Now that Apple has finally announced the iPhone 5, all the tech companies are taking a vacation due to no more rumor mills to chase around. I would have to say that it is almost a tradition for everyone to guess and share their thoughts on what the next iPhone will have in store for them. The iPhone 5 is no different and has some excellent upgrades many have been waiting for.

Display
One of the most needed changes was Apple going from the aged 3.5″ screen to the 4″ screen. Yes, I know that is nothing compared to the Android flagship devices like the 4.8″ Galaxy S3, the 4.7″ HTC One X, or even close to Galaxy Note at 5.5″. Apple has always wanted the device to fit into your hand and not for your hand to have to fit to the size of the device. The 4″ Retina display has an amazing 326 ppi, 1136 x 640 resolution which is 18% higher than the iPhone 4S. Apple has also given this device a color boost of 44% better color saturation, so everything looks vivid and life-like.

iPhone 5 Display

Blazing Fast Performance
iPhone 5′s A6 processor is twice as fast as the A5, as you will notice when you are opening apps, and e-mail attachments are loading twice as fast. That will also include that the graphics performance is dubbed as well, so you will get games that are graphic intensive and will notice game system platform gaming on your handheld device.

The A6 chip is designed to run iOS 6 with maximum power efficiency, so even with twice as much performance speed, you will still got a full work day of battery life. Apple is claiming you will get 8 hrs talk time, 8 hrs LTE browsing time, and 10 hours of playback time. We won’t know the truth until I get my hands on the device on Friday Sept 21st.

LTE & Design
Finally, the iPhone 5 will have LTE connectivity for AT&T, Sprint, & Verizon. Rumor has it, that the device will not be able to talk and use data at the same time for Sprint or Verizon.

iPhone 5′s design is that similar to the 4S and 4 except the back is made out of anodized 6000 series aluminum with in-lays of ceramic glass on top and bottom. iPhone 5 is 20 percent lighter and 18 percent thinner than iPhone 4S.

Pricing and Availability

Beginning Friday, Sept 21st. Customers will be able to purchase the iPhone 5 on AT&T, Sprint, & Verizon. Pre-orders will start Sept 14th. iPhone 5 will be available in Black & Slate, or White & Silver. It will be available for a suggested retail of $199 for the 16GB model, $299 for the 32GB model, and $399 for the 64GB model with a 2 year contract commitment. I know AT&T is allowing customers to get an early iPhone upgrade which you $249 to the 2 year commitment pricing, which is still cheaper than the no contract pricing. If you miss out on the pre-order, you can pick one up at your local Apple store at 8 a.m. on Friday September 21st, but be prepared to start waiting in line early.