iPhone 5 has 4-inch 16:9 screen, works with 4G in Britain

Apple has announced the new iPhone 5, with a new 4-inch, 16:9 screen -- and it'll connect to the Internet at double-quick speed here in the UK. Apple confirms it's joined forced with Orange and T-Mobile for an LTE iPhone 5 on the 4GEE network, which launches before the end of the year.

At a launch event in San Francisco, Apple revealed the biggest physical transformation yet for the iPhone. As expected -- and heavily leaked -- the new iPhone 5 has a new, smaller connector, called Lightning, and a longer 4-inch screen, making it a 16:9 aspect ratio.

The 1,136x640-pixel screen boasts 326 pixels per inch, and fits more apps on screen, adding a sixth row of icons to the home screen grid for the first time. Apple's own apps have been updated for the new screen, while other apps simply have a black border around them.

Carved from glass and aluminium, the iPhone 5 is 18 per cent thinner than the previous model. At just 7.6mm, Apple reckons it's the thinnest smart phone around. At 112 grams it's also feather-light.

Inside is a new A6 processor, and an 8-megapixel camera with a "amazing new" panorama feature. It's powered by iOS 6 software, and Apple promises a battery that'll last 225 hours on standby. Oh, and you get new earbuds, called earpods.

The iPhone 5 has LTE for faster data speeds, and Apple has confirmed early reports that it will work on the UK's first 4G network, 4GEE. 4GEE is the network run by Orange and T-Mobile meganetwork EE -- formerly Everything Everywhere -- and will be fired up in 16 British cities in coming weeks. Other phones on the 4GEE network include the LTE versions of the Samsung Galaxy S3 and HTC One X. 

We'll have hands-on first impressions of the new phone as soon as the launch ends, so bookmark our preview and keep checking back for more UK-specific details. What do you think of the Apple iPhone 5? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page.