iPhone 5s official introduction- Youtube

It's about time Apple fans had a new object of desire, as the Android competition has been getting much stronger with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S4, HTC One and Sony Xperia Z piling on the pressure. Read on to see how Apple has answered the critics.

iPhone 5S design

As expected, the new handset will be available in a choice of "space grey", "silver" or "gold" colours, retaining the same glass and aluminium body from the iPhone 5 except with some aluminium edging that gives it that little extra bit of bling.

The 4in display remains unchanged and Apple has stuck with a "Retina-class" 1,136x640 resolution panel. This is unsurprising, seeing as it's already impossible to spot the individual pixels from an average viewing distance, but will still come as a disappointment for anyone hoping to watch Full HD video (or even 720p content) natively on their morning commute.

The power button is still at the top, next to a 3.5mm audio jack. The volume buttons and mute switch are still on the side and the Lightning connector is still found at the bottom - all in all a very similar looking handset to the iPhone 5.

The only new physical addition to the iPhone 5S is the TouchID ring built into the home button. This silver ring acts as a fingerprint reader for enhanced security. It can read in any orientation and scans below the epidermal skin layers. To avoid scratches, the home button is now made from sapphire crystal.

Want to learn more about Touch ID? 

The rear camera sensor is around 15% larger than the outgoing model, and uses 1.5 micron pixels for improved low-light shooting. The f/2.2 aperture is larger too, and is paired with a twin-LED flash for even more light when shooting in dark conditions. Apple calls it "True Tone", with one cool white flash and a second warmer amber LED that automatically adjusts depending on lighting conditions for the best picture. Image stabilisation and best shot selection are both automatic. There's also a burst shot mode and 120fps slow motion video recording at 720p, along with the new filters found in iOS7.

iPhone 5S performance

Inside, Apple has upgraded the A6 processor found in the iPhone 5 to an A7 CPU. It's a 64-bit chip, to take advantage of the 64-bit version of iOS 7 it will run. It should be up to 40x faster in terms of CPU performance and 56x faster for GPU tasks than the original iPhone, and can run OpenGL 3.0 games like the 2013 Nexus 7.

It is paired with an M7 Motion Coprocessor, which handles accelerometer, compass and gyroscope duties. It can tell whether you're walking, driving or stationary, and app developers will be able to tap into it in combination with GPS. Despite the presence of two processors, it should still manage 10 hours of 3G or 4G browsing, or up to 250 hours of standby on a single charge.

It also supports global LTE bands, apparently more than any other smartphone in the world, so will have no trouble working on 4G networks in every country it launches in - including here in the UK, where you'll have a choice of EE, Vodafoneand O2.

iOS 7

The iPhone 5S will launch with iOS 7, the latest version of Apple's mobile operating system. It's a major visual departure for the software, with a pastel colour scheme, flattened icons and no more skeuomorphic elements (the way the notes app looked like real lined paper).

Multitasking has been improved so apps update through push notifications, not just when you switch back to them from other apps. Notification Sync will please owners of multiple iOS devices, as swiping a message away from an iPhone 5S will also dismiss it from an iPad.

The redesigned Notification Center now lets you scroll through messages, emails, tweets and other notifications in a long list. Tabs separate updates into Today, All and Missed, so you don't need to worry about things falling through the cracks.

The major addition is Control Center , which puts common settings and toggles such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Flight mode and brightness in one location. A swipe from the bottom of the screen brings up the menu, which also includes a flashlight, music playback controls, a camera shortcut and a calculator. All five iWork apps will be free to download too.

Finally, AirDrop shares whatever you're currently doing to any nearby iOS 7 device using Wi-Fi. Tapping the AirDrop icon shows who is in the vicinity, and selecting them automatically shares.

where to buy the iPhone 5s
The iPhone 5s isn't available to pre-order in the UK until the 20th of September, but when it does you'll be able to get one directly from Apple SIM-free, or from most of the major UK networks on a contract. Direct from Apple, the 16GB iPhone 5s will cost £549, the 32GB version £629 and the 64GB version £709.

We've listed network prices for the 16GB model, so expect to pay a higher upfront fee for the 32GB version.

EE is currently asking customers to register their interest in the iPhone 5s, which will go on sale from the 20th. A £150 up front fee will get you the 16GB model on a £36 monthly contract, which includes 1.5GB of data, unlimited minutes and unlimited texts. The most expensive £46 contract includes 10GB of data, but still requires a £50 down payment for the handset. It will also be available on the theOrange and T-Mobile 3G networks, although prices still have yet to be announced.

O2 has created a listing for the iPhone 5s in Gold on its website, and although you can't yet put in your order you can see what tariffs are available. Due to the unique nature of how the Refresh tariff works, you'll have to pay £600 up font to avoid paying a monthly charge for the phone – some £50 more than Apple charges for a SIM-free model. You'll then have to pay £17 per month for unlimited minutes, unlimited texts and 1GB of 3G data. For a 4G plan, expect to pay £22 per month for the same allowance.