Apple unveiled the next generation of its wildly popular iPhone today, an event that will set the course for the closely watched company.
Apple CEO Tim Cook holds up the latest iPhone, which is larger but lighter than previous versions. (Jeff Chiu/AP)
At an event in Cupertino, Calif., CEO Tim Cook showed off the first version of the iPhone 5 to a gathering of technology journalists.
Despite the name, the phone is the sixth version of the device since the smartphone was launched in 2007.
The device is larger and taller than previous versions and now has a 4-inch screen. But at 112 grams, it’s 20 per cent lighter than the last version, Cook said.
The iPhone 5 is entirely made of aluminum and glass, he added.
As is customary for Apple, the event began with discussion about other, less high-profile news about Apple products. CEO Tim Cook addressed the crowd first.
Apple’s core business, the personal computer, has shrunk as the company’s phones and tablets have gotten popular, but the company remains dominant, Cook said.
Apple computers currently own 26 per cent of the global market. And the company’s tablet business has grown quickly. To date, Apple has sold 84 million iPads worldwide, good enough for 62 per cent of the global market share. The company has 250,000 apps for sale in its iTunes App store.
