As anticipated, Apple announced the new iPhone 5 today, Sept 12, 2012 at 10am. Check out the features below, and try out your own custom case designs right here.

The New iPhone 5 will be available to purchase from Apple stores on September 21st, 2012, and promises to be Lighter, Faster, Thinner, with a Stronger Camera. (yay)

Much like late night male-enhancement commercials, the new phone promises to be a huge improvement in performance and size. ;) The price of the iPhone 5 will be the same as the 4s – $199 for the 16GB version.  There will also be 32Gb and 60Gb versions available.  Current iPhone users can download the new mobile software platform – iOS 6 – 2 days earlier on Sept 19th.

You can pre-order the iPhone 5 starting on September 14th.

iPhone 5 Features:

• Bigger:  4″ screen is much larger
  • The whole phone is Taller to make room for it.
  • 1136 x 640 pixel display
  • Retina Display (326 pixels per inch)
  • Less Glare in the screen
  • 44% more color saturation than the iPhone 4
  • Snap pictures while recording video
• Lighter: 20% lighter than iPhone 4s
• Faster:  New Processor
• Thinner:  18% thinner than the iPhone4s (7.6mm thick)
• Stronger Camera:
  • Panoramic photographs
  • Can take a 28 MegaPixel photo with panorama
  • 8 MP regular photos
  • Improved for low-light
  • 1080p Video (HD Quality)
  • 25% smaller
  • 720p front-facing camera
• Video Chat Anywhere:  FaceTime works on 3G networks with iOS6, without WiFi.
• Metal Body:  Made entirely from Aluminum and Glass
• New Connector:  A new 30 pin “Lightning” connector is smaller (80% smaller!)
• Facebook integrated – make status updates with Siri
• Siri Improvements (iOS6)
• New and improved ear-bud headphones

The only real negative about the new sleek pocket-computer is that the power chord  / connector at the bottom is a different size, rendering all old wires, phone chargers, car chargers, iPod docks, etc unusable without a new adapter for the Lightning protocol.  The nice thing is that the connector is reversible, so you can plug it in much easier in the dark / without being able to see which way the plug goes.  Apple will offer an adapter for the original size connector to work with the new “Lightning” plug.

Our iPhone 5 Cases Will Fit!

Our previous assumptions from over a month ago about the 4″ screen size, the larger and thinner aluminmum body – all true – thanks to so many leaks including a leak of the actual engineering diagram of the body. For the hundreds of people that have already created an iPhone case design, it looks like the design will fit properly with the right proportions! We’ll have them available for purchase as soon as the phone dimensions are released.

Old Apps

For old Apps sized for the original size screen, there will be black borders on each side, kind of like watching regular TV on an HDTV.  It will take some time for apps to be released updated for both screen sizes.

iTunes & iPhone 4

A new version of iTunes is said to be deployed in late October, as well.  The iPhone 4 will now be free with a two-year contract and the iPhone 4S will drop to $99.

Design Your Own iPhone5 Case Now!

You can pre-design your own custom iPhone 5 cases right here on Case Monkey! Walk out of the Apple Store in style with a custom case design of your own, and watch as the line of onlookers stare at your rad new phone!

Create Your Own iPhone 5 Case Design »

We’ll be looking at everyone’s custom case designs to pick out a couple of the coolest ones to feature right on our homepage, so make some cool stuff! Have fun :-D