Apple on Wednesday unveiled its much-anticipated iPhone 5, as well as upgrades for the iPod Touch and iPod Nano. In reaction to the news, many readers posted questions. Here are answers to the most commonly asked ones.
A. The iPhone 5 costs $200 for the model with 16 gigabytes, $300 for 32 gigabytes and $400 for 64 gigabytes, with a two-year contract. You can pre-order it starting Friday. The phone releases Sept. 21, and ship dates vary depending on when you place the order.
Q. Does Siri now allow you to issue configuration requests, such as “Turn Bluetooth on,” or “Turn ringer off”?
–Zak456, Hoboken, New Jersey
A. No. In the new version of Apple’s mobile operating system, iOS 6, Siri has been expanded to add things like booking a restaurant through OpenTable, but tweaking core settings is not something it does yet.
Q. Does the new Nano have a clip to attach to your clothes (for when you workout) like the current version does? – D, Conn.
A. No. Its workout feature is a built-in pedometer and support for Nike+.
Q. Why did Apple create another proprietary connector, instead of adopting the ubiquitous Micro-USB connector? It would be great if the industry could standardize chargers for cellphones. –Mark, Calif.
A. Apple executives say the smaller “Lightning” connector allowed it to make the iPhone 5 and new iPod Touch thinner. Apple is the only company that uses a proprietary charging port, which benefits it in a number of ways: If people buy accessories like docks, clock radios and chargers made just for Apple products, they have to keep buying Apple products if they want to keep using their gear. Making its own port also allows Apple to make industrial design decisions that other manufacturers who conform to the Micro-USB standard probably couldn’t make.
Q. What’s this gorgeous thing gonna cost me each month? Can I keep my existing plan (AT&T, $70 per month) when I buy the iPhone 5? Any good pointers for comparing pricing and plans? –MT, San Francisco, Calif.
A. AT&T has said you’ll be able to keep using your existing plan if you upgrade to the iPhone 5. So if you’re paying $70 a month now, you should continue to pay that price, unless you decide to change your plan.
Q. Plan to order my phone on the 14th from Apple to be delivered to my home. Since the new phone will have a new SIM card, how do I transfer from old card (iPhone 4) to new without going to Apple or AT&T store? Am I missing something obvious? –PN, Franklin, Tenn.
A. When you purchase the iPhone 5 through AT&T or Apple, it includes a SIM, and you activate it with your number through iTunes. You won’t have to swap cards or go to a store.
Q. Near Field Communications (NFC) is the best technology to unify payments with a cellphone. The Apple rumors had the new phone coming with NFC. Why did Apple not put NFC in the new iPhone 5? –J.C., San Francisco, Calif.
A. Only Apple knows the answer to this question, but in general, Apple doesn’t do anything that it feels it doesn’t need to, and mobile payments are still a premature technology. Also, Will Strauss, an analyst at Forward Concepts, which studies chips, says the iPhone 5’s all glass and aluminum body precludes it from using NFC.
Q. It’s become an annual question, but is the iPod Classic still being sold?– Mark L. Milwaukee, WI
A. Yes, it’s still alive and selling.
Q. So I am out of contract. AT&T or Verizon? No more unlimited data, which I’ve had with AT&T. Which is better for the iPhone 5? –Mark Calif.
A. It depends on your preferences. Verizon has a larger 4G LTE market than AT&T, so if reliable coverage matters most to you, Verizon is the right fit. However, customers new to Verizon only get to choose a shared data plan, which can cost you more over the long run unless you’re sharing a plan with multiple family members or plan on using multiple devices. AT&T still allows customers to choose between a shared data plan or an individual “tiered” plan. So if you’re on a budget and you don’t plan on sharing data, AT&T’s tiered plans are a better deal.
Q. Cost? Available to order date? Anticipated ship date? –David Wachte, New York.
A. The iPhone 5 costs $200 for the model with 16 gigabytes, $300 for 32 gigabytes and $400 for 64 gigabytes, with a two-year contract. You can pre-order it starting Friday. The phone releases Sept. 21, and ship dates vary depending on when you place the order.
Q. Does Siri now allow you to issue configuration requests, such as “Turn Bluetooth on,” or “Turn ringer off”?
–Zak456, Hoboken, New Jersey
A. No. In the new version of Apple’s mobile operating system, iOS 6, Siri has been expanded to add things like booking a restaurant through OpenTable, but tweaking core settings is not something it does yet.
Q. Does the new Nano have a clip to attach to your clothes (for when you workout) like the current version does? – D, Conn.
A. No. Its workout feature is a built-in pedometer and support for Nike+.
Q. Why did Apple create another proprietary connector, instead of adopting the ubiquitous Micro-USB connector? It would be great if the industry could standardize chargers for cellphones. –Mark, Calif.
A. Apple executives say the smaller “Lightning” connector allowed it to make the iPhone 5 and new iPod Touch thinner. Apple is the only company that uses a proprietary charging port, which benefits it in a number of ways: If people buy accessories like docks, clock radios and chargers made just for Apple products, they have to keep buying Apple products if they want to keep using their gear. Making its own port also allows Apple to make industrial design decisions that other manufacturers who conform to the Micro-USB standard probably couldn’t make.
Q. What’s this gorgeous thing gonna cost me each month? Can I keep my existing plan (AT&T, $70 per month) when I buy the iPhone 5? Any good pointers for comparing pricing and plans? –MT, San Francisco, Calif.
A. AT&T has said you’ll be able to keep using your existing plan if you upgrade to the iPhone 5. So if you’re paying $70 a month now, you should continue to pay that price, unless you decide to change your plan.
Q. Plan to order my phone on the 14th from Apple to be delivered to my home. Since the new phone will have a new SIM card, how do I transfer from old card (iPhone 4) to new without going to Apple or AT&T store? Am I missing something obvious? –PN, Franklin, Tenn.
A. When you purchase the iPhone 5 through AT&T or Apple, it includes a SIM, and you activate it with your number through iTunes. You won’t have to swap cards or go to a store.
Q. Near Field Communications (NFC) is the best technology to unify payments with a cellphone. The Apple rumors had the new phone coming with NFC. Why did Apple not put NFC in the new iPhone 5? –J.C., San Francisco, Calif.
A. Only Apple knows the answer to this question, but in general, Apple doesn’t do anything that it feels it doesn’t need to, and mobile payments are still a premature technology. Also, Will Strauss, an analyst at Forward Concepts, which studies chips, says the iPhone 5’s all glass and aluminum body precludes it from using NFC.
Q. It’s become an annual question, but is the iPod Classic still being sold?– Mark L. Milwaukee, WI
A. Yes, it’s still alive and selling.
Q. So I am out of contract. AT&T or Verizon? No more unlimited data, which I’ve had with AT&T. Which is better for the iPhone 5? –Mark Calif.
A. It depends on your preferences. Verizon has a larger 4G LTE market than AT&T, so if reliable coverage matters most to you, Verizon is the right fit. However, customers new to Verizon only get to choose a shared data plan, which can cost you more over the long run unless you’re sharing a plan with multiple family members or plan on using multiple devices. AT&T still allows customers to choose between a shared data plan or an individual “tiered” plan. So if you’re on a budget and you don’t plan on sharing data, AT&T’s tiered plans are a better deal.
source: nytimes.com
