The device's new size allows it to display an extra row of app icons² on its home screen.

 

The firm said it was 18% thinner and 20% lighter³ than the iPhone 4S. However, it does not feature an NFC (near field communication) chip to allow it to make touchless payments.

 

Apple said the handset would work on Everything Everywhere's (EE) 4G LTE network in the UK.

 

The news is likely to give EE - which runs the local Orange and T-Mobile services - an advantage against its rivals which will not launch the higher-speed data service until 2013.

 

"I think it's obviously what the other networks feared would happen," said Matthew Howett, a telecoms analyst⁴ at Ovum.

 

"The question will be how many non-EE customers make the switch."

 

Apple said the handset would ship on 21 September.

 

 

The new screen offers a 16:9 ratio, matching that of widescreen televisions.

 

But its 4in (10.2cm) size remains⁵ smaller than rival displays used by Samsung, Nokia, Motorola, LG, HTC and Sony's flagship models.

 

Phil Schiller - Apple's vice¹ president of worldwide marketing⁶, who unveiled the device - said existing apps would be shown with black borders until developers updated their products.

 

The handset also features a new Apple-designed chip, called the A6. Mr Schiller suggested this made it twice as powerful as the earlier model.

 

The camera is an eight megapixel model - the same as in the iPhone 4S, and a lower specification⁷ than LG and Sony's most recent devices. 

 

However, Mr Schiller said the equipment and associated software meant the iPhone would create better photographs in low light than before.

 

The handset also uses a new, smaller, socket⁸ for its charger. This means owners will need to use an adapter to plug the device into existing speakers and other equipment. The adapter is listed as being £25 on Apple's site.

 

The handset does not offer wireless⁹ charging like Nokia's Lumia 920.

 

It will be sold with either 16 gigabytes, 32GB or 64GB of storage. The basic model will be sold for £529 in the UK, but the figure will be lower if bought with a network contract.

 

In addition to launching the new model, Apple will continue to ship versions of the iPhone 4S and the iPhone 4, but is phasing out 2009's iPhone 3GS.

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