Apple unveiled two new iPhones tonight: the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c. While we doubt many parents will be buying a brand new iPhone for their children, we thought you’d like to know some of the key features of the new phones, and what they might mean for children’s apps.
The iPhone 5c (above) is basically the existing iPhone 5 in a new colourful casing: blue, green, pink and yellow versions will be available as well as a white one. It has the same screen, processor and rear camera as the iPhone 5, but with a slightly bigger battery, and a better front camera for video calls, which is good news for parents and grandparents video-chatting with children.
The iPhone 5s (below) is the true next-generation iPhone though. It’s got a much more powerful processor inside – cue even bigger, better-looking games – and something called the M7 motion coprocessor, which handles data from the accelerometer, gyroscope and compass. Apple claims this is going to be very good for fitness and health-tracking apps that measure your activity throughout the day.
It’ll also have a “Touch ID” fingerprint sensor as part of the Home button below the screen, which scans your fingerprint and stores it on the phone. You can then unlock the device just by touching the sensor, which can also be used to approve purchases in the App Store and iTunes Store.
Which, yes, is an extra layer of protection to ensure kids don’t spend lots of money on in-app purchases without parental permission. We’re assuming the sensor will also be in the next-generation iPad too, although Apple made no tablet announcements tonight, so that device may not come out until 2014 now.
The iPhone 5s has a much better rear camera, with faster focusing and capturing, and a smarter flash that adjusts its colour and brightness depending on the surroundings. There’s also a Burst mode to take lots of shots in quick succession: very good for capturing kids on the go – our four year-old is a ball of energy, and often ends up blurred in our snaps, so we can see the appeal here.
Both the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c will go on sale on 20 September in nine countries (including the US and UK), and will be available in 100 by December. But the big news for both devices, as well as existing iPhones, iPad and iPod touches, is the launch of the new iOS 7 software a couple of days before, on 18 September.
Key features for parents include a much better Photos app organising your photos and videos by time and location; and a brand new Kids category in the App Store. As we explained before, it’ll be split into three sections – 5 and under; 6-8 year-olds; and 9-11 year-olds – recommending the best children’s apps for each age group.
Apple is also introducing new rules for apps submitted to this category: they must include a privacy policy; can’t use advertisements that track children’s actions within the app; and must get parents’ permission or use a “parental gate” (an obstacle designed to be navigated by parents rather than children) before linking out of the app or selling in-app purchases.
Both the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c will come with iOS 7 already installed, but if you own an iPhone 4 or later, an iPad 2 or later, or a fifth-generation iPod touch, you’ll be able to download it from 18 September.
As we said, the number of parents going out and buying a brand new iPhone for their kids on 20 September may be relatively small. But we suspect plenty of parents will be getting one for themselves, which may mean their older phones get passed down to children, or designated as the children’s apps and games device in households with younger kids.