Tag Archives: iphoneevent2013

iPhone 5s fingerprint sensor called Touch ID, recognizes your thumb on the Home button: here’s how it works and what it does

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Apple's brand-new iPhone 5s isn't dramatically different from last year's model, but it has at least one major addition: a "Touch ID" sensor. Us human beings are calling it a fingerprint sensor, and it's built into the phone's main Home button below the screen. Apple's Phil Schiller says, "It reads your fingerprint at an entirely new level" -- it's 170 microns in thickness with 500 ppi resolution. According to Cupertino, it "scans sub-epidermal skin layers," and can read 360 degrees. As expected, the sensor is actually part of the Home button, making it less of a button and more of a...well, sensor. Using Touch ID, users can authorize purchases in iTunes, the App Store, or in iBooks by simply using their thumbprint (starting in iOS 7, of course). Pretty neat / scary!

As rumored, the sensor uses a laser cut sapphire crystal cover; it retains a tactile input for those wary of the sensor wearing down after lengthy use. The sapphire crystal, acting as a lens, takes a highly detailed image of your fingerprint, which Apple says is "never stored on Apple servers or backed up to iCloud." According to Apple's official PR on the new phone, Touch ID's fingerprint info is "encrypted and stored securely in the Secure Enclave inside the A7 chip" (the A7 chip is the new processor at the heart of the 5s). Apple hasn't made clear whether Touch ID allows for multiple users on a single iPhone or not, nor has the company said whether you could turn off fingerprint authentication (though we have to presume the answer is yes given previous authentication standards on the iPhone).

The fingerprint ID technology was long rumored as heading to 2013's iPhone following Apple's acquisition of Authentec last summer. A render of the iPhone 5s outed the new functionality's name just this week. We'll have more on Touch ID in our upcoming hands-on live from Cupertino, and you can find all our Apple event coverage from today right here.

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Check out all the coverage at our iPhone 'Special Event' 2013 event hub!

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iPhone 5s packs M7 motion-sensing chip, CoreMotion API for more accurate tracking

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iPhone 5S packs M7 motion sensing chip, CoreMotion API for more accurate tracking

Apple's new flagship iPhone 5s is about to have much more detailed information about how much its users are moving, thanks to a new M7 "Motion co-processor." Unveiled during today's live event, it works along with the new 64-bit A7 CPU to measure motion data continuously from the accelerometer, gyroscope and compass without draining the battery as heavily. It looks like the iPhone 5s will be ready to take over for hardware extras like the FitBit or Nike Fuel wristband, but with a new CoreMotion API, devs for those companies and others can pull the information into their apps. The CoreMotion API specifically works to identify user movement, and offers "optimizations based on contextual awareness." Overall, it's very similar to what we'd heard would be in the Moto X, although we haven't seen all of these extra sensors used for activity tracking quite in this way. Nike was on hand with a new Nike+ Move app that used the M7 and GPS to track users' activities, and we wouldn't be surprised if others follow closely behind. Nike called the Move app an "introductory experience" to Nike Fuel in a tweet, so maybe it's planning to upsell customers on (potentially?) more detailed tracking with its hardware add-ons afterward.

Check out all the coverage at our iPhone 'Special Event' 2013 event hub!

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Apple details new iPhone camera: slow-motion video, burst shooting, 15 percent larger active sensor area

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Apple details new iPhone camera: slow-motion video, burst shooting, 15 percent larger active sensor area

Now that Apple's announced the new iPhone 5s, it's taking some time to detail the camera, which, as you'd expect, has been upgraded for 2013. The new module includes a five-element, Apple-designed lens with f/2.2 aperture and -- this is important -- a 15 percent larger active sensor area to help cut down on noise. Also, as rumored, Apple is adding high-speed, 120fps video recording so you can make slow-motion videos (in 720p only, it looks like). One rumor that wasn't true: the one about optical image stabilization. Yes, Apple says there's image stabilization here, but it appears to be just the digital kind. Hope we haven't disappointed you too much.

