MacRumors

As part of its report on Apple's custom ARM chip design for the A6 found in the iPhone 5, AnandTech speculated that the improved graphics performance in the iPhone 5 was achieved through the use of a triple-core PowerVR SGX 543MP3 graphics processing unit (GPU) rather than doubling the clock speed of the dual-core SGX 543MP2 found in the A5 or using the quad-core SGX 543MP4 found in the A5X for the third-generation iPad.

The [SGX 543MP3] is sort of the best of both worlds. You don't take a huge die area penalty and at the same time don't run at a significantly higher frequency, and you can get to that same 2x value.

The [SGX 543MP3] option is the most elegant and likely what Apple chose here.

AnandTech has now followed up with a new report based on fresh images from UBM TechInsights showing the layout of the A6 with three graphics cores as had been predicted.

The image above shows two 32-bit LPDDR2 memory channels and three GPU cores. We're likely looking at a PowerVR SGX 543MP3 running at 266MHz.

UBM estimates the die size at 95.04mm2 and the manufacturer as Samsung.

More information and analysis on the A6 will undoubtedly be forthcoming as UBM TechInsights continues its work, but the first glimpse inside Apple's custom chip design for the iPhone 5 demonstrates how the company has been able to balance processing power needs with die size constraints to achieve significant performance gains for the iPhone 5 compared to its predecessors.

iDownloadBlog has confirmed that the Verizon iPhone 5 being sold on contract does arrive unlocked for use on GSM networks, allowing users with a nano-SIM or a trimmed micro-SIM from a GSM carrier such as AT&T to use the device on their networks.

I can confirm that the Verizon iPhone 5 is indeed GSM unlocked. Even though I bought an iPhone 5 from Verizon under contract, I was able to cut down my AT&T Micro SIM, and use it in my Verizon iPhone 5 to pick up an AT&T signal. By doing so, I was able to hop onto AT&T’s HPSA+ network, or “4G” as they so ridiculously name it.

As the report notes, users attempting to use a Verizon iPhone 5 on AT&T in the United States will not have access to AT&T's LTE network, due to hardware differences that leave the Verizon iPhone 5 (which is essentially a single CDMA/GSM world-mode phone for 3G purposes) incompatible with LTE frequency bands 4 and 17 used by AT&T and Canadian carriers.

For other international GSM carriers, Verizon iPhone 5 owners should simply be able to obtain a nano-SIM card from the international carrier and use it in their phone.

Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White has released a new report analyzing some launch-day iPhone 5 data based on a limited survey of 100 purchasers at Apple retail stores in New York City. According to White's data, half of surveyed iPhone 5 were upgrading from the iPhone 4S, which itself was released only 11 months ago.

Given that the iPhone 4S was launched just one year ago and many consumers are locked into a two-year service agreement with their carrier, we thought the vast majority of the upgrades would come from iPhone 4, previous iPhone generations or non-iPhone users. However, our survey indicates the opposite. In fact, our survey found that 50% of the iPhone 5 buyers upgraded from the iPhone 4S, 11% from the iPhone 4, 3% for 3GS and 36% from non-iPhone users.

Among non-iPhone users moving to the iPhone 5, White found that Nokia and HTC were the most popular phone brands being abandoned for the iPhone 5. White also surveyed customers on their iPhone 5 color preferences, finding that 56% of surveyed buyers were opting for the "Black and Slate" models over "White and Silver" models.

In a separate report, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster discusses his team's visits to Apple's Fifth Avenue and Upper West Side retail stores in New York City and the Uptown store in Minneapolis, where they found that lines were on average 83% longer for the iPhone 5 than they were for the iPhone 4S. Munster also had representatives counting customers at the Chestnut Hill and Bolyston Street stores in the Boston area, but with no prior-year data available for those locations, they primarily serve as a baseline for future analysis.

We believe that based on our count of 775 customers in line for the iPhone 5 at the flagship 5th Avenue store, demand for the iPhone 5 is higher than any previous launch. We believe the line for the iPhone 5 was 70% greater than the line for the iPhone 4S despite Apple taking 2x as many online pre-orders. The trend of Apple product lines at the flagship store had been decreasing, we believe, due to the company taking a greater number of online pre-orders. For the three total stores we observed with Y/Y comps, the average line was 83% longer. Given the strength of the line for the iPhone 5, we are incrementally more confident in Apple's ability to sell 8 million phones in the launch weekend.

