Apple Update Recap

Amid great anticipation, Apple executives introduced two new iPhone models and a new mobile operating system on Tuesday. Below is a recap of what we can expect from Apple’s new offerings.

The new iOS 7 includes an updated control center, notification center and multitasking view, as well as new ringtones and system alert sounds. Also new is AirDrop, which allows users to virtually exchange files with a nearby iPhone.

Of course, it’s the new iPhone models 5S and 5C that have generated the most buzz. The 5S comes in silver, space grey and gold—a new hue among Apple’s products. It also has a new A7 processor re-engineered for 64-bit architecture, allowing it to run more complex software, faster.

The new iPhone 5S (image courtesy apple.com)

The 5S camera boasts an f/2.2 aperture for taking better photos in low light and a dual-LED flash for a more natural color balance. Panorama mode can capture a 28-megapixel shot, and the new burst mode can take ten still images in one second.

Perhaps the most novel feature of the 5S is its Home button-cum-fingerprint scanner, which can be used in place of a pass code and when signing into iTunes. Writer Brad Molen at Engadget found that this feature “made for a much faster and enjoyable experience” accessing the phone.

The iPhone 5C, on the other hand, is a budget-friendly alternative to the current 5, coming in at $100 less. One notable difference is its back panel, composed of polycarbonate in vibrant green, blue, pink, yellow or white.

The new iPhone 5C (image courtesy apple.com)

Writes a blogger for TheVerge about the 5C: “It’s an iPhone 5, only a lot thicker and a lot more plastic. And a lot more colorful.”

While a new Apple release usually stirs up widespread excitement, some have found the updates underwhelming. Reuters reports that investors are not particularly thrilled about the new products, and ReadWrite posits that some fans were hoping for more.

Do iOS 7 and iPhones 5S and 5C give consumers renewed impetus to line up and stay loyal, or did Apple’s updates fall flat?