Additionally, the camera allows for burst shooting at up to 10 frames per second -- just make sure you're holding down the shutter button. Wrapping up, other features include autofocus matrix metering, with the ability to let the camera automatically pick the sharpest shot. There's also automatic exposure adjustment in panorama mode and a new flash called True Tone. Marketing speak aside, the flash is comprised of 1,000 unique variations in flash tone to reduce clashing color temperatures. Curiously, despite going into good detail about the camera, Apple didn't mention the resolution of the camera -- normally a headline spec -- so we're wondering if it's still capped at eight megapixels. (We're going to go with yes.) If we hear anything else, we'll update this post, but for now, enjoy our liveblog, and get ready for us to revisit these camera tweaks in our eventual review.

Update: Now that Apple's posted the complete spec list for the iPhone 5s, we've been able to confirm this is indeed an 8-megapixel camera.

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iOS 7 will be 64-bit, just like the iPhone 5s’ new A7 chip

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iOS 7 will be 64-bit, just like the iPhone 5s' new A7 chip

In addition to announcing its new 64-bit A7 chip, which will power the flagship iPhone 5s, Apple also revealed that iOS 7 itself will be 64-bit. This means a native 64-bit kernel, along with 64-bit libraries and drivers. Accordingly, all of the native apps that come baked into iOS have been retooled to serve up faster performance (don't worry, iOS 7 will still run 32-bit apps from third-party developers). For devs who do want to make the switch, Apple is promising a "seamless" transition, though details are light at the moment. In the meantime, between the A7 chip and this software tune-up, Apple is promising the CPU performance will be 40 times what we saw in the original iPhone. Then again, comparing the new iPhones to the one that came out in 2007 isn't a very helpful comparison -- you might just have to wait for our initial hands-on and, later, a full review.

Check out all the coverage at our iPhone 'Special Event' 2013 event hub!

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Apple unveils A7 chip, brings 64-bit processing to the iPhone 5s

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Apple unveils A7 chip, brings 64bit processing to the iPhone 5S

Apple has just laid claim to a world first: 64-bit processing inside a real, ready-for-sale smartphone. The new A7 processor will power the iPhone 5s with a "desktop-class architecture" consisting of over 1 billion transistors. That's twice as many transistors as were squeezed into the A6 and, for the sake of context, it's not a million miles away from the 1.4 billion transistors found in a current Intel Ivy Bridge desktop-class PC chip. In other words, while ARM's own 64-bit mobile chip design, the Cortex-A57, is still being developed by chip- and phone-makers, Apple's in-house team has pipped them all to the post.

Largely as a result of the extra transistors and 64-bit architecture, the A7 is claimed to be twice as fast as its predecessor, both in terms of CPU and graphics performance. Speaking of graphics, Apple also promises that its newly added support for the OpenGL ES 3.0 standard will enable "breakthroughs in performance" for visually intensive games such as Infinity Blade III. And it won't just be games that benefit -- iOS 7 will be 64-bit too, naturally, and Apple's own built-in apps will be "re-engineered" to exploit this next-gen processing capability. (The A7 and iPhone 5s will also be backwards compatible with existing 32-bit apps.)

Finally, it's interesting note that the iPhone 5s has a secondary processor, the Apple M7, which is tailored for processing motion and other sensory inputs and is presumably designed for unburdening the main chip and allowing the iPhone 5s to work as a fitness tracker and accomplish other sensory-based tasks without excessive battery drain.

Check out all the coverage at our iPhone 'Special Event' 2013 event hub!

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iTunes Radio launches September 18th alongside the release of iOS 7

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iTunes Radio to launch as part of larger iTunes refresh

We heard rumblings a few weeks ago that Apple's streaming service was due to launch this month and now it seems those reports were true. The folks in Cupertino just announced that iTunes Radio will launch on September 18th in tandem with a redesigned iOS 7. The ability to create custom stations based on individual music tastes and personal iTunes libraries will hit Apple devices in a week's time. Of course, you'll need a $25-per-year iTunes Match subscription to keep listening to sessions ad-free, otherwise you'll be prone to regular interruptions of that Yacht Rock station every few minutes.