Many third-party retailers are experiencing very low stock of the iPhone 5, resulting in delays in availability even for customers who pre-ordered the device. Availability at Apple's own retail stores appears to be remaining fairly high, although some locations are very low on or completely out of select models. Carrier availability has also generally been fairly good in stores, although Sprint is now running out of stock at its East Coast stores.

Update 11:45 AM: Munster has now released his own results on iPhone 5 customer profiles, painting a very different picture than that seen by White. Munster's survey of 517 iPhone 5 buyers found just 26% of them upgrading from the iPhone 4S, compared to 50% in White's survey. Munster's survey found that 45% of customers were upgrading from the iPhone 4, while White pegged that number at just 11%. Finally, while White's data showed 36% of customers were moving from a non-iPhone, Munster's data put the number closer to 17%, with the vast discrepancies across the board illustrating the unreliability of such surveys.

Sprint-branded retail stores on the East Coast are nearly sold out of iPhone 5 inventory, according to a Sprint statement provided to AllThingsD. iPhone sales have been robust at most locations this morning, with some customers who placed pre-orders at Best Buy being told they may not get phones for weeks.

"At this time, the majority of East Coast Sprint-branded retail stores are seriously constrained or sold out of iPhone 5 inventory provided to us by Apple," the carrier said. "Our stores will be resupplied as soon as additional devices are received from Apple."

The above image shows an internal Sprint retail order page, with the iPhone 5 out-of-stock in all models at "eligible warehouses" for fulfillment to this particular Sprint location.

While Apple and its carrier partners are the most popular sources for iPhone purchases, the new iPhone 5 was also made available through a handful of other retailers in the United States including Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Target, Sam's Club, and RadioShack. Model availability is typically limited at these outlets, but some customers find the more convenient locations and smaller crowds more appealing for their purchases.

It appears, however, that some of these third-party retailers are finding themselves unable to meet their iPhone 5 pre-order plans due to a lack of supply from Apple. One MacRumors reader received an email from Best Buy notifying him that his pre-ordered iPhone 5 will not be available today and may in fact take up to 28 days before it comes into stock.

I know that you're excited to get your new iPhone 5 and you can be sure we are as excited to sell it to you. Unfortunately, as of the night before the official launch, Best Buy® has not received enough of the specific model phone you ordered, and we will not have it available on launch day. You can be certain that we are working very hard to get you, as quickly as possible, the exact iPhone 5 model you pre-ordered. It could take as long as 28 days to find the iPhone you want. However, there is no doubt that the fact you pre-ordered a phone from Best Buy means you will be able to buy it before any consumer trying to find one on their own.

Trust us, we will be able to get you the phone you want – maybe not as fast as you might want, but likely as fast as anyone else at this point.

I really appreciate your patience and willingness to shop Best Buy. We look forward to getting you the phone you ordered with us.

The reader reports that he was first one to pre-order a 64 GB black iPhone 5 at his Best Buy location, and that he and all of his friends received this same delay notice.

Sam's Club is experiencing similar shortages, sending out notices to pre-order customers indicating that deliveries are not expected for another 7-10 business days.

Thank you for your recent iPhone 5 reservation. You may have seen some news reports today regarding shipment delays from Apple for the iPhone 5 launch. Unfortunately, this includes some of the anticipated shipment to our Clubs, resulting in reduced initial quantities of iPhones available. Reserved iPhones are anticipated to arrive approximately 7 to 10 business days from the original September 21 release date.

A Club associate will be contacting you to reschedule your pickup date and time when we receive your phone at the Club. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Finally, we've been hearing from a number of readers and forum members that Walmart stores have not received their iPhone 5 stocks. Some store employees have recommended checking back later today, while others have simply said that they have no idea when shipments will be arriving from Apple.

With the launch of the iPhone 5, several companies are performing tests and benchmarks on the new device. One common effort is to put any new iPhone in a series of drop tests to see how well it survives common falls.

Android Authority (via iPhoneinCanada) posts a drop test comparison video between the Samsung Galaxy S3 and iPhone 5 and actually finds in favor of the iPhone 5.

Well, as much as we hate to admit it, the iPhone 5 did amazingly well in our drop test, while the Samsung Galaxy S3 came out in pretty bad shape. It’s the cold hard truth that we can’t hide and we can’t ignore.
....
The hard aluminum shell of the iPhone 5 withstood the impact pretty well, and the glass protecting the display remained intact. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S3 predictably lost its back cover and suffered damage to the casing and the front glass. Sad, sad, sad.

