ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

iPhone 5 vs. iPhone 4S: Detailed Feature Comparison

Updated on October 14, 2012

The sixth generation of Apple's vaunted iPhone—the iPhone 5—was announced by Apple on September 12, 2012, approximately one year after the launch of the iPhone 4S, and began shipping on September 21, not even two weeks later.

Although the form factor has changed somewhat (the iPhone 5 is larger and lighter than its predecessor), other enhancements and changes are lurking under the hood. Read on to see what's changed in the iPhone 5 compared to its older brother, the iPhone 4S.

iPhone 4S vs iPhone 5

 
iPhone 4S
iPhone 5
Launch date
October 2011
September 2012
Form factor
iPhone 4
new
Case Material (chassis)
Glass
Aluminum and Glass
Operating system
iOS 5
iOS 6
Screen size
3.5 inch
4 inch
Processor
Dual-core A5
Dual-core A6
Mobile network
3G
4G (LTE, HSPA+)
Camera
Back: 8 megapixel; Front: 0.3 megapixel, 480p video
Back: 8 megapixel, 40% faster shutter speed; Front: 720p video
Weight
140 g (4.9 oz)
112 g (4 oz)
Thickness
9.3 mm
7.6 mm
Price
With 2-year plan: $199 (16GB), $299 (32GB), $399 (64GB)
Same
The thinner iPhone 5 boasts an aluminum back, recalling the original iPhone's iconic, metallic design.
The thinner iPhone 5 boasts an aluminum back, recalling the original iPhone's iconic, metallic design.
The iPhone 5's larger screen accommodates a fifth row of icons (the iPhone 4S only has four rows).
The iPhone 5's larger screen accommodates a fifth row of icons (the iPhone 4S only has four rows).

Hands-on video of iPhone 5

Will you buy the iPhone 5?

See results
The new 8-pin, all-digital and bidirectional "Lightning" port connector.
The new 8-pin, all-digital and bidirectional "Lightning" port connector.

Here's what we know based on Apple's announcement:

  • 4G: The iPhone 5 is the first 4G iPhone available on all three US carriers (AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint). It can accommodate both true 4G/LTE technology as well as DC-HSPDA, HSPA+ (3.5G), EVDO and earlier technologies as a fallback when 4G connections are unavailable.
    U.S.: Sprint, AT&T and Verizon.
    Canada: Rogers, Telus, Bell, Fido, and Virgin Mobile.
    Asia: Softbank, Smartone, Singtel, and SK Telecom.
    Europe: Deutsche Telekom, and EE.
    Australia: Telstra, Optus, and Virgin Mobile.
  • Larger, thinner screen. The most significant change is that the screen has grown from 3.5 inches to 4 inches. The size increase represents the first time Apple has ever expanded the screen dimensions on an iPhone.
    In addition, the screen will see both inductive (touchscreen) and display (LCD) layers merged into one, allowing the screen to be thinner and using less energy to attain the same brightness.
    The screen also displays true sRGB rendering, resulting in colors with 44% great saturation than in the previous iPhone 4S.
  • Smaller port. The 21-mm wide, 30-pin connector port at the bottom of the phone is expected to be replaced with an 80% narrower, all-digital 8-pin port, dubbed "Lightning." Adapters to use previous port connectors will be available.
  • Faster chip. With each successive Apple mobile operating system, increased complexity and added features create strains on the processor. Apple is likely to move away from working with Samsung, with whom it has a number of outstanding patent lawsuits underway, and move to an updated, dual-core A6 chip. The A6, with an enhanced graphics processor, is 22% smaller than the A5 in the iPhone 4S, but Apple claims it has almost double the processing speed.
  • Improved battery. The iPhone 5's battery will make use of the phone's larger footprint, with its weight bumped up from 0.80 oz (22.7g) to 0.96 (27.2g). According to iResQ, the iPhone 5 battery will be 3.8V/5.45Whr while the iPhone 4S is currently 3.7V/5.3Whr.
  • Better camera. The iPhone 5 has an 8 million pixel camera (similar to the iPhone 4S), but it has an improvement in shutter speed: capturing and storing images is now 40% faster than in the iPhone 5's predecessor.
  • Case material improvements. In a nod to the first-generation iPhone, the back of the iPhone 5 has seen the return of metal: aluminum. The body now is a hybrid of aluminum and glass, and is approximately 20% lighter than the 4S, at 112 grams (4 ounces).

What didn't make the cut

There is a wide range of phone features, some prominently featured on the iPhone's Android competitors, that will likely not debut in the 2012 model. These include:

  • NFC (near-field communication) chip: iWallet will probably have to wait.
  • Wireless (inductive) charging
  • ORB (organic radical battery)

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)