Here are the greatest hits from Apple’s 9/12 iPhone 5 (and new iPod Touch and iPod Nano) launch event.

I “watched” the whole thing via live blog and these are the notes I took. In short, Apple released a new iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPod Nano. iOS 6, EarPods (new headphones), and an updated version of iTunes were also announced.

iPHONE 5 HARDWARE

  • Same price as iPhone 4S was. $199 for 16GB. $299 for 32 GB. $399 for 64 GB. Other phones have dropped in price.
  • Pre-order on September 14. Release on September 21.
  • By the end of the year 100 countries, 240 carriers
  • 18% thinner, 20% lighter. If you have an iPhone 4 or 4S, it looks like the iPhone is as thick as just the metal band that goes around the perimeter of the phone.
  • 4″ screen (taller). It’s not any wider.
  • Less glare on the screen.
  • 4G LTE that works on Sprint, AT&T, Verizon.
  • Faster processor, faster graphics. About twice as fast.
  • Better camera. Better in low light. Go down to f/2.4. Captures image faster. Noise reduction.
  • Built in panorama mode. 28 megapixel panos. Uses image stabilization.
  • 1080p video with better image stabilization.
  • Front camera: Facetime now works over 3G with iOS 6. Is now 720p HD.
  • There’s an extra microphone (bottom, front, back). Better noise-canceling.
  • Better speakers.
  • New cord with Lightning connector can be plugged in in either direction. There is an adapter available to go from 30-pin connector.
  • Available in black and white. The back of it is in aluminium, and that aluminum has different finishes for the black and white models.
  • Improved battery life. Battery life: 8 hrs 3G talktime, 3G browsing. 8hrs LTE browsing, 10 hrs Wi-Fi browsing, 10 hrs video, 40 hours Music. 225 hrs of standby.

iPHONE 5 SOFTWARE (iOS 6)

  • iOS 6 released on September 19
  • 200 new iOS features overall. This stuff was mostly announced back in June.
  • Better maps. Turn-by-turn directions and 3D navigation. Maps have place info built-in.
  • You can update Twitter and Facebook from any app. It’s built in.
  • New full-screen mode in Safari.
  • iCloud tab and bookmark syncing in Safari.
  • Passbook (virtual wallet app): Movie passes, gif cards, flight tickets, sporting events, movie tickets
  • Shared photo streams.
  • Siri: Knows sports scores and standings. Can use Siri to update Facebook status.

MUSIC/MEDIA

  • 20 billion songs have been purchased
  • 435 million iTunes accounts
  • iTunes store available in 63 countries.
  • New look for iTunes store on iPad and iPhone
  • You can preview songs while browsing
  • New version of iTunes for your desktop. iCloud is built in. It got a facelift. Several new features, like “Up Next” which lets see what songs are coming up next on a playlist. You can queue up songs you want to hear when a song is done playing. New iTunes mini player that you can move around your screen. Available in October.
  • You can watch your movies straight from iCloud. That’s neat.

iPOD NANO

  • New 7th generation
  • $149 for 16 GB
  • Available in October
  • Big display. Rectangular. 2.5″ screen. Multi-touch.
  • New volume rocker button
  • Lighting connector (like the iPhone)
  • 5.4mm thick, 40% thinner than 6th generation Nano
  • Available in 7 colors
  • Can view widescreen video
  • Built in fitness and pedometer apps
  • Bluetooth connectivity, so you can stream to your car, speakers, and wireless headphones
  • 30 hours of music playback.

iPOD TOUCH

  • New 5th generation. $299 for 32 GB and $399 for 64 GB.
  • Old version (4th gen) is now $199 for 16 GB and $249 for 32 GB
  • Available in October
  • Longer screen, like the iPhone 4
  • Thinner. Lighter.
  • Has an aluminium back.
  • Headphone jack moved to bottom left
  • Uses the new Lightning connector
  • Faster
  • Battery life: 40 hours of music playback, 8 hours of video
  • Camera on the back: 5 megapixels. LED flash. Some other general improvements. Camera also has the panorama mode.
  • There’s a hidden button for something called iPod Touch Loop so you can add a wrist strap. The strap is included.
  • Camera shoots 1080p video. Front-facing camera can do FaceTime video chat at 720p HD.
  • Has Bluetooth
  • Has Siri
  • Supports AirPlay gaming via Apple TV.
  • Comes in several different colors

iPOD SHUFFLE

  • Is getting updated colors to match the Touch and Nano lineup but is otherwise unchanged.
  • $49 for 2 GB version

EARPODS (NEW HEADPHONES)

  • Controls on the headphones are larger
  • Fit more ears better
  • Better sound quality
  • Included with the new iPod Touch, Nano, and iPhone. Not the Shuffle, apparently. But you can buy them separately.

MISC

  • There are now 250,000 iPad apps and 700,000 iPhone apps
  • The average customer uses more than 100 apps. That’s more than I have.
  • Foo Fighters (one of my favorite bands) performed on-stage after the keynote. Times Like These, then My Hero. Awesome songs. They also played Walk, which is a less good song.