iPhone 5 vs iPhone 4S in hands-on photos

The new iPhone 5 is possibly the most dramatic outward change in the five-year history of the iPhone. Previous models have gone from a curved plastic back to flat glass, but they've always stayed the same shape and size.

Want to see exactly how much the iPhone has changed? Here's your chance. Click through the photos above to see Apple's latest toy compared with the iPhone 4S.

The iPhone 5 is significantly lighter than the 4S, weighing 112g compared to its predecessor's 140g bulk. It's thinner too, measuring a slender 7.6mm thick.

The iPhone 5 has stretched out the traditional shape: it's the same width, but is now taller, so the screen attains a 16:9 aspect ratio. That means an extra row of icons on the home screen when you hold it in portrait mode, and it means films and TV now properly fill the screen with fewer black bars when you turn it sideways.

The dock connector is now significantly smaller (it's called the 'Lightning' port, don'cha know), creating space for the headphones to move to the bottom of the phone. Instead of a micro-SIM, you plug in an even smaller nano-SIM, which means you'll need another new SIM card before you can upgrade. That's annoying.

All these space-saving measures however means there's room for a slightly bigger battery and a 4G radio. Yes indeed, the iPhone 5 will work with EE's (formerly Everything Everywhere) 4G network in the UK.

Modest upgrades then, but important ones. Let me know what you think of the iPhone 5's new look in the comments below or on our Facebook wall.

Photos by Jason Jenkins