Apple iPhone 5 Philippines Price and Release Date Guesstimate, Complete Specifications, Key Features, Press Photos

This post aims to collate all relevant information about Apple iPhone 5 in the Philippines. Trust that TP will update this entry every time news about the availability of the Cupertino company's latest smartphone in our country surface.

If there's anything that the official announcement of the iPhone 5 in San Francisco earlier this morning altogether confirmed, it's that most of the recent leaks about Apple's new smartphone were - well - totally accurate. So I guess we can say that our ever trusty Apple-product-prototype-hunters are truly getting better at what they do (or that Apple is simply becoming worse at keeping their unannounced products under wraps).

iphone 5 philippines
This is the actual design of Apple iPhone 5 Black version. And if you're wondering why it looks oddly familiar, it's only because we've seen it before. True to leaked photos from as far back as July, the front is all glass and the back case is made of black anodized aluminum.

iphone 5 philippines
The White version, on the other hand, features a bare anodized aluminum enclosure. Oh, and if you noticed, the FaceTime camera has been repositioned right above the earpiece, right smack in the middle of that upper portion.

Our "industry insiders" also got the iPhone 5 technical specifications right -- almost down to the littlest details. Like what they've earlier disclosed, the new iPhone indeed flaunts a 4-inch display with 1136 x 640 pixel resolution - which is taller but not wider than iPhone 4S' screen, giving you a wider area for enjoying content - especially those panorama photos, on top of regular 8 MegaPixel shots, that users can take using the phone's camera with sapphire glass lid - while still allowing you to type on the screen with just one hand. Also, iPhone 5 does have a new smaller 9-pin dock connector, which Apple calls Lightning, and it comes with a reversible connector so it fits either way.

iphone 5 philippines
As earlier predicted, iPhone 5 supports LTE wireless technology, which is - as earlier explained on TP - the latest and fastest mobile connection in the world today. Both Smart Communications and Globe Telecom have recently made their LTE plans publicly available -- so I guess our biggest networks are now more or less ready to carry the new iPhone and to bundle it with their postpaid plans. The only question now is, which of the two will announce iPhone 5 first?

iphone 5
Powered by the new Apple A6 chip that's said to be twice as powerful as iPhone 4S' Apple A5 processor, the 6th generation iPhone - which is thinner and lighter than its predecessor, mind you - should be more than capable of running the most specs-intensive games for iOS and applications like Apple's very-own Maps app with 3D view.

Last June, Apple unveiled the latest version of its mobile operating system and detailed some of its key features. iOS6 will finally become publicly available first via the iPhone 5 and iPod Touch 6th Generation and will eventually be released as a free download for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPad2, The New iPad, and iPod Touch 5th Generation.

iphone 5
iOS6 brings a slew of enhancements like VIP Mailbox, iCloud Shared Photo Streams, Passbook and Guided Access, but the one "new" feature I know for sure I'll be using often is Facebook Integration, which lets users quickly and easily share content on their FB accounts. Actually, this has long been overdue but like what they say, better late than never.

iphone 5
I've never been a big fan of FaceTime; For me, it's really just for long distance lovers at night. But yeah, I still think it's cool that - with iOS6 - users can finally run the application over cellular network.

So when will it be available in the Philippines and how much will it cost? No word yet from local carriers nor authorized Apple retailers on iPhone 5's availability and pricing details in our country. But expect the smartphone to hit store shelves sometime during the Yuletide season with SRP of around Php 33,000 to Php 37,000 for iPhone 5 16GB w/o contract, Php 38,000 to Php 42,000 for iPhone 5 32GB w/o contract, and Php 43,000 to Php 49,000 for iPhone 5 64GB w/o contract. Well, that's just our TP Guesstimate.