Check out all the coverage at our iPhone 'Special Event' 2013 event hub!

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Apple announces the iPhone 5c: 4-inch Retina display, plastic design, available in five colors starting at $99 on-contract

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Apple announces the iPhone 5C 4inch Retina display, plastic design, available in five colors starting at $99 oncontract

And then there were two. Apple has for the first time announced a second new iPhone model: the iPhone 5c. As rumored, the device has a colorful new polycarbonate design, which Apple says is made from a single part save the front panel -- the whole of which is a multitouch surface -- and reinforced with a steel structure that's said to be made using a new construction method. It's "beautifully, unapologetically plastic," according to Apple's Jony Ive.

As for specs, you'll get the same 4-inch Retina display as the iPhone 5 (full sRGB), plus an A6 processor, LTE, Bluetooth 4.0 and dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi connectivity, a higher capacity batter and an 8-megapixel, backside-illuminated camera with a 5-element lens. A new front-facing camera also promises better performance in low light.

Available in blue, white, pink, yellow and green, the 5C will set you back $99 on a two-year contract for the 16GB version, or $199 for the 32GB (off-contract options run $549 and $649). Those looking for a bit of added protection can also opt for one of the new cases that Apple has designed to match the phone -- they'll set you back $29 apiece. Pre-orders will open up on September 13th, with the phone set to ship alongside the iPhone 5s a week later on September 20th.%Gallery-slideshow83638% %Gallery-slideshow83651%

Check out all the coverage at our iPhone 'Special Event' 2013 event hub!

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Source: Apple

Apple’s iWork, iMovie and iPhoto will now be available for free on new iOS devices

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Apple's iWork, iMovie and iPhoto will now be available for free on new iOS devices

Today at Apple's next-generation iPhone event, Tim Cook revealed on stage that the iWork suite of applications -- Keynote, Pages and Numbers -- will be available for free on all new iOS devices. That's not it, however, as the Apple CEO also announced that iPhoto and iMovie will follow suit and be up for grabs at no cost. Apple only mentioned that this will apply to "new" devices and the 5th-gen iPod touch -- we're looking into which other iPhone and iPad models can also take advantage of the company's now-free productivity apps, so stay tuned to this post as we'll be updating it as soon we find out.

Update: As promised, we reached out to Apple and below you'll find the official statement from the company.

Today we announced we're making iPhoto, iMovie, Pages, Numbers and Keynote available as a free download for all devices activated as of September 1 that are running iOS 7.

Check out all the coverage at our iPhone 'Special Event' 2013 event hub!%Gallery-slideshow83636%

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Source: iCloud

iOS 7 arrives on Apple devices September 18th

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iOS 7 arrives on Apple devices September 18th

The wait is over. Apple's overhauled OS will be available for download on qualifying devices next week. Control Center, retooled notifications, redesigned calendar and improved Siri functionality alongside numerous other tweaks and thinner typography will soon be a mere download away. In order to take advantage of the update, you'll need an iPhone 4 or later, iPad 2 or later, iPad mini or fifth-generation iPod touch. As always, this is a free download for device owners which means that grouping photos by moments and iTunes Radio are set to arrive in just over a week.

Check out all the coverage at our iPhone 'Special Event' 2013 event hub!

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Apple’s next-generation iPhone liveblog!

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Apple's nextgeneration iPhone liveblog!

You've arrived! But we haven't. If you're here a little early, fret not -- we'll be back at 10AM PT to kick things off from Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, California. The topic of conversation? iPhone, naturally. We're expecting an iPhone 5S and perhaps an iPhone 5C for those seeking something a little more vibrant. Of course, a gilded iPhone is also pretty vibrant. At any rate, be sure to bookmark this very page and return at the time listed below -- if the machines behind the scenes are working properly, it'll calculate based on your time zone. Huzzah!

September 10, 2013 1:00:00 PM EDT

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