Meanwhile, iFixYouri (via 9to5Mac) also posted a video showing their version of the drop test which also tested dropping the iPhone 5 from various heights.

The iPhone 5 survived all the falls until they finally threw the device screen down. They describe the device as the "most durable iPhone" they've seen.

With Apple retail stores, carriers, and other retailers taking delivery of their launch-day iPhone 5 stocks overnight last night, hundreds of the units have been stolen in several incidents on opposite sides of the globe. While security is tight at Apple's own retail stores where staff were on hand all night to set up window displays and demo units, carriers whose retail stores were left unattended during the night have been the primary target for thieves.

The Wall Street Journal reports that a total of 191 units were stolen from three separate shops run by carrier partners KDDI and Softbank in the Osaka area in Japan. Police have not confirmed that the burglaries are connected and are still investigating security footage and other evidence. The majority of the stolen units came from a Softbank outlet that was cleaned out of its entire stock of iPhone 5 units.

[A] Softbank Corp store in the western district of Osaka city was wiped clean of its iPhone 5 stock. All 116 devices were stolen, including one store display. The police said they were taken from the locked backroom within a four minute span from 4:24 a.m. as shown on security camera footage. The video recording also showed there were three culprits, all likely to be male. The police said it is uncertain whether the robbery is related to the incident in Ibaraki, located about 20 minutes away by car.

In the United Kingdom, The Independent reports that over 250 iPhone 5 units were stolen from an O2 shop in London in what appears to have been an inside job.

Officers want to speak to Usman Sethi, 23, of Audley Gardens, Ilford, east London, who works as an assistant at the store.

The phones were taken at 1.30am, with a quantity of cash which was also stolen from the shop's safe. [...]

Police also want to speak to Mr Sethi, a Pakistani national, in connection with the theft of jewellery belonging to a family member from his home address in Audley Gardens.

At a median selling price of £599, the 252 stolen iPhones would be valued at approximately £150,000 or nearly $250,000.

After the original announcement of the iPhone 5, one early concern amongst readers was how well the anodized aluminum back and edges of the black iPhone 5 would hold up over time.

One lengthy thread on our forums has been actively discussing the potential issue and Pocket-Lint in their review did note some wear around the edges after some early usage.

Ditching the glass back and reducing the thickness of the glass panel on the front has affected the design of the metal band around the edge of the iPhone. It is now chamfered and while that looks pretty, we've already noticed that on the black model the edge has started to wear, revealing the shiny silver aluminium metal underneath the "slate" coloured coating and, indeed, we've witnessed it on two separate models, ruling out a fluke manufacturing error.

One person on another forum got straight to the matter and took keys and a SIM card tray pin to the back and edges of an in-store iPhone 5 unit with these results.

Of course, purposefully scratching a device is a bit extreme, but daily usage of any phone will generate some wear and tear. This may be a concern if you are particularly sensitive to the issue.

The iPhone 5 just launched in the U.S. along the east coast. Fortune's Philip Elmer-Dewitt is at the 5th Avenue Store and notes that the line is longer than last year's iPhone 4S line:

We're here at the big glass cube of Apple's (AAPL) flagship Fifth Avenue store for the launch of the iPhone 5. The queue of customers isn't as long as the 1,200 that greeted the iPad 2, but at 7 a.m. -- one hour before doors open -- I counted 710 heads, 52% more than the 400 at the iPhone 4S launch.

The first day pre-orders for the iPhone 5 doubled last year's iPhone 4S launch. That initial set of pre-orders for the iPhone 5 should arrive throughout the day.

The iPhone 5 has been launching across the world this evening, starting in Australia and now extending into Europe. The iPhone 5 will go on sale in the U.S. at 8am local time.

Mac-TV.de posted this image of the Frankfurt, Germany Apple Store shortly before it opens. USA Today reports on large lines in many countries:

Eager buyers formed long lines at Apple stores in Australia and Japan. In Hong Kong, buyers had to sign up online for the chance to pick up the device at a preset time. The first customers were greeted by staff cheering, clapping, chanting "iPhone 5! iPhone 5!" and high-fiving them as they were escorted through the front door.

Meanwhile, one reader from Australia has posted their first impressions of their new iPhone 5 and has been posting more photos in the thread.