Update as of December 14, 2012: Apple iPhone 5 is now officially available in the Philippines via prepaid kits and postpaid plans of Globe Telecom and Smart Communications. Without contract, iPhone5 16GB goes for as low as Php 33,600 from Smart. The most affordable iPhone Postpaid Plan, on the other hand, is currently being offered by Globe Telecom: It's Plan 999 + Php 800 monthly cash-out, which gives you an iPhone5 16GB with unlimited mobile internet and one Globe mobile service freebie.

TP Thoughts:

I think iPhone 5 should provide a fitting upgrade for the millions of iPhone 4 users who didn't really go with iPhone 4S last year. Also, the device should be enticing to those who will be getting a smartphone for the first time or those who are dreaming of finally becoming a part (again) of the Apple community.

I understand that the design and specifications of the new iPhone can be a bit underwhelming -- especially if you've seen all those leaks prior to the launch or if you're more than familiar with the amazing innovations that other smartphone manufacturers are currently offering in their flagship handsets. But I think, all things considered (e.g. the construction, iOS, all those powerful games and applications in the App Store, the smoothness of the UI, the prestige of owning an iPhone, among many other things that Apple has come to be known for) iPhone 5 is still an amazing release that will surely do well in the market.

TP Friends, will you be purchasing iPhone 5 this Christmas? What do you think about Apple's flagship smartphone? Do you like it or not really? Share your thoughts via our comments section.

TechPinas Smartphone Technical Specs Table (TSTST)
Name Apple iPhone 5
Type Slate Form Factor (Full Touchscreen)
Price Category High-End (Flagship Release)
Dimensions123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm
Weight 112 grams
Available Colors Black with Black anodized aluminum back case, White with bare aluminum back case
Operating System iOS 6
Display Retina display, 4-inch (diagonal) widescreen Multi-Touch display, 1136-by-640-pixel resolution at 326 ppi, 800:1 contrast ratio (typical), 500 cd/m2 max brightness (typical), Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating on front, Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously
Processor Apple A6 Processor
RAM 1 GB
Camera 8 MegaPixels, 2364x2448 resolution with autofocus and LED flash, FaceTime HD camera with 1.2MP photos
Video Capture 1080p Full HD, 30 frames per second, Front: aHD video (720p) up to 30 frames per second, Facetime over Wifi or Cellular
Audio and Video Playback Video: AirPlay Mirroring to Apple TV support at 720p
AirPlay video streaming to Apple TV (3rd generation) at up to 1080p and Apple TV (2nd generation) at up to 720p
Video formats supported: H.264 video up to 1080p, 30 frames per second, High Profile level 4.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps per channel, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280 by 720 pixels, 30 frames per second, audio in ulaw, PCM stereo audio in .avi file format

Audio formats supported: AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), HE-AAC, MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV
User-configurable maximum volume limit
Ports 3.5 mm audio jack, new 9-pin Lightning dock connector
Connectivity 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi (802.11n 2.4GHz and 5GHz)
Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology, LTE
Network GSM model A1428*: UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE (Bands 4 and 17)
CDMA model A1429*: CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1900, 2100 MHz); UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE (Bands 1, 3, 5, 13, 25)
GSM model A1429*: UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE (Bands 1, 3, 5)
Memory 16GB, 32GB and 64GB storage options, non-expandable
Sensors Accelerometer, Digital Compass, Proximity, 3-axis Gyroscope
Battery Built-in Rechargeable Li-Ion
Uptime Talk time: Up to 8 hours on 3G
Standby time: Up to 225 hours
Internet use: Up to 8 hours on 3G, up to 8 hours on LTE, up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi
Video playback: Up to 10 hours
Audio playback: Up to 40 hours
Notable Features Nano-SIM card support, ships with Apple EarPods with Remote, Mic, Storage and travel case, Lightning to USB cable
Announcement September 13, 2012 (1:30 AM Manila Time)
Availability Q4 2012
Price TP Guesstimate:
iPhone 5 16GB w/o contract - Php 33,000 to Php 37,000
iPhone 5 32GB w/o contract - Php 38,000 to Php 42,000
iPhone 5 64GB w/o contract - Php 43,000 to Php 49,000