The taller, thinner and "Lightning" equipped iPhone 5

CEBU, Philippines - With Apple officially debuting the new iPhone 5 last week, the previous months' "leaks" and rumors revolving around the gadget were proven to be mostly spot on.

Sporting a bigger 4 inch-sized screen, a faster A6 processor, an enhanced 8 MegaPixel camera and the increased features of the new iOS 6 mobile operating system, the 6th iPhone incarnation was also announced to come with support for LTE communication standards, built-in Facebook features, iCloud "tab-syncing" features and more.

The rumors touching up on a new connector to come with the new iPhone were also proven to be true, with the new iPhone 5 designed with Apple's "Lighting" connector, an update over previous connector dock standards/conventions found in previous iDevices.

The iPhone 5's specs, at a glance

With a 1136 x 640 screen resolution, movie viewing experiences with the new iPhone can be experienced close to a screen aspect ratio of 16:9, a big step from the original iPhone's 3:2 screen aspect ratio.

With its 4 inch-sized screen, the iPhone 5 is obviously larger than its predecessors (but lighter by 20% at 112 grams), built with a solid body made with aluminum and glass components.

Processor and graphics-wise, the iPhone 5's A6 processor is ascribed by Apple to be "twice as fast" as the A5 processor found in the latest iPads and the iPhone 4S, making the iPhone 5 a versatile all-around communication, productivity and entertainment-inclined device.

Announced to come in black and white color options and in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB variants, the official unveiling of the iPhone 5 also noted its battery-performance stats at 8 hours WiFi connectivity, 8 hours mobile 3G, 10 hours LTE connectivity, 10 hours video, 40 hours music playback and 225 hours of standby time.

"Lightning's" Conundrum

Considered to be the iPhone 5's more "controversial" aspect, the all-digital, 8-signal design of the new "Lightning" connector has raked in criticisms, leaving a number of sentiments describing the new "reversible and easier to use" connector as an "accessory maker's and user's worst nightmare come true".

Though an adapter designed to bridge older accessories with the new iPhone 5 had been mentioned, the 80% smaller "Lightning" connector is bound to cause an exodus in the current connection port standards in Apple's line of peripherals and accessories.

Improved Optics with 28 MegaPixel Panoramic Stitching Capabilities

The iPhone 5's 8 MegaPixel camera (back) was "road tested" during its unveiling, with a presentation showcasing how its 1080p-capable cam (front cam at 720p) could easily accomplish 28 MegaPixel panoramic stitching.

In tune with the features sported by new gen smartphones made by other brands, the iPhone 5's front and back cameras can record videos AND take still photos while recording.

The new iOS 6, the new iTunes and a new line of iPods

With the new iOS 6 scheduled to roll out by September 19, a new iTunes was also announced to come by late October, along with the release of a new line of iPod nanos and a new and improved iPod Touch.

Apple, during the iPhone 5 unveiling, was keen on featuring a three-years-in-the-making headphone set to come with the new iPods and iPhone 5, something which they've dubbed as "headpods".

With all the speculations, rumors and leaks revolving around the new iPhone before its official unveiling, the announcement of the device has somewhat been anticlimactic, with a huge chunk of those rumors turning out to be true.

But in the wake of the iPhone 5's official unveiling, a new question has been raised among geeks and techies: "Why will the new iTunes be released by late October? Is there something big bound to happen by then?

We'll find out come October. (FREEMAN)