iPhone 5

The iPhone 5 is a touchscreen-based smartphone developed by Apple and released in nine countries on September 21, 2012. It is the sixth iteration in the iPhone series succeeding the iPhone 4S. The phone is a slimmer, lighter model that introduces a higher-resolution, 4-inch screen to the series and is the first to support a 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio. Other new features include a custom-designed ARMv7 processor called the Apple A6, an update to Apple's mobile operating system known as iOS 6, and support for LTE.

Apple held an event to formally introduce the phone on September 12, 2012. After Apple began taking pre-orders on September 14, 2012, over two million were received within 24 hours. Initial demand for the iPhone 5 exceeded the supply available at launch, and has been described by Apple as "extraordinary" with pre-orders having sold twenty times faster than its predecessors.

While reception to the iPhone 5 has been generally positive, the new Maps application has been negatively received and was reported to contain many serious errors. Several hardware issues have also received criticisms from consumers and reviewers, including an unintended purple hue in photos taken by the iPhone 5 and an issue with its coating being prone to chipping. In addition, there have been a small number of reports claiming a light leak around the bezel near the top of display. Also, some incompatibilities with certain LTE networks are an issue, despite being the first Apple phone to support LTE.

History

Speculation about the iPhone 5 and its specifications arose shortly after the announcement of the iPhone 4S. However, detailed rumours and leaks did not emerge until June 2012. As early as July 30, 2012, reports pinpointed the exact date of unveiling and release of the phone along with some accurate predictions of features.

On September 4, 2012, Apple invited the media to an event scheduled for September 12, 2012, at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. Many sources speculated that this would be related to the next iPhone due to a shadow of the number 5 that featured in the design of the invitations. Apple subsequently announced a number of new products including the iPhone 5, iPod Nano (7th generation), and iPod Touch (5th generation) at the event. The phone was available for pre-order on September 14, 2012.

A few days after the iPhone 5 was announced over two million orders had been taken just on September 14 and five million in the first three days of its release, beating the iPhone 4S record of four million in first three days.

Litigation

Upon the release of the iPhone 5, Samsung begun investigating the device and concluded that Apple breached two standard patents and six features patent, the patents that were identified by Samsung are identical to the ones previously used as their basis in cases regarding previous iPhone models. In a statement, Samsung said, it had "little choice but to take the steps necessary to protect our innovations and intellectual property rights". The trial in which the iPhone 5 is involved is schedule to begin in 2014

Production

The components and labor required to construct the most basic iPhone 5 is estimated to cost US$207, which is US$19 more than the cost of components for the corresponding iPhone 4S model. The 4G LTE module in the iPhone 5 alone costs $34, $10 more than the cellular module in the iPhone 4S. Similarly, screens used in the iPhone 5 costs $44, which is $7 more than the screen of its predecessor.Mashable noted that the profit margin of selling each device is "huge" as the iPhone 5 generally retails for US$649.

Subsequently after the announcement of the device, a lack of supply of the iPhone 5 was evident. This was due to a shortage of components such as the screen; reports emerged, stating that Sharp was unable to ship the screen before the debut of the iPhone 5 and other manufacturers reported that it was difficult to keep up with demand. As a result, the number of pre-orders rose due to the uncertainty of stock at retail stores and the delivery dates for pre-orders were postponed to dates that were after the initial release date of the device

Quality control inspectors strike

China Labor Watch reported that “Three to four thousand” Foxconn workers who work at iPhone 5 production plant in Zhengzhou stopped working on October 5, 2012. Since many iPhone 5 users complain the coating chipping off of iPhone 5, Apple has imposed a stricter quality standard on their products. During the national vacation, some quality control inspectors got hit by workers whose products were below the standard, but the administration of the plant did not responded the conflicts in time. On the other hand, quality control inspectors felt that they did not get enough training to adapt for the new standard. Finally they chose to strike.^{[clarification needed]} Foxconn spokesman admit the problem of the micromanagement, but he said that there were only 300 to 400 workers absent and the conflicts did not influence the production at all