Under new CEO Tim Cook, the Cupertino giant had been trying to "double down on secrecy" and not leak any details about the device ahead of time. A few details snuck out, however, as they tend to do in the mobile world. (See 5 iPhone 5 Features Carriers Should Care About .)
Here's a quick recap of what expected announcements Apple delivered on today and which features didn't make the cut in iPhone 5.
LTE is a go
:
The iPhone 5 will include the biggest feature du jour, 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE). It will support three different variants, one for European LTE band, one for AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T)'s 4G network in the 700MHz and 1700MHz bands, and one for Verizon Wireless and Sprint Corp. (NYSE: S)'s CDMA and LTE networks. Support for Sprint's LTE network was somewhat of a surprise, because the carrier only has a small network deployed to date. (See Sprint: LTE in 100 Cities in the 'Coming Months'.)
: Many expected Apple's device to be a revolutionary leap over past versions, which have so far been iterative. But, by in large, that wasn't the case. The iPhone 5 is slightly bigger than its predecessor, weighs less and has a bigger screen, but, otherwise, it's the same iPhone that Apple Fanboys know and love.
NFC is a no-go
:
The iPhone 5 won't be replacing your wallet any time soon, as the new device lacked a Near-Field Communications (NFC) chip. Apple announced its Passbook mobile ticketing and loyalty app, submitted patents around NFC and recently acquired mobile payments security provider Autentec, but it looks like the contactless tech is stuck in the labs. (See Apple Could Make Mobile Payments AuthenTec.)
CPU gets revved up
:
Along with the faster network, the iPhone 5 includes a central processing unit (CPU) and graphics engine in the A6 that are twice as fast as its predecessor, the A5.
Battery life letdown
: Apple didn't make a big deal about the iPhone 5's battery life like Motorola did on its new Droids. The iPhone 5 bests the battery life of the 4S, but not by much. Apple says it will run for eight hours of 3G talk time, 3G browsing and LTE browsing.
HD Voice, but no VoLTE
: As expected, users won't be able to talk over 4G on the new iPhone, although they will have better quality for their calls. Wideband audio technology will make voice calls seem more natural, Apple's Phil Schiller said today, according to AllThingsD. Twenty carriers, including Orange SA and Deutsche Telekom AG (NYSE: DT), will support this at launch. (See Will iPhone 5 Have a 4G Voice?)
No iPad Mini
:
The iPad Mini did not make its debut alongside its iPhone brethren. Instead, the "one more thing" late Apple CEO Steve Jobs made famous was a performance by the Foo Fighters. Apple's expected to hold another event in October to unveil the miniaturized iPad. (See iPad Mini: Wi-Fi Only & Camera-Free?)
joset01, User Rank: Light Beer 12/5/2012 | 5:21:11 PM
re: Apple iPhone 5: What Happened & What Didn't
I think that the interesting thing is that it seems to have hurried along Sprint & AT&T with LTE launches. AT&T says they'll be at 100 cities by year's end. Sprint at 100 in "coming months."
shygye75, User Rank: Light Beer 12/5/2012 | 5:21:10 PM
re: Apple iPhone 5: What Happened & What Didn't
I did enjoy the "analysis" by one Michael Feroli of JP Morgan Chase that the iPhone 5 will magically add 0.33% to the US GDP in 4Q. Apple may be wasting its money on marketing -- it has plenty of (probably) unpaid cheerleaders.
shygye75, User Rank: Light Beer 12/5/2012 | 5:21:09 PM
re: Apple iPhone 5: What Happened & What Didn't
Let's start an unconfirmed rumor that those features will be in the iPhone 6, which will be released two weeks after Apple meets its sales goals for the 5.
Dr. Dong Sun, Chief Architect of Digital Transformation Solutions at Huawei, discusses how telecom operators can become digital ecosystem enablers and deliver optimal user experiences that are in real-time, on-demand, all-online, DIY and social (ROADS).
In the digital age, network experience has become the primary productivity especially for telecom operators. In this video, Wenshuan Dang, Huawei’s Chief Network Architect, discusses how carriers can tackle the challenge of infrastructure complexity in order to enhance business agility and improve user experience.
As NFV strategies evolve from tests and trials to production telco networks, expect to hear a lot about virtual CPE (customer premises equipment) rollouts during 2015.
What's making policy control strategic in 2015 and beyond? Amdocs talks with Heavy Reading's Graham Finnie about the key factors driving change in the data services landscape. Find out what his policy management research reveals about the road ahead for policy control – and sign up for
In December 2014, Light Reading brought together telecom executives in Reykjavik, Iceland to discuss their vision for high-capacity networks through the end of the decade. The intimate, interactive meeting was set against the backdrop of Iceland's spectacular natural beauty. As one of the event's founding sponsors, Cisco's Doug Webster shared his company's ...
At IBC, Peter Alexander, Senior Vice President & CMO at Harmonic, speaks about the growing interest in pay-TV service and its branching into multiple devices.
In December 2014, Steve Saunders sat down with Cisco VP of Products & Solutions Marketing Doug Webster at Light Reading's 2020 Vision executive summit in Reykjavik, Iceland. They spoke about Cisco's approach to network virtualization as well as how service providers can begin to monetize high-capacity networks through the end of the decade.
Dr. Dong Sun, Chief Architect of Digital Transformation Solutions at Huawei, discusses how telecom operators can become digital ecosystem enablers and deliver optimal user experiences that are in real-time, on-demand, all-online, DIY and social (ROADS).
In the digital age, network experience has become the primary productivity especially for telecom operators. In this video, Wenshuan Dang, Huawei’s Chief Network Architect, discusses how carriers can tackle the challenge of infrastructure complexity in order to enhance business agility and improve user experience.
What's making policy control strategic in 2015 and beyond? Amdocs talks with Heavy Reading's Graham Finnie about the key factors driving change in the data services landscape. Find out what his policy management research reveals about the road ahead for policy control – and sign up for
At IBC, Peter Alexander, Senior Vice President & CMO at Harmonic, speaks about the growing interest in pay-TV service and its branching into multiple devices.
Vitesse Semiconductor CTO Martin Nuss discusses the importance of the MEF Third Network initiative and why it's good news for SDN/NFV industry initiatives.
Join us live for Light Reading's interview with Jay Samit, the newly appointed CEO of publicly traded SeaChange International Inc. With a resume that includes Sony, EMI, and Universal, Samit brings a reputation as an entrepreneur and a disruptor to his new role at the video solutions company. Hear what he has to say about the opportunities in video, as well as the outlook for cable, telco, OTT and mobile service providers.
To save this item to your list of favorite Light Reading content so you can find it later in your Profile page, click the "Save It" button next to the item.
If you found this interesting or useful, please use the links to the services below to share it with other readers. You will need a free account with each service to share an item via that service.
(11) | 
Digg
Del.icio.us
Reddit
Tweet This