Of their new iPhone, thaifood wrote:

The screen size is noticeably taller. The change in aspect ratio feels good. The lack of increase in width seems awkward in photos, but when you hold it you understand how much more comfortable it feels when compared to a wider phone. The dock is so tiny now! I almost missed it when checking out the bottom of the device. The speaker grills also look great in the finished modal. They do not appear as large as photos portray them to be.

Italian site iSpazio.net has posted their own unboxing photos and video.

Those who have pre-ordered can follow their packages with others in our AT&T, Apple (U.S.), UK, Canadian, Verizon or Sprint pre-order discussion threads. The iPhone 5 will become available in the U.S. at retail stores at 8 a.m. local time.

The iPhone 5 is already on sale in Australia where, because of time zones, it's already tomorrow. iFixit has sent a technician to an Down Under Apple Store so the site can be one of the first worldwide to tear down the iPhone 5.

iFixit co-founder Luke Soules trekked halfway around the world to Melbourne, Australia to be one of the first to receive the iPhone 5. Then, he flew like the wind back to MacFixit Australia's office and started taking apart our unit. The process is now well underway.

iFixit will be updating their their tear down on the fly, and we will be updating our post as they update theirs.

The iPhone 5 continues to use the 5-point pentalobe screw that Apple began using in the iPhone 4, requiring a special screwdriver to take apart the device.

Ars Technica's Chris Foresman points out that the battery in the iPhone 5 has practically the same capacity as the battery from the iPhone 4S, going from 5.3Whr @ 3.7V to 5.45Whr @ 3.8V, or 1432 mAh to 1434 mAh.

iFixit notes that "Apple is very concerned with making sure that all the connectors are firmly seated and won't rattle lose over time." The teardown has reached the logic board, exposing Apple's proprietary A6 processor.

The Lightning connector assembly, which includes the headphone jack and loudspeaker, comes out next.

It seems inevitable that Apple was going to switch its charging source eventually. There's no way they could have crammed a 30-pin dock connector into this assembly.

iFixit also wonders about the iPhone 5's vibration motor. They say that the 4S used a linear-oscillating vibrator and for the 5, Apple has returned to a rotational motor with a counterweight. The linear-oscillating vibrator is "quieter and less annoying" and iFixit is "scratching our heads as to why" Apple reverted to the less elegant design.

With iOS 6 released to the public for just over 24 hours now, Apple's new and highly touted Maps application has received a large amount of public criticism over missing features and glitches. Google has already submitted its own iOS Maps app to Apple, but the company has responded via a public statement issued to AllThingsD:

"Customers around the world are upgrading to iOS 6 with over 200 new features including Apple Maps, our first map service," said spokeswoman Trudy Miller. "We are excited to offer this service with innovative new features like Flyover, turn by turn navigation, and Siri integration. We launched this new map service knowing it is a major initiative and that we are just getting started with it. Maps is a cloud-based solution and the more people use it, the better it will get. We appreciate all of the customer feedback and are working hard to make the customer experience even better."

Later in his piece, AllThingsD writer John Paczkowski says the developer team assigned to the Maps app is "under lockdown" working to fix the app.

Amid major criticism of Apple's new Maps app for iOS 6 that replaces the Google-powered app included on the iPhone since 2007, multiple sources are now reporting that Google already has a separate Maps app for iOS ready to go and in fact already submitted to Apple.

The first report comes by way of The Guardian, which says that Google is indeed preparing its own Maps app for iOS 6.

Google, I hear from roundabout sources, is enjoying the bad press Apple is suffering. It would be surprising if its mappers could resist some schadenfreude, since they are very proud of their work; having it rejected wholesale must be galling.

The same sources say that Google is preparing a Google Maps app for iOS6, which will appear in time. No official statement has been made and there will inevitably be questions over whether Apple will approve it in the App Store. (Apple might not, on the basis that it "competes with existing functionality", but would invite a further backlash if it did.)

The Guardian's report was tweeted by well-connected iOS developer Steve Troughton-Smith, who added a "Yep" to the assertion and framed it as if the app has already been submitted to Apple.

9to5Mac has also weighed in with its own claims that Google has had a standalone version of its Maps app for iOS for a number of years and that an iOS 6-compatible version has indeed been submitted to the App Store.

