Main image of article iPhone 5 - What does it mean for Developers?
Apple trotted out its highly anticipated iPhone 5 today and, if the predictions are true, a massive number of people will be lining up to get their hands on the new device when its ready for pre-orders on Friday. And that's great news for iOS developers. iPhone 5 will be sporting the new iOS 6, which has been in beta since June.  Apple also plans to make iOS 6 generally available beginning next Wednesday. After looking at the features it appears that the most important developer oriented goodies revolve around the following:
  • Wireless - 4G LTE, 2.4GHz to 5 GHz (up to 150Mbps)
  • Performance - 2x speed increase in Graphics and CPU
  • Screen - 4” (larger) with 16:9 viewing aspect ratio
  • Resolution - 1136x640 pixels and 44% more color saturation
  • Camera - low light feature and faster shutter speed with HD for both front and back
  • Audio - 3 microphones for better audio
  • Video - 1080p with stabilization feature
  • iOS 6 - 3D Maps, Passbook type apps
In my opinion, as a developer and consumer, the main new feature is 4G LTE.  This means that users will use even more bandwidth and spend more time and money online than ever before.  Get that bandwidth hog of an application ready today. Not all apps that developers have already created will take advantage of the new features and for those older apps, Apple claims that those apps should still work great. According to Apple, existing apps will not be scaled or stretched to fit the larger screen but the user will see “curtains” or black bars surrounding the app.  Basically, the app will be centered on the screen at it’s original size. One statistic that Apple made today which really got my attention was the fact that Apple claims that the average iPhone user has more than 100 apps installed on their device.  Wow, this should be great news for developers everywhere!  It’s amazing to think about the potential the mobile market has for developers.  Devices, including the iPhone 5, seem to be getting faster and more powerful with every new release. Apple’s iPhone 5 can be pre-ordered starting on September 14, 2012 at the current pricing of the iPhone 4S.