Apple iPhone 5 will be launched in the GCC countries – Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Qatar and Bahrain – on Dec. 14, Gulf Business online reported Tuesday. The latest generation of the iPhone product has received positive reviews from gadget critics, with many of them describing the device as being extremely “beautiful.” The iPhone 5 is taller, 18 percent thinner and 20 percent lighter than its predecessor the iPhone 4s. The latest iPhone also includes a new Apple-design chip named the A6, which is supposedly twice as powerful as the chips used in previous models. The first iPhone device to do away with Apple's longstanding 3.5-inch form factor and adopt and all new 4-inch design, the iPhone 5 is also the first Apple handset to come packing the new 8-pin Lightning port connector in favour of the aging 30-pin offering. With the 4-inch Retina display providing stunning visuals thanks to a 640 x 1136p resolution and 326ppi image density, the iPhone 5 is further bolstered by the dual-core A6 processor and a revised 8-megapixel rear-mounted camera. The iPhone 5's brushed metal backed design lines up at a mere 7.6mm thick and just 112g in weight. Since its launch in the US in September, demand for the iPhone 5 pushed up Apple's market value to over $700 per share. — SG
