New iPhone 5 release: Thinner, lighter features, pre-order date revealed at Apple event

SAN FRANCISCO - Apple has unveiled the new iPhone 5 at a conference Wednesday morning in San Francisco.

Here are some of the new features, according to Mashable live bloggers.

--Pre-order starts on Friday, Sept. 14. Ships one week later on Sept. 21.

--Same prices as iPhone 4S: $199 for 16GB up to $399 for 64GB (iPhone 4S will become $99)

--The iPhone 5 is 18 percent thinner and 20 percent lighter than the iPhone 4S.

--Same retina display, 326 pixels per inch, as its predecessor. 4-inch display.

--Adding room for a new row to show more apps.

--1136 x 640, 19:6 aspect ratio

--Touch sensors integrated into the display itself, rather than layer on top.

--LTE, a single chip, a single radio, a dynamic antenna that can switch between networks.

--In the U.S., working with AT&T, Verizon, Sprint; Bell, Virgin et al in Canada; Singtel and Telstra in Australasia; Deutsche Telecom and EE in the UK.

--Still no iPhone for T-Mobile

--Very little time spent talking about battery life

--Camera updates: Spatial noise reduction, smart filter ... bottom line, photos should look better and be captured 40 percent faster.

--Panorama photo stitching feature

--Reversible connector, so it doesn't matter which way you plug it in.

--New Maps integrate data from Waze, adding real-time traffic information.

--Mail enhancements include VIPs, messages from everyone you want flagged as important. The flag icon is available throughout Mail.

--Tap the trash icon on a ticket you've used, and an animated shredding takes place.

--Sharing photos on the photo stream now. Friends will receive push notifications.

--You and your friends can comment and "Like" shared photos.

--Siri now knows sports standings, can launch apps, and can recommend movies via Rotten Tomatoes.

--The iPhone 5 will come in black and white, just like predecessor.

See photos of the new iPhone 5