SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Apple says the new iPhone 5 will be in stores in the U.S. and several other countries on Sept. 21.
In the U.S., pre-orders will start on Friday, Sept. 14.
The phone is thinner and lighter than the iPhone 4S, yet has a taller screen.
The phone will cost the same as the iPhone 4S did when it debuted, starting at $199 with a two-year contract in the U.S.
Meanwhile, the price for the iPhone 4S will drop to $99 for new contract signers, and the iPhone 4 will be free.
The iPhone 5 will also come with the capability to connect to the fastest new wireless data networks, both in the U.S. and overseas. That's another feature that was widely expected. Some competing phones in the U.S. have had this ability for a year and an half.
With the new model, Apple is ditching the connection port it's used for iPods, iPhones and iPads for nearly a decade in favor of a smaller, narrower one. That means Apple is still the holdout in an industry where other manufacturers have settled on a standard connector for charging and computer backups.
