historical purposes. In several years from now, when the iPhone 5s is nowhere to be found on Apple's website, this post will help us have a look back on the iPhone 5s and its specs in one convenient place...

Watch today’s iPhone event now

Folks who missed Apple’s keynote this morning, or would just like to watch it in its entirety, will be happy to hear that Apple has just posted the full video online for your streaming pleasure. Obviously, you can read everything you need to know about today’s event right here on iDB. But if you have the time, the video is definitely worth watching…

The price of an unlocked iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c

This is it. Apple finally unveiled the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 5c without much surprise to anyone who's been following the rumors for a while. We've already posted about the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c pricing and availability but we thought it'd be worth having a post dedicated to these devices' prices off-contract.

So far, looking at Apple's website, only T-Mobile will be offering unlocked and contract-free iPhones from day one, starting September 20th. If history is any indication of the future, chances are other carriers such as AT&T will later offer the devices without a contact, and unlocked for use on other carriers.

But let's have a look at the prices of contract-free iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c...

Apple video lays out iPhone 5s camera advances

Usually, Apple's S-upgrades are big on camera improvements and the just-released iPhone 5s doesn't disappoint in this regard. Although past S-upgrades increased pixel count on the back camera sensor - the iPhone 4S, for instance, introduced an eight-megapixel iSight camera, up from five megapixels on the iPhone 4 - the iPhone 5s's back shooter remains stuck at eight megapixels.

But photography isn't just about megapixels so Apple worked to improve low-light performance and the overal quality of your snaps, as well as enable new features like the super-slow motion video capture at 120 frames per second (stemming from the two-times faster 64-bit A7 chip).

Cody has already laid out some of the crucial new camera capabilities and now Apple has posted a video which takes us through some of the technologies that make the iPhone 5s the best iPhone camera yet...

Apple posts Touch ID video walkthrough

Just like clockwork, Apple has now updated its website with new material related to today's announcements. The flagship iPhone 5s has received a substantial upgrade and with much of the attention surrounding its fingerprint scanning feature, the company has made a little video explaining how they integrated the sensitive fingerprint reader into the Home button while giving us an overview of how Touch ID works. I've included it for your viewing pleaser right after the break, have a look right now...

Apple discontinues the iPhone 5, 4s remains as free option

It looks like Ming-Chi Kuo was right. The KGI Securities analyst predicted, as did a few others, that Apple would be discontinuing the iPhone 5 alongside the launch of the iPhone 5s and 5c today. And they did.

It seems that the iPhone 5c, which starts at $99 on contract, has completely replaced the 5, and Apple will cease selling it after this month. Oddly enough, however the company is keeping the iPhone 4s around...

iPhone 5s pricing and availability: starts at $199, available on September 20

Now that you know all about the new iPhone 5s, the next two questions are: "when can I get it?" and "how much is it going to cost me?" As far as price goes, Apple has stuck with its usual scheme: the 5s will start at $199 for the 16GB model with a two-year carrier contract. And availability will depend on where you live.

It appears that Apple will not be putting this handset up for pre-order like it has in year's past, but it will be available in-stores on September 20. Note that this initial launch group now includes China, which is pretty significant considering that it doesn't typically get new Apple products until several months after launch.

Apple’s Touch ID fingerprint scanning revealed

A last-minute leak from our friends over at Nowhereelse.fr suggested that Apple would refer to the rumored iPhone 5s fingerprint sensor as Touch ID. The rumors were true: Apple first revealed the top-end iPhone 5s which has a much-improved camera and runs two times faster A7 chip that's 64-bit (the first for a phone) and a new motion chip called M7.

The executives saved the best part for the end of the presentation: the built-in fingerprint scanning feature which draws from Apple's 2012 acquisition of the Israeli biometric sensor experts AuthenTec. Jump past the fold for the full reveal..

The iPhone 5s camera: F2.2 aperture, larger pixels, burst mode, Slo-Mo and more

As expected, the new iPhone 5s features a significantly upgraded rear-facing iSight camera. It has a new five-element Apple-designed lens with an F2.2 aperture and a 15% larger active sensor area. The pixels are larger too:—1.5 microns.

The camera software has also been largely improved. The Camera app now sets white balance, exposure, and creates a "dynamic local tone map" with "autofocus matrix metering" for 15 zones—all automatically. More details after the fold...

Apple’s new A7 chip inside iPhone 5s is 64-bit, ‘desktop-class architecture’

In revealing the new top-line iPhone 5s smartphone, Apple spent some air time talking about the all-new A7 chip. Contrary to previous reports and the somewhat mixed rumors, the new chip is 64-bit. This is huge. It's the first time Apple's made a jump to the modern 64-bit mobile architecture.

Apple says it's the first such piece of silicon in a smartphone ("I don't think the other guys are even talking about this," Schiller said) and notes iOS 7 has been specifically designed with 64-bit computing in mind. They are calling it a "huge leap forward in mobile computing performance" as the A7 enables "desktop-class architecture" on a mobile device...