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Apple Store app now supports iPhone 5

The latest version of the Apple Store app fills out the entire 4-inch screen of the new iPhone.

Lance Whitney Contributing Writer
Lance Whitney is a freelance technology writer and trainer and a former IT professional. He's written for Time, CNET, PCMag, and several other publications. He's the author of two tech books--one on Windows and another on LinkedIn.
Lance Whitney
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/CNET

The Apple Store app is now iPhone 5 friendly.

Released last Friday, the new version now uses the full 4 inches of the iPhone 5's screen, taking advantage of the 16:9 aspect ratio.

The iPhone 5 has been lauded for its 4-inch screen. But the new display has put the onus on app makers to update their software for the longer screen size. A slew of developers have been busy the past couple of weeks doing just that. But it will take a while before more of them join in.

Apps not yet optimized for the iPhone 5 appear in the older 3.5-inch format with a 4:3 aspect ratio. Such apps use a type of letterboxing to fill the screen on the new iPhone with black bars on top and on the bottom.

Apple still doesn't offer an iPad-friendly version of the store app. So tablet users are stuck running the app in a fuzzy full-screen mode or zooming in to view it in a smaller screen.

The Apple Store app lets mobile users purchase iPhones, iPads, Macs, and other products along with a slew of accessories. Buyers can order items online and have them sent to their homes or to their nearest Apple retail store for pickup. Shoppers in the store can also use the app to pay for and check out products without having to go through a salesperson.

Watch this: iPhone 5: Hands-on at CNET