Finally, TechCrunch is also claiming that a Google app is in the works, with the company aiming to have it available on the App Store "before Christmas". Apple has, however, been known to hold other Google apps in limbo for extended periods of time, so it remains to be seen if and when Google's solution will be available as an alternative to the built-in Maps app from Apple in iOS 6.

Update: The Loop's Jim Dalrymple, who is well sourced at Apple, pours a bit of water on the story that Google has submitted its own Maps app to Apple.

Less than two hours before the first Australian Apple retail stores open to begin selling the iPhone 5, lines at stores around the world are lengthening in anticipation of the event. With Apple's pre-orders for the device having sold it out in just about an hour and current shipping estimates registering at 3-4 weeks, it seems that in-store purchases will be popular with those still looking to get their hands on an iPhone 5 as quickly as possible.

A representative from iFixit is currently in Australia waiting to purchase an iPhone 5 for teardown purposes, and he has posted a photo showing the line outside the Telstra retail store where he is currently sixth in line.

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has also checked in at the Chermside Apple retail store outside of Brisbane where he is waiting for one of the first iPhone 5 units to hit the streets.

But even in the United States where customers have close to 16 hours to go at a minimum before sales begin, lines are beginning to grow, as shown in this video from @pdparticle at the Palo Alto store near Apple's headquarters.

The iPhone 5 launches at 8:00 AM local time Friday in the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and the United Kingdom. The device will launch in 22 more countries a week later on September 28.

Reuters reports that a union representing roughly a quarter of Apple's retail employees in France has authorized a strike to protest working conditions at the company's stores. The strike is being timed to coincide with tomorrow's 8:00 AM iPhone 5 launch for maximum impact.

Demands by the SUD union, which represents about a quarter of Apple Store employees, included the installation of water fountains, providing meal vouchers and paying a thirteenth month of salary as is common at French companies.

"We're inviting all the employees who consider insufficient the advances made as part of annual labor negotiations and think Apple isn't showing enough of an interest in its French employees to join us tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. in front of the Opera Apple Store," union head Thomas Bordage said.

Other unions representing the remainder of Apple's French retail store workforce are not participating in the strike.

French newsmagazine Le Nouvel Observateur notes [Google translation] that the union does not know how many employees will take part in the strike, as many employees are worried that they will be fired or have their work contracts not be renewed if they participate.

Apple retail store employees in France have been wearing green wristbands this week to express solidarity and hope that an agreement can be reached, but the union suggests that a deal is unlikely before the strike goes into effect as last-minute talks have not yielded significant common ground for an agreement.

Switzerland's Schweizerische Bundesbahnen, or Swiss Federal Railway service, has accused Apple of using their iconic clock in its Clock app for iPad without permission, according to a report in the Swiss newspaper Blick [Google Translate].

The clock, designed by Hans Hilfiker, has become an icon of both the Swiss railway and of Switzerland itself. The trademark and copyright for the clock is owned by the Swiss Federal Railways service.

According to the article:

SBB is the sole owner of the trademark and copyright of the railway clock. The railway company will now get in touch with Apple. The aim is a legal, as well as a financial solution. It is not right that one [Apple] simply copies the design.

The paper notes that Apple Switzerland declined to comment and directed reporters to Apple's corporate headquarters in the United States.

The clock's image is widely licensed, with the watchmaker Mondaine selling replicas around the world.

(Thanks for the translation, Dave!)

Update: In the interest of fairness, we have changed our links from Tages-Anzeiger to the Swiss daily Blick, which first reported the story. The translated quote remains one provided by a MacRumors reader from a paragraph in the Tages-Anzeiger story.

The iPhone 5 does not officially launch until tomorrow, but a few units have been trickling out and German site iPhone-Garage has been able to obtain one of these units and perform an initial teardown of the device.

While the teardown lacks the details and analysis that we will see later from iFixit and other teardown specialists and many of the internal components have already been seen over the past few months in part leaks, this first teardown does provide some confirmation of the internal layout of the device through an extensive set of photos.

With all of the components in place, it is clear how tightly Apple has managed to pack in the internals, revamping much of the interior structure of the device compared to its predecessor.

As had been previously seen in leaked photos, the battery has been flipped over to accommodate access from the front of the device rather than the rear and the headphone jack has been moved to the bottom, resulting in significant changes to the overall layout. The move to a taller and thinner body has also pushed Apple toward other innovations such as the new Lightning connector in order to achieve a design that is 18% thinner and 20% lighter than the iPhone 4S.