What's new in Apple's new iPhone 5

The iPhone5 sports a larger four-inch retina display screen that is 18 per cent thinner and 20 per cent lighter than its predecessor.

   

The roomier screen of the iPhone 5, which has 40 per cent more colour saturation, can be used by apps makers to provide most accurate display in the industry.

   

The iPhone's width is just right for navigating with one's thumb, to make it easy to send text messages, swipe through pages and browse the Web. The additional vertical space on the iPhone 5 screen will let users add a fifth, additional row of apps on the home screen - more room for Web browsing and reading.

   

The iPhone 5 comes with Apple's newest 'A6' processor, which executives said runs twice as fast as the previous generation. It will pack three microphones -- enhancing built-in voice assistant Siri -- and an 8 megapixel camera that can take panoramic views.

   

The iPhone 5 has chips that support additional bands and frequencies and it's capable of delivering up to 100 Mbps per second.

   

The iPhone 5 is getting a new connector to attach to computers and chargers. It had been using the same one from the iPod. That means the new iPhone won't be compatible with old accessories, though Schiller said accessory makers were already working to update their products. Apple will sell an adapter to work with older accessories.

   

One popular enhancement was improved battery endurance -- the iPhone 5 can support eight hours of 4G Web browsing.

   

With the iPhone, it is shipping new 'EarPods' audiophones, designed after digitally scanning hundreds of ears. 

Apple is releasing a new version of its phone software, iOS 6. It will have a new mapping software, as Apple ditches the one from Google it had been using. The new software will have turn-by-turn voice navigation ' a feature Google had limited to Android versions of its mapping app.

   

Upgrades to the software include voice navigation for driving, a feature already available on many Android smartphones, as well as 'Passbook' for storing electronic boarding passes, sports tickets and gift cards.