iPhone 5: everything you need to know

Apple has confirmed the price, specs and release date of the iPhone 5. Here’s everything you need to know.
What does it look like?
The Apple iPhone 5 looks a lot like the iPhone 4S but it’s thinner, by 18 per cent, and lighter, by 20 per cent. The screen is taller too, at 4-inches corner to corner, but the phone, held in portrait mode, is the same width. Instead of a glass back, the iPhone 5 back and sides are made from a single piece of aluminum.
What’s inside?
The handset is powered by an A6 processor, an upgrade from the A5 chip in the iPhone 4S and the A5X in the latest iPad. Apple says the A6 delivers CPU and graphics performance that is twice as fast as the iPhone 4S. It has been rumored that the iPhone 5 has more RAM too – 1GB, compared with 512MB in the 4S – but this has not been confirmed.
What happened to the dock connector?
Another thing Apple has replaced in order to save space: the dock connector. It has been a familiar feature of Apple devices since it was introduced with the third-generation iPod in 2003 but Apple has now replaced it with a smaller ‘Lightning’ connector. That means the iPhone 5 won’t connect to any existing docks or accessories you may have.
What about the camera?
Though the camera is still 8-megapixels, Apple says that performance will be improved by the new A6 processor. The iPhone 5 also has better low-light performance and a new panorama mode.
Why doesn’t it do NFC/ Wireless charging/ magic?
According to Apple’s Phil Schiller, the iPhone 5 doesn’t have NFC because it’s a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist. One day, an NFC-enabled phone could replace your wallet but that day is unlikely to come in the next 12 months, by which time Apple will be launching a new iPhone. Wireless charging, meanwhile, was ignored by Apple because it still means plugging something in to charge – it just doesn’t plug into your phone.
There are plenty of features that other smartphones have that the iPhone 5 doesn’t. If a feature is missing that’s essential for you, then this needn’t be your phone.
When can I buy one and how much will it cost?
Apple confirmed yesterday that the iPhone 5 will be released on September 21. Unlocked, the phone will cost £529 (16GB), £599 (32GB) and £699 (64GB).